President Trump signed two executive orders on May 23 intended to speed up the development of nuclear power in the United States. With the demand for alternate sources of electrical power rising to fuel the exponential growth in artificial intelligence applications, the government is using its fiscal and regulatory muscle to accelerate nuclear energy as a major contributor to domestic power supply.
Executive Orders Relating To Nuclear Advancement
The Trump administration is taking a two-pronged approach to promote the nuclear energy industry. The first executive order, Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, aims to streamline nuclear development and reduce regulatory burdens and barriers.
The order targets licensing reform by directing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to complete rulemaking for new reactors within 18 months and 12 months for existing ones. The government also highlights the need for cultural change at the NRC, claiming their current risk-averse approach should better balance safety concerns with the benefits of nuclear energy. “The NRC has failed to license new reactors even as technological advances promise to make nuclear power safer, cheaper, more adaptable, and more abundant than ever,” the order states.
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