The United States has announced a significant shift in its energy policy through a series of executive orders issued by President Donald Trump. The goal is to increase nuclear energy capacity from the current 100 GW to as much as 400 GW by mid-century. After the initial doubling, another round of expansion is planned, effectively doubling existing capacity again—marking the most ambitious nuclear energy development plan in the country’s history.
The focus is on advanced reactors—small modular reactors (SMRs), microreactors, and fourth-generation technologies. The specific target includes building ten new large reactors by 2030, as well as upgrading existing facilities to add another 5 GW of capacity, according to World Nuclear News.
These decisions are also interpreted as an attempt to reclaim global leadership in the nuclear industry, as the U.S. has seen its position decline—over 85 percent of new reactors built worldwide since 2017 have relied on foreign technologies. President Trump has signed three key orders covering all aspects of the nuclear renaissance—from regulatory reform and testing of new technologies to boosting domestic nuclear fuel production.
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One order mandates the reorganization of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which has been criticized for its lengthy and costly approval processes that have stalled industry growth. Over nearly half a century, very few reactors have been approved, and only two have been brought online. Moving forward, the Commission will be required to make licensing decisions within 18 months for new reactors and within 12 months for license extensions of existing ones.
A serious national security concern has been identified in the U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain, which heavily relies on imported uranium and foreign enrichment services. In response, the administration is proposing the establishment of a new domestic system for uranium enrichment and conversion, as well as a program for recycling plutonium and other surplus materials so they can be reused as fuel for advanced reactors. At the same time, the previous program for diluting excess plutonium is being abandoned in favor of its industrial use.
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