Trump is expected to sign an executive order to promote nuclear power development as early as Friday

Trump to Sign Executive Order Promoting Nuclear Power Development as Early as Friday - Sources

Reuters Washington, May 22 - Four informed sources revealed that U.S. President Trump is expected to sign an executive order as early as Friday aimed at promoting the nuclear energy industry by easing regulatory procedures for new reactor approvals and strengthening the fuel supply chain. In response to the first increase in electricity demand in 20 years driven by the rapid development of artificial intelligence, Trump declared an energy emergency on his first day in office.

U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette has stated that the race for the power resources and data centers needed for developing artificial intelligence is "Manhattan Project 2," referring to the large-scale program in the U.S. during World War II to develop the atomic bomb. A draft summary of the order indicates that Trump will invoke the Defense Production Act from the Cold War era to declare a national emergency to address U.S. dependence on Russia and China for enriched uranium, nuclear fuel processing, and advanced reactor investments.

The summary also directs agencies to approve and site new nuclear facilities, instructs the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense to identify federal lands and facilities for nuclear deployment, and streamlines the construction process.

The summary encourages the Department of Energy to use loan guarantees and direct loans to increase reactor construction. During his first term, Trump only utilized the Loan Programs Office (LPO) to support a large nuclear power plant in Georgia.

Thanks to legislation passed during former President Biden's administration, the Loan Programs Office currently holds hundreds of billions of dollars in financing; however, the agency has been severely impacted by layoffs since Trump took office for his second term. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The exact text and wording of the executive order draft often undergo changes, and there is no guarantee that some content of the executive order will not be deleted or modified during the final review process.

The Trump administration has been debating four draft executive orders aimed at promoting nuclear power development, which are intended to grant the government more power to approve reactors and reform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (a reactor approval body composed of five experts)