WHAT DO THE NUCLEAR EXECUTIVE ORDERS MEAN FOR ENERGY COMMUNITIES?
Heading into the Memorial Day weekend, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders (EO) aiming to promote and accelerate nuclear energy development. The Administration’s interest in nuclear was made clear from day one in the January 20 “Unleashing American Energy” order drawing attention to nuclear as a crucial domestic energy resource. The four nuclear-focused orders issued on Friday (May 23) will be the focus of many in the nuclear space and private industry in the coming weeks.
The summary below highlights most important take-aways from these four (4) orders relevant to ECA members.
Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base
Of Friday's announcements, this EO offers the most comprehensive set of nuclear deployment directives to advance new nuclear in the U.S. It directs the chair of the 19-member National Energy Dominance Council, representing Trump’s cabinet, key departmental heads, and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a plan for strengthening management of high-level waste, spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and deployment of advanced fuel cycles by Jan. 2026. (Sec. 1)
The EO calls for ten new large reactors with complete designs under construction by 2030 and five gigawatts of power updates to existing reactors. (Sec. 4) To accomplish this ambitious goal, the industrial base is addressed comprehensively:
Guidance to evaluate materials for isotopes of value to national security, medical industrial or scientific sectors that could be utilized prior to disposal. This includes reevaluation of reprocessing, separation and storage facilities. (Sec. 3 viii)
Transportation of used and unused advanced nuclear fuels is called out as a necessary program with the potential for future legislation to support the movement of fuels in safe, secure and environmental sound manner. (Sec. 3 ix)
Plans include the expansion of uranium conversion capacity and enrichment to meet domestic needs for diversified fuels including low enriched uranium, highly enriched uranium and high assay low enriched uranium (HALEU). Added fuel cycle optionality includes making surplus plutonium available to industry in a form that can be used to fabricate fuel. (Sec. 3 b-c)
Incentives for private sector participation also show up in this EO such as prospect of voluntary agreements using the Defense Production Act with domestic nuclear energy companies and the use of procurement support, forward contracts or guarantees to consortia as a means to ensure offtake of a newly established domestic fuel supply. (Sec.3e-h)
Similar financial provisions are identified for the Department of Energy (DOE) and Small Business Administration for advanced nuclear technologies that might qualify for grants, loans, investment capital and other Federal support. (Sec. 4) Priority will be given to companies demonstrating the largest degrees of design and technological maturity, financial backing and potential for near-term deployment.
Direction to expand the Nuclear Energy Workforce features in this EO providing 120 days for Lori Clavez DeRemer, the secretary at the Dept. of Labor and the Secretary of Education to increase participation in apprenticeship programs. The EO also advises the use of funding provided under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. (Sec. 5)
Note: For detail on the reference in the EO, the US Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Office of Apprenticeship (OA) along with some state apprenticeship agencies (SAA) recognize apprenticeships through a registration process. By registering a program, businesses and other organizations that sponsor apprenticeships gain access to federal resources, state tax credits where available, technical assistance, third-party validation, and a nationally recognized credential. Organizations submit a registration package containing occupational standards to either the OA or an SAA to register.
Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at DOE
This EO introduces ambitious deployment timeframes, calling for test reactors to be operational within two years. A test reactor does not produce power for the grid, but rather is used to establish visibility for new technologies. to be added to a grid and is used to established fundamental viability of a new technology.
To achieve this, the Secretary has 90 days to revise guidance to expedite the review, approval and deployment of advanced reactors under DOE jurisdiction. Section 4c of this Executive Order bypasses NRC oversight and exerts DOE’s jurisdiction, calling on DOE to establish an internal team to process applications.
A new pilot program is introduced to put 3 reactors online by July 2026 outside the National Laboratories. (Sec. 5)
DOE is also directed to streamline environmental reviews. (Sec. 6)
Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security
This order spotlights the strategic risks for mission capability resources at military and national security installations, including national laboratories. It expresses the need for reliable baseload power that cannot be disrupted by external threats or grid failures and seeks to increase the scale and speed with which American advanced nuclear reactors are deployed. It also emphasizes the need to enhance U.S. exports of nuclear technologies to allies and commercial partners.
In the next 90 days, DOE is expected to designate one or more sites under DOE’s control for the use and deployment of advanced nuclear reactors. (Sec. 4)
It directs the Dept. of Defense and Secretary of the Army to commence the operation of a nuclear reactor regulated by the U.S. Army by Sept. 2028. (Sec. 3)
The EO seeks to align incentives to leverage federally owned uranium and plutonium resources considered in excess of defense needs to support the commercial nuclear supply chain. A fuel bank with no less than 20 metric tons of high assay low enriched uranium will be established. (Sec. 5)
The EO supports recent DOE actions to designate AI data centers on DOE sites and defines the privately funded power generation infrastructure needed to operate them as “defense critical electric infrastructure.” (Sec. 4) The early site preparation and authorization activities will be given priority with the goal of operating an advanced reactor at the first site by November 2027.
The EO directs the DOD and DOE to use their authorities to advance privately funded recycling, reprocessing and reactor fuel fabrication technologies at identified sites. (Sec. 5.c)
Section 7 addresses categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) which can streamline siting and construction.
This EO also includes two sections on steps necessary to promote American nuclear exports, reiterating the connection between domestic deployment and international leadership in the nuclear sector.
Ordering the Reform of the NRC
This executive order contrasts the pace of construction between 1954-1978, when the US authorized building 133 civilian reactors, to the prolonged timelines that maximized fees in recent years, resulting in only two completed commercial projects. The order for NRC reform aims to facilitate the expansion of the American nuclear energy capacity from ~100 GW in 2024 to 400 GW by 2050.
The EO calls for reform of the NRC culture, structure and regulation and contends this is necessary to facilitate increased deployment of new nuclear technologies including Generation III+ and IV reactors, (SMRs), and microreactors. In addition, the reforms seek to address continued operations and appropriate operational extensions of the existing fleet.
As directed by Congress, NRC’s mission now includes facilitating nuclear power while ensuring reactor safety. NRC shall consider the benefits of increased availability of nuclear power to our economic and national security in addition to safety, health and environmental considerations.
The structure of the NRC will change as reductions of force (RIFs) will be implemented and emphasis on de-duplication of efforts internally and interdepartmentally take shape. A dedicated team of 20 officials will be formed to draft new regulations which will be reviewed and issued within 18 months, as directed in Section 5 of the EO. (Sec. 4)
The 15-member Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards will be reduced as the function of this group will be focused on issues that are truly novel or noteworthy, allowing NRC staff to complete necessary reviews without duplication of efforts. (Sec. 4)
Modernization efforts to establish fixed deadlines for evaluation and approval of licenses, reducing uncertainty and risks for applicants. This includes setting stringent thresholds for circumstances when the NRC may demand changes to a reactor design after construction is underway.
The NRC is also directed to consider adopting “determinate radiation limits” removing the indefinite and poorly defined reliance on current “as low as reasonably achievable” standards.
The EO also instructs the NRC to revise the reactor security rules to be responsive to credible risks and to streamline the public hearings process. (Sec. 5)
To review all of the executive orders, click here.
For more information on how new nuclear development can be expanded and accelerated, ECA recently hosted the ECA Forum: Moving New Nuclear Projects Forward. The Forum only meeting designed to bring together DOE, federal, state, local and tribal governments and policymakers with developers, utilities, regulators, industry, and academia to identify opportunities, challenges and to build the partnerships necessary to support nuclear development. To access the meeting's agenda, speaker bios, and presentation recordings, click here!
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