«Данное сообщение (материал) создано и (или) распространено иностранным средством массовой информации, выполняющим функции иностранного агента, и (или) российским юридическим лицом, выполняющим функции иностранного агента»
Topic: Congress, and Nuclear Energy Blog Brand: Energy World Region: Americas, and Asia Tags: Advanced Nuclear Reactors, Donald Trump, Executive Orders, North America, Nuclear Fuel, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), South Korea, United States, and Uranium Congressional Progress Report on the American Nuclear Renaissance April 9, 2026 By: Kenneth Luongo
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Trump’s nuclear executive orders have spurred activity, but limited progress and persistent structural hurdles show the United States still has significant work to do.
The US Congress is largely responsible for laying the groundwork for what has now emerged as a potential American nuclear energy renaissance. So, it was timely that the Senate recently took stock of how far this process has come, with a focus on actions resulting from President Donald Trump’s cluster bomb of nuclear energy executive orders (EOs) issued last May.
What the Senate learned is that there is a lot of activity generated by the EOs, but little tangible commercial result.
- No new commercial reactors are under construction or contract in the United States.
- Next-generation small reactors are frantically pushing forward with development, but there is a long way to go before any are ready for the market.
- Bottlenecks have developed in providing nuclear fuel for large and small reactors.
- Ensuring robust supply chains and developing a skilled workforce are significant challenges.
- The inability to tame reactor construction cost overruns remains a major stumbling block to deployment at scale.
- While Russia and China race ahead with nuclear exports, the United States lags but has gained some ground.
Progress Report on Expanded Nuclear Power
Bipartisan support on Capitol Hill has fed billions of dollars into the effort to resuscitate the US nuclear energy industry. This is a response to many domestic and geopolitical factors, including the over-dependence on Russian nuclear fuel, an atrophied American supply chain, the need for energy security, and the rapidly rising demand for electricity.
Reactor Restarts and Uprates
Certainly, the most successful element in the rebirth of nuclear energy in America is the restart of shuttered reactors and the extended life and additional power output of operating reactors. The Department of Energy (DOE) projects that the restart of shuttered reactors and the power uprating of operating units will add an additional five gigawatts (GW) by 2029.
The highlights include the Crane Restart project at Three Mile Island, which will add 835 megawatts (MW), and the restart of the Palisades reactor in Michigan, which will provide another 800 MW. Both will be ready in the next two years. The Duane Arnold reactor in Iowa may also be restarted, which would surge another 615 MW to the grid. One looming problem is whether the electric grid will be ready for these reactors. There are other transmission projects that are blocking the timely connection of the Crane project.
The New AP-1000 Fleet
Less advanced is the critical goal of having “10 new large reactors with complete designs under construction by 2030,” as specified in Trump’s executive orders.
The Trump administration last Fall ponied up $80 billion for the construction of ten Westinghouse AP-1000s. But since then, little progress has been made. There is no site selection, no utility partner, and no construction or plan.
The AP-1000 is the only American reactor that is licensed, has been constructed in the United States and abroad, and is ready for deployment now. It has applied to update and renew its design certification to streamline deployment and has sought to quantify the value of this fleet deployment in an analysis that stated a 10-unit AP-1000 package can create over $92 billion in new gross domestic product.
Despite this value proposition, the administration has become irritated by the lack of progress and is looking at alternative technologies to the AP-1000. One reactor under consideration is the GE Hitachi ABWR. But it was built in single-digit numbers in Asia and hasn’t been constructed in 20 years.
The other, South Korea’s APR-1400, has been built in the United Arab Emirates. Under recent legislation, foreign nations can be part-owners of American nuclear reactors. But under an unconfirmed agreement between South Korea’s key nuclear companies and Westinghouse, South Korea can be a partner in an AP-1000 project in North America, but not feature their reactor. If the administration selected South Korean technology for the US market over Westinghouse, it likely would create a fierce political backlash.
Construct Costs
Taming cost overruns is central to the success of the Trump administration’s nuclear energy strategy because utility companies and rate payers don’t want to get stuck with the bill. But the US government has been wary of assuming this role, and the issue was not addressed in the EOs. One pending approach to tackle the issue is provided in the Senate’s Accelerating Reliable Capacity (ARC) Act, which offers a path to limited government cost share, but its fate is uncertain.
Advanced Reactors and Nuclear Fuel
Another major nuclear energy priority is support for next-generation small reactors, supported by the Departments of Defense (DOE) and DOE, and the delivery of High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel they need for testing and ultimate operation.
Because of the decision to eliminate reliance on Russian-supplied nuclear fuel of any kind, the United States has been investing in rebuilding its domestic uranium enrichment capability to produce both low-enriched fuel for large reactors and HALEU for the crop of new reactors. But achieving industrial scale in uranium enrichment is years away, despite significant government support to build out this capability.
The enthusiasm in the Senate for next-gen smaller nuclear technologies was clear, and the race to have three reactors achieve criticality before America’s 250th anniversary is a near-term headline-grabbing deadline demanded by Trump’s executive orders.
Several of the eleven companies selected to compete under the Reactor Pilot Project race to create fission for July 4 will undoubtedly reach the goal. But it may represent cold fission, which is a state that does not reach operating temperature or produce power. Although Radian Energy has stated that it will operate its Kaleidos reactor at full power.
After the anniversary celebration, considerably more work will be required to bring any of these reactors to the point of commercialization. These pilot project reactors are currently designed to provide a power output of zero to 10 MW. This is a long way from the 1.6 terrawatts (TW) of electricity growth projected for the United States by 2050.
Regulatory Jurisdiction Over Nuclear Energy
There also remain non-technical impediments to their ultimate success, including regulatory and workforce issues. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) proposes to further nurture these fledgling reactors through its Launch Pad program. But it has raised questions about how these technologies will be regulated. Under Trump’s executive orders and existing law, DOE and DOD can provide oversight of reactors under development on federal land. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) would still approve reactors for commercial use.
But while the DOE can validate data and precedents during the test phase to speed the NRC process for commercialization approval, the Senate learned that there are “gaps and ambiguities” between the agencies’ authorities that are creating jurisdictional “friction.” This is particularly challenging if commercial-scale reactors are built on federal land to support artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and defense applications, something under consideration.
Future of the Nuclear Energy Workforce
There is a pressing need to create a more robust American supply chain of materials and workers. If the country is to scale its nuclear power output to 400 MW by mid-century, it will need “tens of thousands” of workers and a rebuilt industrial base. There are programs under Trump’s EOs that are designed to address this need, and the scaling of any type of nuclear energy in the United States will depend on their success.
US Nuclear Exports and Competition With Russia and China
Russia and China are not experiencing the same nuclear-restart problems as the United States. China has 39 reactors under construction, and Russia is building 27, including 20 outside the country. Both countries are collaborating on a 1.5 MW reactor that can be placed on the Moon.
President Trump’s EOs call for 20 new bilateral nuclear cooperation agreements to expand the potential market for American nuclear exports, and the administration has been directed by Congress to create a Nuclear Expert Working Group.
These actions will build on a resurgence of US reactor exports, including the selection of the AP-1000 by Poland, Bulgaria, and Ukraine. Saudi Arabia and the United States seem to have an agreement on nuclear cooperation that would include the AP-1000. However, the Iran War has raised questions about that deal, and it will face a tough review in Congress.
US advanced reactors, including NuScale’s small modular reactor (SMR) and the GE Vernona Hitachi BWRX-300, have also been embraced by foreign nations, including Romania, Poland, Canada, and Japan. Further exploration of markets in Southeast Asia is underway. And Holtec’s SMR-300 has cleared a critical regulatory review in the United Kingdom. A number of other US small reactor companies have partnered with South Korean companies on reactor components and deployment.
In general, the United States is playing catch-up with its nuclear export rivals after decades of stagnation, but it is one area of the nuclear revitalization agenda that has real deals and momentum.
About the Author: Kenneth Luongo
Kenneth N. Luongo is a recognized innovator, entrepreneur, and leader in global nuclear energy and transnational security policy. He is the president and founder of the Partnership for Global Security (PGS). He has been a TEDx presenter, written over 100 articles, including in The New York Times and Foreign Affairs, and engaged extensively with global media, governments, and audiences around the world on nuclear energy and transnational security challenges and responses. He was formerly a senior advisor to the secretary of energy and a professional staff member on Capitol Hill.
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Источник: nationalinterest.org