Trump executive orders streamline nuclear reactor rules, support AI power needs

President Donald Trump signed four executive orders directing the Department of Energy to ease regulations and accelerate the construction of nuclear reactors.

President Donald Trump issued four executive orders on Friday that aim to transform nuclear energy development in the United States by speeding up regulatory processes and expanding reactor construction.

The orders require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to approve nuclear reactor licenses within 18 months, significantly shortening a process that previously took several years. They also authorize the Energy and Defense departments to build new nuclear reactors on federal land, intended to support defense operations and power artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.

An unnamed administration official told CNBC that the orders will enable safe and reliable nuclear energy to power critical defense facilities and AI infrastructure.

Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, called the actions historic, saying they will help secure America’s energy dominance and deliver affordable, reliable, safe, and secure power to the public.

Kratsios added that President Trump is signaling a renewed commitment to nuclear energy, which could mark the start of an American nuclear renaissance.

The most recent reactors built at Plant Vogtle in Georgia took seven years longer than planned and cost $18 billion more than expected due to regulatory delays.

The fast-growing computer technology sector is expected to benefit most from new nuclear plants, as AI data centers require large amounts of energy in a competitive industry.

This policy marks a shift from previous U.S. caution toward nuclear energy, which was influenced by historic environmental concerns such as the 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear accident in Pennsylvania.

One of the executive orders also calls for increased domestic mining and enrichment of uranium to reduce reliance on foreign sources and support nuclear power generation.

The Trump administration has emphasized that nuclear energy is vital for powering next-generation technologies, maintaining global industrial and digital leadership, achieving energy independence, and enhancing national security.

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