Trump signs four executive orders to quadruple US nuclear capacity to 400 GW
Trump's executive orders bypass NRC timelines but don't solve 70-site radioactive waste backlog
Trump's executive orders bypass NRC timelines but don't solve 70-site radioactive waste backlog
President Trump signed four executive orders on May 23, 2025, establishing a goal of expanding U.S. nuclear power capacity from roughly 100 gigawatts today to 400 gigawatts by 2050. That would require constructing approximately 10 large reactors and many smaller advanced reactors per year for 25 years β a pace the U.S. nuclear industry has never sustained.
Essential concepts and terms to understand this topic
Constitutional limit on Congress giving away its lawmaking power to other branches.
Presidential orders directing federal agencies to implement policy or administrative changes.
Federal agencies with legal protections from presidential control to ensure impartial decision-making.
A 1950 law giving the president power to order private companies to prioritize military production and supply contracts during national defense emergencies.

U.S. President
Signed the four executive orders on May 23, 2025, setting the 400 GW goal and directing NRC reform. Trump has framed nuclear expansion as an 'America First' energy and national security priority, linking it to AI dominance, military readiness, and reducing dependence on foreign energy.
U.S. Secretary of Energy (confirmed 2025)
Wright's DOE is responsible for implementing nuclear deployment at federal facilities, rebuilding the fuel supply chain under the Defense Production Act, and submitting the 240-day spent fuel policy report. Wright, a former oilfield services executive, has positioned nuclear as complementary to natural gas, not a replacement.
NRC Chairman (Trump appointee, 2025)
The NRC chairman leads the independent agency that regulates nuclear safety. The executive orders direct the NRC to work with DOGE and OMB to revise all regulations within 18 months β an unprecedented level of White House direction to an independent safety regulator. Critics argue this compromises NRC independence.
Nuclear security expert, Harvard Kennedy School
Bunn has warned that the 400 GW goal is aspirational without a credible path to workforce development, supply chain rebuilding, or waste management. He has noted that the U.S. lacks the trained engineers, specialized steel manufacturers, and regulatory capacity to sustain the construction pace the goal requires.

President and CEO, Nuclear Energy Institute
Andersen's industry association backed the executive orders and called them 'historic.' NEI represents the nuclear power industry and has lobbied for streamlined NRC licensing, reactor-siting on federal lands, and domestic fuel supply chain investment β all addressed in the four EOs.
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Trump's goal requires 10 large reactors under construction by 2030
The executive orders set a target of 10 large reactors under construction by 2030, in addition to many smaller advanced reactors. This pace significantly exceeds historical U.S. construction rates.
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Disputed
The NRC is an independent agency not subject to direct presidential orders
The NRC is designed as an independent agency insulated from presidential direction on specific regulatory decisions. However, the executive orders direct it to work with DOGE and OMB to revise regulations β a degree of White House direction that legal scholars dispute. Courts have not yet ruled on whether this crosses constitutional limits on directing independent agencies.
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Contact your representatives about NRC independence from political pressure
civic action
The executive orders direct the NRC to revise its regulations under DOGE and OMB supervision. Your senators can investigate whether this compromises the independence of a safety regulator and request hearings on the January 2026 NPR investigation into secretly rewritten safety rules.
Track the 240-day spent fuel report and comment on it
civic monitoring
The executive orders directed the Energy Secretary to submit a 240-day report on nuclear waste policy by approximately January 18, 2026. The report is the first step toward a new national nuclear waste strategy. DOE typically accepts public comment on major policy documents β watch for a Federal Register notice.
Learn your state's nuclear waste storage situation
civic monitoring
Spent nuclear fuel from U.S. reactors is stored at more than 70 sites in 35 states while the federal government searches for a permanent repository. Your state may be storing radioactive waste without a long-term federal plan. Your governor and state legislators can advocate for federal action on permanent waste storage.