Trump signs executive orders to boost nuclear power, says ‘Going to get it fast, safe and big’

On Friday, President Donald Trump signed executive orders aimed at increasing domestic nuclear power production fourfold over the next 25 years, a target that experts widely consider highly unlikely to be achieved.

Nuclear a “hot industry”: Trump

“Very safe and clean...We're going to get it very fast and very safe. We are going to get the people in and out...it is time for nuclear and we are going to do it very big,” Trump said after signing order to boost US nuclear energy, ANI reported citing Reuters.

While surrounded by industry executives, Trump called nuclear a “hot industry" at the Oval Office signing, according to an AP report.

Trump has signed a series of executive orders supporting oil, gas, and coal industries, which contribute to global warming when used to generate electricity. While nuclear reactors produce electricity without releasing greenhouse gases, Trump highlighted their safety and cleanliness but did not address their climate advantages.

However, safety experts caution that nuclear energy carries significant risks not associated with other low-carbon sources, such as the potential for accidents, vulnerability to attacks, and the ongoing challenge of safely storing large amounts of hazardous nuclear waste.

To expedite the development of nuclear power, the orders permit the US energy secretary authority to sanction some advanced reactor designs and projects, stripping authority away from the independent safety agency that has overseen the US nuclear industry for five decades.

The order comes at a time when electricity demand is soaring due to a surge in energy-intensive data centers and artificial intelligence. Tech companies, venture capitalists, states, and others are all vying for power, further straining the nation's electric grid.

An AP report said the chief executive officer of the nuclear energy company Oklo, Jacob DeWitte, brought a golf ball to the Oval Office and informed Trump that's the amount of uranium that can power someone’s requirements for their entire life. “It doesn’t get any better than that,” he said, holding up the ball. Trump mentioned, “Very exciting indeed."

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum stated, "We’ve got enough electricity to win the AI arms race with China. What we do in the next five years related to electricity is going to determine the next 50" years in the industry."

The orders aim to restructure the independent Nuclear Regulatory Commission to speed up the review process for nuclear projects, setting an 18-month deadline for the NRC to make decisions on industry applications. They also establish a pilot programme to bring three experimental reactors online by July 4, 2026, just 13 months away, and authorise the use of the Defense Production Act to implement emergency measures ensuring sufficient supplies of uranium and other nuclear fuel for a modernised US nuclear energy industry.

Additionally, the orders direct the Departments of Energy and Defense to evaluate the possibility of restarting shuttered nuclear power plants and to consider the placement of new reactors on federal lands and military bases.

(With inputs from AP, ANI)