Trump Reduces Regulatory Oversight and Signs Aggressive Nuclear Energy Orders

President Donald Trump has issued a number of executive orders to boost the nuclear energy industry in the United States. The directives set the lofty target of quadrupling the country’s nuclear power capability by 2050. In order to accomplish this, the administration intends to simplify regulatory procedures, such as cutting the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) new reactor licensing period from more than ten years to just eighteen months.

The NRC must be completely restructured, according to the executive orders, which also mandate that the agency update its radiation safety guidelines and reevaluate its “as low as reasonably achievable” radiation exposure model. According to the administration, existing models impede the advancement of nuclear energy and are unduly conservative.

Apart from modifying regulations, the directives promote the establishment of nuclear power plants on federal property, including military installations, and seek to increase domestic uranium production. It is the responsibility of the Department of Energy to increase uranium enrichment capabilities for both defense and energy applications.

The action is criticized for possible safety hazards, while proponents praise it as a critical step toward energy independence and satisfying the expanding electricity needs of data centers and artificial intelligence. Ernest Moniz, the former secretary of energy, cautioned that speedy reactor deployment without sufficient safety precautions could result from the NRC’s diminished independence.