President Donald Trump signed four executive orders Friday afternoon aimed at jumpstarting the construction of nuclear reactors over the next four years. 

The executive orders would overhaul and simplify the regulatory processes for approving new nuclear energy projects, while also boosting domestic mining and enrichment of uranium, to reduce reliance on foreign nations like China and Russia. 

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“First from the 1950s onward, America led the world in nuclear innovation, building more than 100 reactors over the next 30 years. However, in the last 30 years, we started and built only two,” White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios told members of the press before the signing.

“With these actions, President Trump is telling the world that America will build again, and the American nuclear renaissance can begin,” Kratsios continued. 

Ahead of signing the orders, Trump said the focus of the administration was to get advanced nuclear projects like small modular reactors online and operating fast.

The first of the executive orders focuses on reforming nuclear research and development at the Department of Energy by speeding up reactor testing, expediting applications and review processes, and launching a pilot program for reactor construction over the next two years. 

The second order would reform Department of Energy and Department of Defense regulations to pave the way for building nuclear reactors on federally owned land that would support “critical defense facilities and AI data centers,” a senior White House official said Friday. 

The third executive order is meant to reform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, targeting its licensing timeline and agency culture. It will specifically call on the NRC to make decisions on reactor licenses within 18 months and prioritize reactor safety while also promoting adoption of nuclear technology.

This overhaul does not directly call for the firing or removal of any sitting NRC commission members. Senior White House officials said, though, that there will be a substantial reorganization at the agency, including turnover and changes in roles. 

The fourth and final nuclear-related executive order signed Friday addresses fuel for nuclear reactors, boosting domestic mining, enrichment and conversion capabilities for uranium. 

Previous reports indicated that Trump would invoke the Defense Production Act to declare a national emergency over American dependence on foreign enriched uranium.

Through these executive orders, senior White House officials said, the administration’s goal is to be able to test and deploy new nuclear reactors before Trump leaves office. 

“President Trump here today has committed to energy dominance, and part of that energy dominance is that we’ve got enough electricity to win the AI arms race with China,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said during the executive order signing.

“What we do in the next five years related to electricity is going to determine the next 50 because it’s the first time in history where electricity can be translated into intelligence, and we need that intelligence for every aspect of our economy,” Burgum said.

Toward the end of 2024, several major tech companies announced investments in advanced nuclear projects, such as small modular reactors, to secure the energy needed for new data centers and artificial intelligence advancements. Many of these, however, are not expected to come online until around 2030, two years after the end of the second Trump administration. 

Criticized over waste, risk of accidents, and environmental impacts, nuclear energy generation has tended to decline in past decades. Support for nuclear energy has, however, risen in recent years in tandem with fears about the reliability and stability of the nuclear grid, as AI data centers, electrification, and manufacturing developments have caused energy demand to soar.

Both Democrats and Republicans have expressed interest in utilizing nuclear energy to meet these growing power needs, as the carbon-free power is one of the most reliable sources of energy. 

While private investment has increased in recent months, with Big Tech paving the way, some have warned that the industry cannot be propped up by private capital alone. 

During The Energy Future Forum in Washington D.C. on Monday, long-time wealth adviser Terrence Keeley said there is still quite a bit of trepidation among private investors, particularly as subsidies for nuclear power created by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act are under threat from the major tax and spending bill being advanced by Republicans through the budget reconciliation process.

“We’re a long way away from the commercialization of SMRs for bringing in private capital, because the promise is just not there,” he said, pointing out that there are still only three SMRs operating worldwide. 

In the major tax cut and spending reconciliation legislative package passed Thursday, Republicans included a provision end clean energy tax credits for all projects unless they are able to start construction within 60 days of the bill’s enactment and are placed in service by the end of 2028. The credits are technology-neutral, meaning that they could subsidize nuclear power in addition to renewable sources like wind and solar.

Nuclear developers saw a reprieve, as the legislative text details that they can receive the credit if they have only started construction by that date and are not yet in operation.

The Republican bill would also reduce funding for the Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office, which helps provide financing for projects, though that provision could very well change as the Senate takes up the bill. 

This week, Energy Secretary Chris Wright made a plea with Senate lawmakers to ensure the LPO has funding to support nuclear buildout. 

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“I think LPO is critical at the cutting edge of energy. It is really the most efficient tool we have,” Wright said before the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. 

“I absolutely want to see funding. I want to see the loan program office able to lean in on emerging technologies,” Wright added. “It is our greatest bang for the buck to help technologies so, and I know that [the budget] comes to the Senate next, I’m making a plea.”