As the United States faces escalating energy demands amid advancing resource-intensive technology and aging infrastructure, nuclear power has rematerialized as a central pillar of national and state-level energy strategies.
Recent federal executive actions and passage of bipartisan legislation—alongside a wave of state initiatives—signal a renewed commitment to nuclear development, with implications for permitting, licensing and infrastructure investment. This alert outlines the latest regulatory shifts, including executive orders from the Trump administration, implementation of the ADVANCE Act and state-level momentum from New York to Colorado.
Federal Updates
On May 23, President Trump signed four executive orders aimed at fostering a “nuclear renaissance” to help the country “face a new set of challenges, including a global race to dominate in artificial intelligence (AI) a growing need for energy independence, and access to uninterruptible power supplies for national security.”
The executive orders are titled:
These executive orders lay out ambitious goals to reinvigorate U.S. nuclear energy, from deploying nuclear reactors to power military bases and AI data centers, recycling and processing spent reactor fuel, increasing domestic production of uranium, bolstering the nuclear workforce, and ultimately expanding nuclear energy by 300 gigawatts by 2050.
However, while the Trump administration has demonstrated ambition for expanding nuclear energy, this is paired with an equally ambitious desire to cut the regulatory scheme surrounding it, particularly around reactor licensing and testing. This has resulted in staff reductions and restricting resources at key agencies.
One of President Trump’s executive orders is aimed at reforming the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the independent agency that regulates the safety of nuclear reactors. The order directs the NRC to work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to “reorganize the NRC to promote the expeditious processing of license applications and the adoption of innovative technology.” The order also seeks to cut staff at NRC: “The personnel and functions of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) shall be reduced to the minimum necessary to fulfill ACRS’s statutory obligations.”
Also in the interest of cutting bureaucratic red tape, one order directs Department of Energy (DOE) leadership to consult with DOGE to streamline environmental reviews by “reform[ing] the Department’s rules governing compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)” and “eliminate or expedite the Department’s environmental reviews for authorizations, permits, approvals, leases, and any other activity requested by an applicant or potential applicant.” These orders are consistent with President Trump’s broader agenda of cutting the size of federal agencies and reducing regulatory schemes for businesses across all sectors.
Even as the Trump administration makes these regulatory reforms, the DOE is expected to work towards implementing the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act, which President Biden signed on July 9, 2024. The ADVANCE Act passed with significant bipartisan support and included provisions aiming to streamline the permitting process by:
- providing incentives for developing and deploying new nuclear technologies;
- keeping existing nuclear plants online;
- converting old coal plants into nuclear plants;
- restricting imports of uranium from Russia and China; and
- implementing initiatives for efficient, timely and predictable license application reviews by the NRC.
DOE is also working to refocus the Office of Nuclear Energy per the president’s fiscal year 2026 Budget Request. Under the budget proposal, the program would focus on developing innovative concepts for next-generation nuclear reactors and researching advanced nuclear fuels, shifting away from nuclear research.
Simultaneously, Congress is working to create new and strengthen existing programs supporting the growth of nuclear energy. Citing the need for reliable, baseload generation resources, House Energy and Water appropriators provided an increase of $110 million for DOE’s Nuclear Energy Office, including an increase for the Advanced Nuclear Fuel Availability Program to help support production of the kind of fuel used by advanced reactors. The loan program office would also get more money for nuclear project financing. Senate appropriators have not yet released their version of the Energy and Water Appropriations bill.
Most recently, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee held a hearing for the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy and Regulatory Affairs on July 22 titled “The New Atomic Age: America’s Energy Future.” This hearing was the latest congressional action related to nuclear energy policy.
State Updates
The federal government is not alone in its renewed appetite for nuclear energy development. Since last year, 34 states across the political spectrum and rural-urban divides introduced legislation relating to nuclear energy policy. In 2024 alone, 25 states passed pro-nuclear legislation, and public utility commissions (PUCs) in seven states approved orders or took direct action in support of nuclear energy. These actions range from funding viability studies for nuclear energy and creating workforce development programs, to paving the way to build new nuclear reactors.
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) recently directed the New York Power Authority (NYPA) to develop and construct a zero-emission nuclear power plant in upstate New York. The proposed plant would be the first major nuclear plant built in the United States in over 15 years, and only the sixth built since 1991. Hochul said the new plant will provide one gigawatt of clean energy for the state to help address the increased energy demands and meet the state’s climate goals. The proposal has garnered support from labor unions, including the Transport Workers Union International and the Utility Workers Union of America, but has drawn criticism from environmental groups who fear that the plan will distract from other renewable energy projects.
Texas has also made recent strides to become a leader in nuclear energy. In 2023, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) created the Texas Advanced Nuclear Reactor Working Group to “position Texas as the national leader on advanced nuclear energy.” This year, Gov. Abbott called for the legislature to position the state to lead the country’s “nuclear renaissance,” seeing nuclear energy as a solution to increasing energy needs. Texas currently consumes more energy than any other state and ranks sixth in energy use per capita. This demand has led the state to invest heavily in energy programs from oil and gas to renewable energy sources, and now nuclear as well. In response to Gov. Abbott’s agenda, lawmakers passed the Texas Nuclear Deployment Act this past session, which created the Texas Nuclear Advanced Energy Office and invested $350 million in programs to develop and deploy next-generation nuclear technologies.
And most recently, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed the bipartisan House Bill 25-1040 into law passed during the 2025 legislative session to define nuclear energy as a “clean energy resource.” Additionally, Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington recently announced that the airport is considering plans to build a small modular nuclear reactor on-site to help meet increasing energy demands.
On the other side of the Continental Divide, the governors of Utah, Idaho and Wyoming met for the “Built Here: Nuclear Energy Summit” and signed a tri-state compact to shape regional energy policy with a focus on nuclear development. According to a press release by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R), “The compact focuses on advancing energy resilience, coordinating infrastructure, advocating for commonsense federal policies, and accelerating the development of reliable, affordable nuclear energy.” Gov. Cox also said that the compact “highlighted Utah’s mission to become a national hub for advanced nuclear energy development and underscored the critical role of regional collaboration in building a secure, abundant energy future.”
In January, Wyoming issued the first state permit for a commercial-scale advanced nuclear reactor project. The planned power plant has begun construction near Kemmerer, Wyoming, and will begin producing 350 megawatts of consistent power, enough to power 250,000 homes. The parties involved in in the Wyoming project have begun discussion with additional communities across Wyoming and Utah to build small modular reactors at sites where coal power plants are being retired.
What’s Next?
Proponents and opponents of nuclear energy are not isolated on either side of the aisle. Proponents are motivated by various factors including the need for reliable baseload power, the potential job growth associated with a growing nuclear energy sector, emissions reductions and lower electricity costs. Opponents site concerns with safety and a lack of solutions for storing large amounts of nuclear waste. Interest in solving a different problem may unify both sides, the need to meet the expected exponential increase in demand for electricity due to the growth of AI.
Nuclear energy may well be entering a renaissance in the United States as the country and individual states look for solutions to address increasing energy demands. The last few years have seen states across the country and across the political spectrum take steps to investigate the feasibility of and even begin constructing nuclear reactors. The federal government has been equally committed to exploring nuclear energy across the Biden and Trump administrations as the country seems to be marching forward into a new era of nuclear energy production.
