Trump restores nuclear power: America officially returns to the race?

President Donald Trump recently signed a series of executive orders and directives aimed at accelerating the construction of nuclear power plants, including designs that promise rapid deployment but have never been built in the country.

The effort is aimed at meeting the future surge in electricity demand, helping the US regain its advantage in the nuclear energy sector.

Although once a leader in nuclear power development and production, the US has completed only two new reactors in the past 30 years and has closed many plants.

The White House hopes the executive orders will accelerate reactor testing, pave the way for the construction of nuclear reactors in the US, reform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and increase domestic uranium mining and enrichment capabilities.

Speaking at the signing ceremony in the Oval Office, President Trump said: "We are signing great executive orders today that will make us a true powerhouse in this industry." He affirmed that nuclear technology "has come a long way, both in terms of safety and cost."

Ông Trump khôi phục sức mạnh hạt nhân: Mỹ chính thức trở lại đường đua? - 1 — President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on May 23 (Photo: Getty Images).

The initiative is the latest US effort to jumpstart its domestic nuclear industry, which has been stagnant for decades.

Last year, former President Joe Biden proposed a plan to triple US nuclear capacity by 2050, while Trump's new plan aims to quadruple it as tech companies scramble to find power to power their energy-hungry data centers.

President Trump’s executive order sets a goal of completing construction of 10 large, conventional reactors by 2030. That goal could benefit Westinghouse Electric, whose latest commercial reactor design is built in the United States and is well received globally.

Trump’s nuclear energy initiative would also encourage the use of government funding to support the restart of shuttered nuclear plants, upgrade a total of 5 GW at existing sites, and accelerate the completion of unfinished projects.

The first order is aimed at accelerating reactor testing at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) national laboratories, according to a senior White House official. The order will simplify the licensing process, allowing for a construction testing program to begin within the next two years.

The second order allows the DOE and the Department of Defense to build nuclear reactors on federal land. The goal, according to the White House, is to provide safe, reliable power for defense facilities and artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.

"The deployment of small, advanced nuclear reactors at bases at home and around the world is a key element in ensuring national security. If there is a change in the world , the US military will still maintain its operational capacity," US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized.

The third order requires the NRC, the federal agency responsible for licensing reactors, to make a decision within 18 months. According to a statement released later by the White House, the NRC is “no longer fit for purpose as mandated by Congress” and needs to be reorganized to speed up the licensing process and implement new technologies.

The order also directs the NRC to work with the Department of Government Efficiency to rebuild its organizational structure, prioritizing staffing increases in departments involved in licensing new reactors while cutting staff in departments that are no longer relevant.

"President Trump is committed to pursuing a policy of energy dominance. That not only helps the US lead globally, but is also a key condition to win the artificial intelligence arms race with China," Mr. Doug Burgum, US Secretary of the Interior, affirmed to the press.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/kinh-doanh/ong-trump-khoi-phuc-suc-manh-hat-nhan-my-chinh-thuc-tro-lai-duong-dua-20250526172415358.htm