WHAT DO THE NUCLEAR EXECUTIVE ORDERS MEAN FOR ENERGY COMMUNITIES?

Heading into the Memorial Day weekend, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders (EO) aiming to promote and accelerate nuclear energy development. The Administration’s interest in nuclear was made clear from day one in the January 20 “Unleashing American Energy” order drawing attention to nuclear as a crucial domestic energy resource. The four nuclear-focused orders issued on Friday (May 23) will be the focus of many in the nuclear space and private industry in the coming weeks.  

The summary below highlights most important take-aways from these four (4) orders relevant to ECA members. 

Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base

Of Friday's announcements, this EO offers the most comprehensive set of nuclear deployment directives to advance new nuclear in the U.S. It directs the chair of the 19-member National Energy Dominance Council, representing Trump’s cabinet, key departmental heads, and the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to develop a plan for strengthening management of high-level waste, spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and deployment of advanced fuel cycles by Jan. 2026. (Sec. 1)

The EO calls for ten new large reactors with complete designs under construction by 2030 and five gigawatts of power updates to existing reactors. (Sec. 4) To accomplish this ambitious goal, the industrial base is addressed comprehensively: 

• Guidance to evaluate materials for isotopes of value to national security, medical industrial or scientific sectors that could be utilized prior to disposal. This includes reevaluation of reprocessing, separation and storage facilities. (Sec. 3 viii)
• Transportation of used and unused advanced nuclear fuels is called out as a necessary program with the potential for future legislation to support the movement of fuels in safe, secure and environmental sound manner. (Sec. 3 ix)
• Plans include the expansion of uranium conversion capacity and enrichment to meet domestic needs for diversified fuels including low enriched uranium, highly enriched uranium and high assay low enriched uranium (HALEU). Added fuel cycle optionality includes making surplus plutonium available to industry in a form that can be used to fabricate fuel. (Sec. 3 b-c)
• Incentives for private sector participation also show up in this EO such as prospect of voluntary agreements using the Defense Production Act with domestic nuclear energy companies and the use of procurement support, forward contracts or guarantees to consortia as a means to ensure offtake of a newly established domestic fuel supply. (Sec.3e-h) 
• Similar financial provisions are identified for the Department of Energy (DOE) and Small Business Administration for advanced nuclear technologies that might qualify for grants, loans, investment capital and other Federal support. (Sec. 4) Priority will be given to companies demonstrating the largest degrees of design and technological maturity, financial backing and potential for near-term deployment. 
• Direction to expand the Nuclear Energy Workforce features in this EO providing 120 days for Lori Clavez DeRemer, the secretary at the Dept. of Labor and the Secretary of Education to increase participation in apprenticeship programs. The EO also advises the use of funding provided under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. (Sec. 5)
• Note: For detail on the reference in the EO, the US Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Office of Apprenticeship (OA) along with some state apprenticeship agencies (SAA) recognize apprenticeships through a registration process. By registering a program, businesses and other organizations that sponsor apprenticeships gain access to federal resources, state tax credits where available, technical assistance, third-party validation, and a nationally recognized credential. Organizations submit a registration package containing occupational standards to either the OA or an SAA to register. 

Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at DOE 

This EO introduces ambitious deployment timeframes, calling for test reactors to be operational within two years. A test reactor does not produce power for the grid, but rather is used to establish visibility for new technologies. to be added to a grid and is used to established fundamental viability of a new technology. 

• To achieve this, the Secretary has 90 days to revise guidance to expedite the review, approval and deployment of advanced reactors under DOE jurisdiction. Section 4c of this Executive Order bypasses NRC oversight and exerts DOE’s jurisdiction, calling on DOE to establish an internal team to process applications.
• A new pilot program is introduced to put 3 reactors online by July 2026 outside the National Laboratories. (Sec. 5)
• DOE is also directed to streamline environmental reviews. (Sec. 6)

Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security

This order spotlights the strategic risks for mission capability resources at military and national security installations, including national laboratories. It expresses the need for reliable baseload power that cannot be disrupted by external threats or grid failures and seeks to increase the scale and speed with which American advanced nuclear reactors are deployed. It also emphasizes the need to enhance U.S. exports of nuclear technologies to allies and commercial partners. 

• In the next 90 days, DOE is expected to designate one or more sites under DOE’s control for the use and deployment of advanced nuclear reactors. (Sec. 4)
• It directs the Dept. of Defense and Secretary of the Army to commence the operation of a nuclear reactor regulated by the U.S. Army by Sept. 2028. (Sec. 3)
• The EO seeks to align incentives to leverage federally owned uranium and plutonium resources considered in excess of defense needs to support the commercial nuclear supply chain. A fuel bank with no less than 20 metric tons of high assay low enriched uranium will be established.  (Sec. 5)
• The EO supports recent DOE actions to designate AI data centers on DOE sites and defines the privately funded power generation infrastructure needed to operate them as “defense critical electric infrastructure.” (Sec. 4) The early site preparation and authorization activities will be given priority with the goal of operating an advanced reactor at the first site by November 2027. 
• The EO directs the DOD and DOE to use their authorities to advance privately funded recycling, reprocessing and reactor fuel fabrication technologies at identified sites. (Sec. 5.c)
• Section 7 addresses categorical exclusions under the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) which can streamline siting and construction. 
• This EO also includes two sections on steps necessary to promote American nuclear exports, reiterating the connection between domestic deployment and international leadership in the nuclear sector.

Ordering the Reform of the NRC

This executive order contrasts the pace of construction between 1954-1978, when the US authorized building 133 civilian reactors, to the prolonged timelines that maximized fees in recent years, resulting in only two completed commercial projects. The order for NRC reform aims to facilitate the expansion of the American nuclear energy capacity from ~100 GW in 2024 to 400 GW by 2050. 

• The EO calls for reform of the NRC culture, structure and regulation and contends this is necessary to facilitate increased deployment of new nuclear technologies including Generation III+ and IV reactors, (SMRs), and microreactors. In addition, the reforms seek to address continued operations and appropriate operational extensions of the existing fleet. 
• As directed by Congress, NRC’s mission now includes facilitating nuclear power while ensuring reactor safety. NRC shall consider the benefits of increased availability of nuclear power to our economic and national security in addition to safety, health and environmental considerations. 
• The structure of the NRC will change as reductions of force (RIFs) will be implemented and emphasis on de-duplication of efforts internally and interdepartmentally take shape. A dedicated team of 20 officials will be formed to draft new regulations which will be reviewed and issued within 18 months, as directed in Section 5 of the EO. (Sec. 4)
• The 15-member Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards will be reduced as the function of this group will be focused on issues that are truly novel or noteworthy, allowing NRC staff to complete necessary reviews without duplication of efforts. (Sec. 4)
• Modernization efforts to establish fixed deadlines for evaluation and approval of licenses, reducing uncertainty and risks for applicants. This includes setting stringent thresholds for circumstances when the NRC may demand changes to a reactor design after construction is underway.
• The NRC is also directed to consider adopting “determinate radiation limits” removing the indefinite and poorly defined reliance on current “as low as reasonably achievable” standards. 
• The EO also instructs the NRC to revise the reactor security rules to be responsive to credible risks and to streamline the public hearings process. (Sec. 5)

To review all of the executive orders, click here. 

For more information on how new nuclear development can be expanded and accelerated, ECA recently hosted the ECA Forum: Moving New Nuclear Projects Forward. The Forum only meeting designed to bring together DOE, federal, state, local and tribal governments and policymakers with developers, utilities, regulators, industry, and academia to identify opportunities, challenges and to build the partnerships necessary to support nuclear development. To access the meeting's agenda, speaker bios, and presentation recordings, click here!

Subscribe to the ECA Bulletin for updates on nuclear policy from the Administration and Congress as they develop. 

PRESS RELEASE: HANFORD TANK WASTE MISSION TAKES ANOTHER STEP ORWARD AS WTP TESTING ADVANCES

The Hanford Site | May 27, 2025

RICHLAND, Wash. – The Department of Energy is advancing the Hanford tank waste mission by introducing key chemicals into the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant as part of ongoing cold commissioning testing. This represents another step toward solidifying Hanford tank waste in glass later this year.

“Our progress in cold commissioning is the result of decades of preparation, dedication, and collaboration between the Department and our contractor partners and is another step toward safely addressing Hanford tank waste,” said Brian Harkins, Hanford Field Office Acting Manager Brian Harkins.

With the introduction of ammonia and nitrous oxide-producing chemicals into the WTP melters to replicate tank waste, the Hanford team is ensuring systems are fully operational. Testing the plant and its systems with chemicals in simulated tank waste over the next few months is a key step in validating that all systems and equipment run safely and appropriately before nuclear waste components are introduced later this year. This achievement builds on significant progress over the last several years in the Direct-Feed Low-Activity Waste program across the Hanford Site.

“Leadership from DOE and strong partnerships with the trade unions, suppliers, regulators, other Hanford contractors, and local community have helped make this happen,” said Bechtel Project Director and Senior Vice President Brian Hartman. “We’re proud to be part of a mission that’s critical to the health of our community and the environment.”

Once full-scale operations begin, the plant will process an average of 5,300 gallons of tank waste per day, mixing the treated waste with glass-forming materials, heating it to 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit, and pouring it into stainless-steel containers for safe, long-term disposal. Approximately 3.5 containers, weighing a total of 21 metric tons, will be produced each day.

The plant facilities can be viewed using the self-guided Hanford Virtual Tour available at www.Hanford.gov.

###

The Department of Energy (DOE) is engaged in one of the great public works of this century at the Hanford Site near Richland, Washington. Responsible for the federal government’s cleanup of the legacy of more than 40 years of producing plutonium through the 1980s, DOE is transforming the site back into a 24/7 operations mode to treat tank waste from the production era. The DOE Hanford Field Office is responsible for the safe and efficient retrieval, treatment and disposal of the 56 million gallons of chemical and radioactive waste stored in Hanford’s underground tanks. The mission includes building and commissioning the world’s largest radioactive waste treatment plant, which will immobilize the legacy tank waste through vitrification. The DOE Hanford Field Office is also responsible for all remaining Hanford cleanup and is currently focused on stabilizing and demolishing former plutonium production structures, excavating and disposing of contaminated soil and waste, treating contaminated groundwater, and configuring Hanford Site infrastructure for the future, with an emphasis on supporting the tank waste mission. Hanford Site work is conducted by a federal and contractor workforce of approximately 13,000 personnel. Visit www.hanford.gov for more information about the Hanford Site.

GAO ISSUES LETTER TO NRC WITH  RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE SAFETY, COST-ESTIMATES AND DECISION-MAKING

Earlier this month, the Government Accountability Office published a letter it had addressed to the Honorable David Wright, Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

The letter identified nine (9) priority recommendations GAO has made for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that if implemented, would address the security of radiological sources, improve the reliability of NRC's cost estimates, and improve risk-informed decision-making by the NRC. Eight of these priority recommendations remain open from the last letter GAO sent to the NRC in May 2024, and the GAO maintain 24 total open recommendations for the NRC.

The GAO nine priority recommendations address the following areas:

Addressing the security of radiological sources to enhance the security of radioactive materials while also ensuring the protection of public health and safety. 

• The NRC, in coordination with the Department of Energy, should evaluate disposal options and act to better secure americium-241 when the origin is foreign in order to reduce the risk that this material will be lost, stolen, or used by a bad actor to create a dirty bomb.
• The NRC should require that vendors verify category 3 licenses with the appropriate regulatory authority to make licenses less vulnerable to alteration or forgery, so that a fraudulent license cannot be used to acquire material for use in a dirty bomb. 
• The NRC should require additional security measures for high-risk quantities of certain category 3 radioactive material and assess whether other category 3 materials should also be safeguarded with additional security measures, such as multifactor authentication. 
• The NRC should consider socioeconomic consequences and fatalities from evacuations in the criteria for determining what security measures should be required for radioactive materials that could be used in a dirty bomb. The NRC disagreed with this recommendation, maintaining that the current regulatory requirements provide for the safe and secure use of all radioactive materials. 
• The NRC should ta better track and secure radioactive materials that are potentially dangerous to human health and verify the legitimacy of the licenses for those who seek to possess them. The NRC should take the steps needed to include category 3 sources in the National Source Tracking System and add agreement state category 3 licenses to the Web-based Licensing System. 
• NRC should, at least until such time that category 3 licenses can be verified using the License Verification System, require that transferors of category 3 quantities of radioactive materials confirm the validity of a would-be purchaser’s radioactive materials license with the appropriate regulatory authority before transferring any category 3 quantities of licensed materials

Improving the reliability of cost estimates

• NRC cost estimates help inform the Commissioners’ regulatory decisions, such as modifications to nuclear power plants. The NRC should seek to improve the reliability of these estimates. For example, NRC has yet to complete and issue updated cost estimating procedures to align with best practices identified in GAO’s cost estimating guide. Doing so will better ensure that NRC’s cost estimates are reliable and provide the Commissioners with adequate information on which to base their decisions.

Improving risk-informed decision-making.

• The NRC promotes risk-informed decision-making to provide quality licensing and oversight of nuclear facilities. However, the NRC has yet to develop guidance for incorporating climate projections data into licensing and oversight processes. Doing so will help ensure that NRC is using the best available information to adequately address the risks climate change poses to nuclear power plants. This will better enable NRC to fulfill its mission to protect public health and safety

The letter also included two recommendations the GAO had made for Congressional consideration with regard to the NRC;

1. Congress should consider directing the NRC to (1) incorporate socioeconomic consequences into NRC’s decision-making for setting security measures for radioactive materials, and (2) update its regulations accordingly.
2. Congress should consider directing the NRC to immediately require that all category 3 licenses be added to the Web-based Licensing System, all category 3 sources be included and tracked in the National Source Tracking System, and that all vendors verify the legitimacy of would-be purchasers’ category 3 licenses with the regulator.

To read the full letter GAO published, click here.

ROGER JARRELL, ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EM, TO SPEAK AT THE NATIONAL CLEANUP WORKSHOP

Make sure to register before July 1, 2025, to receive the early bird discount rate! The cost of registration will increase after July 1. 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Wednesday, September 24

8:00am  National Cleanup Workshop

5:30pm  Evening Reception for all NCW Attendees

Thursday, September 25
8:00am  National Cleanup Workshop

SPONSORSHIP
NCW sponsorships offer an excellent opportunity to showcase your company, maximize networking opportunities with attendees, and host an exhibit booth during the forum.  Click here to learn more!

The National Cleanup Workshop is hosted by the Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) with the cooperation of the Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG) and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM)*. 

WHAT YOU'VE MISSED:

$700M makeover at NW’s only nuclear power plant will power 100,000+ more homes

Read the full story

NuScale Energy Exploration Center opens at SC State

Read the full story

The balance between safety and productivity: RIPB design

Read the full story

NEW MEDIA:

GoneFission Nuclear Report - Oak Ridge Nuclear Center of Excellence

May 13, 2025 | S5 E2

Dr. Stephen Nagy discusses Japan's strategic positioning in a complex geopolitical landscape, particularly in relation to the U.S.-China rivalry. He explores Japan's economic ties with China, the challenges posed by regional security threats, and the evolving strategies Japan is employing to navigate these issues. The conversation delves into Japan's historical pacifism, the potential for nuclear deterrence discussions, and the importance of trade agreements and technological cooperation in ensuring regional stability.

https://gonefissionpodcast.com/

NucleCast - Dr. Stephen Nagy: Navigating Japan's Strategic Landscape

May 27, 2025 | S02 E220

In this episode of NucleCast, Adam interviews Tom Summers, the acting chairman of the Defense Nuclear Facility Safety Board (DNFSB). They discuss the DNFSB's mission to ensure safety in nuclear operations, the balance between safety and mission accomplishment, the challenges of aging infrastructure, and the board's commitment to modernization and technological advancements. Tom emphasizes the importance of safety oversight in the context of national security and the need for a next generation of nuclear safety leaders.

https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/

UPCOMING MEETINGS:

Spring into Strategy: Radiation Messaging and Outreach - Organized by NNSA Office of Nuclear Incident Policy & Cooperation

Virtual | Multiple Dates

Register Here

National Cleanup Workshop 2025

Arlington, VA | September 23 - 25

Learn More Here