Nuclear Resurgence via Four Executive Orders

In May 2025, President Donald Trump signed four executive orders aimed at revitalizing and accelerating the growth of nuclear energy in the United States. The executive orders direct actions by the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and other government agencies to support increased development and deployment of nuclear energy on aggressive timelines.

As part of the revitalization of nuclear energy, one of the executive orders sets a goal of expanding nuclear energy capacity to four hundred gigawatts by 2050 from the current one hundred gigawatts. Another order aims to reform the NRC and its licensing process, directing the NRC to establish hard deadlines to complete reviews of new reactor license applications within eighteen months and other licensing reviews within a year.

There is a lot to digest in the four orders, so PUF went to an expert on all matters nuclear, Stan Blanton, the managing partner who chairs the Nuclear Energy Practice at Balch & Bingham. Here, he provides insights into where the four executive orders intend to take U.S. nuclear energy.

PUF’s Steve Mitnick: NRC licensing was affected by four executive orders recently, with at least one directly on reforming NRC procedure. What is your take on the deadlines and structural changes to NRC?