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Trump orders fast-track for US nuclear licensing to power AI boom, energy security
Currently, licensing for reactors in the US can take over a decade at times, due to complex safety evaluations.
US President Donald Trump on Friday signed a sweeping executive order requiring the nation's independent nuclear regulatory commission to cut down on regulations and accelerate its licensing process for reactors and power plants, slashing approval timelines to just 18 months.
Currently, licensing for reactors in the US can take over a decade at times, due to complex safety evaluations.
The requirement, part of a batch of executive orders signed by Trump on Friday, marks a significant shift in Washington's nuclear policy, which aims to boost US nuclear energy production amid a boom in demand from data centres and artificial intelligence.
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"With these actions, President Trump is telling the world that America will build again, and the American nuclear renaissance can begin," said Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
US nuclear licensing overhaul
With this move, the White House envisions a full-scale modernisation of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission itself, including a review of agency staffing and internal procedures.
The Departments of Energy and Defence will also be directed to collaborate on new reactor projects, including installations on military bases and other federal lands, a senior White House official said.
“This is the most significant pro-nuclear policy shift in a generation,” said Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. “The American nuclear renaissance can begin.”
The orders also seek to reinvigorate uranium production and enrichment in the United States, the senior White House official said.
The new order follows Trump’s January declaration of a national energy emergency, citing inadequate electricity capacity to support the nation's expanding digital infrastructure. While much of the administration’s energy agenda has favoured fossil fuels, officials now see nuclear as an essential pillar for future energy security.
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Some Democrats endorse nuclear power because the plants do not emit planet-warming greenhouse gases, even as environmentalists have raised concerns about radioactive waste and reactor safety.
Republicans, who are less concerned about global warming, support it because they say nuclear power plants could strengthen US energy security.
with inputs from Reuters
