Trump seeks to fast-track new nuclear licenses, overhaul regulatory agency

24/5/2025 6:26

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday ordered the nation's independent nuclear regulatory commission to cut down on regulations and fast-track new licenses for reactors and power plants, seeking to shrink a multi-year process down to 18 months.



The requirement was part of a batch of executive orders signed by Trump on Friday that aim to boost U.S. nuclear energy production amid a boom in demand from data centers and artificial intelligence.



Licensing for reactors in the U.S. can take over a decade at times, a process designed to prioritize nuclear safety but which has discouraged new projects.



"This is going to turn the clock back on over 50 years of overregulation of an industry," U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who heads the White House Energy Dominance Council, said in the Oval Office.



The moves include a substantial overhaul of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that includes looking at staffing levels and directing the Energy and Defense departments to work together to build nuclear plants on federal lands.