Overview

• President Trump has signed executive orders to streamline the construction of new nuclear reactors and expand domestic uranium production using the Defense Production Act.
• The administration's goal is to increase U.S. nuclear power capacity from 100 to 400 gigawatts by 2050, though experts question the feasibility of this target.
• New policies direct the Departments of Energy and Defense to identify reactor sites, accelerate regulatory approvals, and support reactor development with loans and grants.
• The initiative is partly justified by rising energy demands from AI data centers and national security concerns over reliance on foreign uranium supplies.
• Critics highlight significant challenges, including high costs, lengthy timelines, and the aging state of the current U.S. nuclear infrastructure.