Published: October 9, 2025
By: Concentric Staff Writer
Key takeaways:
- New initiatives and investments under the administration of President Donald Trump are aimed at dramatically increasing nuclear development through the quickening of permitting timelines and other efforts.
- The U.S. is pursuing multiple partnerships with other countries with the goal of increasing mutual nuclear development.
- Billions of dollars are pouring into the industry, bolstered by a renewed federal focus on new technologies such as nuclear fusion.
There is a nuclear renaissance going on in the United States as grid planners and other interests search out new technologies to power the modern system and the U.S. partners with other countries to push nuclear forward.
A new report from nuclear interests lays out the potential for nuclear and its challenges, saying strong federal support will be needed. President Donald Trump in May issued an executive order (14302) calling a strong nuclear industry a matter of national security, mentioning artificial intelligence and “mission capability resources” at U.S. military bases and national laboratories that are subject to electrical outages.
The new report from the Energy Innovation Reform Project (EIRP) said that private companies in the U.S. are competing against primarily state-owned development internationally. Thus, it is very difficult for them to compete in an environment that does not support or hinder nuclear development.
“Many forces are driving the country’s renewed enthusiasm for nuclear energy, including intensifying geopolitical, security, and techno-economic competition; rapidly growing demand for electricity (especially to power new AI data centers); and increasing appreciation for nuclear energy’s ability to provide reliable, clean power,” the report says.
EIRP describes itself as a nonpartisan organization that aims to promote policies that advance innovation in energy technologies and practices, improving affordability, reliability, safety, and the security of the U.S. energy supply and energy economy.
Nuclear power is more regulated than other generation technologies, the report says, and there are opportunities for the White House and Congress to limit the regulatory burden on nuclear. Regulatory reform is just one tool to achieving nuclear energy dominance, which would take decades, according to the report.
Also complicating efforts are the fact that competitive and fully regulated markets border each other, creating different market dynamics. A focus on least-cost energy is also muddying the waters, it said.
Globally, Russia is dominating nuclear reactor exports and China has launched a large-scale nuclear reactor program, the report says, with China ready to dominate the global market if left unchecked. There is a global nuclear race underway that the U.S. is in danger of losing, it says.
“Indeed, China’s nuclear sector has high technical capabilities, strong human capital, and well-developed supply chains. It will soon have the largest operating fleet of large water-cooled reactors along with massive manufacturing and construction overcapacity in the sector, permitting it to undersell its competitors,” the report says.
For example, China already has a high-temperature gas reactor in commercial operation, while the U.S. has not yet begun to build one and will likely not have one in operation until the 2030s. This gives China cost and financing advantages that will be difficult to compete with, the report says. Other nations that lack the U.S safety regime could dominate the sector and lead to nuclear accidents and proliferation, the report warns.
Among the report’s findings are that the U.S. should deploy reactors domestically and export them internationally, and that in addition to permitting and regulatory reform, there will be a need to build confidence in nuclear among investors, customers and the public.
Other urgent needs are a secure, reliable, and affordable supply of nuclear fuel; a structured, government-wide approach to nuclear development; adequate staffing at nuclear-related agencies; and the development of a workforce that includes engineers, skilled construction workers, and trained reactor and fuel-manufacturing plant operators.
Accordingly, the White House Office of Management and Budget, White House Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs, and other relevant governmental departments should place high priority on ensuring adequate financial resources for full implementation of President Trump’s executive order, the report says.
In the area of boosting domestic deployment of nuclear, the report recommends allowing regulated utilities to take advantage of the investment tax credit on new reactors immediately, rather than requiring developers to spread it out over the years when the asset is depreciating.
Other recommendations include:
- Providing risk insurance and other policy support.
- Directing the U.S. Department of Energy to prepare a report comparing the full system costs of intermittent renewable power.
- Fully funding the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program and GenIII+ Small Reactor Modular Reactor Program, as well as the Advanced Nuclear Fuel Availability Program.
- Preserving funding for the DOE’s Loan Program Office for both credit subsidy costs and program management, with the office’s efforts focused on industries that align with the Administration’s priorities.
In the area of exports, the Department of State should negotiate more than one hundred new agreements in accordance with President Trump’s executive order and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission should increase coordination with foreign regulators, especially in Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, and other U.S. allies, the report says. The National Energy Dominance Council should also accommodate nuclear energy export policies and programs like the Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of SMR Technology, which helps governments in potential export markets strengthen their nuclear energy policy and regulatory capacity to be part of a strong international market for small modular reactors.
There have also been advances made relatively recently in fusion nuclear technology—traditional nuclear technology employs “fission” technology, in which two light atomic nuclei are split into two. Fission employs fuel like Uranium-235 or plutonium-239 and releases energy because the total mass of the resulting fragments after fissioning them is less than the original nucleus.
In contrast, fusion refers to the process of combining two light atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, such as using two hydrogen isotopes like deuterium and tritium to form helium. The mass of the resulting nucleus is slightly less than the sum of its parts, with the missing mass converted to energy.
Major recent fusion energy breakthroughs include TAE Technologies’ new reactor prototype, known as “Norm,” which demonstrates enhanced plasma formation and optimization. The breakthrough fundamentally advances the performance, practicality, and reactor-readiness of the company’s fusion technology, it said in a press release.
China’s Energy Singularity has also initiated operations of the HH70 Tokamak, the first to utilize high-temperature superconductors exclusively for its magnet system, which aims to make fusion reactors more compact and cost-effective.
Also, Japanese startup Helical Fusion intends to launch the world’s first steady-state nuclear fusion reactor by 2034, with commercial operations projected in the 2040s.
Additionally, the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project completed the sixth and final component of its central solenoid, a magnet powerful enough to levitate an aircraft carrier, according to the company. This achievement is seen as a significant step toward achieving the first plasma by 2025.
Researchers at DOE’s Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory also set a new record with a fusion device internally clad in tungsten, which is seen as the best fit for commercial-scale machines required to make fusion a viable energy source, the lab said.
“The device sustained a hot fusion plasma of approximately 50 million degrees Celsius for a record six minutes with 1.15 gigajoules of power injected, 15% more energy and twice the density than before,” the lab said in an internet posting. “The plasma will need to be both hot and dense to generate reliable power for the grid.”
The developments in new nuclear technology come as countries are increasingly collaborating with the U.S. on nuclear development.
The U.K.’s Office for Nuclear Regulation on September 15, 2025 announced a refreshed memorandum of understanding with the U.S. to streamline regulation and accelerate deployment of advanced nuclear reactors across both countries’ markets. The agreement reaffirms a separate one signed in 2020 to cooperate closely and exchange technical information as the two countries “move towards the deployment of safe and secure nuclear technologies globally,” according to an announcement from the Office for Nuclear Regulation.
The agreement is designed to cut duplication and fast-track decisions, targeting a goal of reviewing reactor designs within two years and nuclear sites within one year. Regulators will lead specific aspects of review and mutually recognize each other’s assessment, according to the announcement, and when one regulator has already assessed a design, the second regulator will maximize acceptance of completed work to avoid duplication. The program will focus on technologies that are already in licensing or ready to enter the licensing process in the U.S. and the U.K.
Another initiative is an agreement between Centrica and X-energy to jointly develop the U.K.’s first advanced nuclear reactors and pursue 6 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity in the country.
The first project is expected to be at EDF and Centrica’s Hartlepool site, setting up development of 6 GW of advanced reactors, which could generate up to $54 billion in economic activity and thousands of new jobs, according to a press release.
The DOE, the U.S. Department of State, and the Republic of Korea also announced a Memorandum of Understanding on Principles Concerning Nuclear Exports and Cooperation, which finalizes a provisional understanding reached by the two countries in November 2024.
“The United States and Republic of Korea have worked together on civil nuclear power for more than 70 years,” a DOE announcement says. “The cornerstone of this cooperation reflects the two countries’ mutual dedication to maximizing the peaceful uses of nuclear energy under the highest international standards of nuclear safety, security, safeguards, and nonproliferation.”
In July, the DOE also announced a new pilot program to accelerate the development of advanced nuclear reactors and strengthen domestic supply chains for nuclear fuel. DOE issued a request for application, seeking U.S. companies to build and operate nuclear fuel production lines to help end the country’s reliance on foreign sources of enriched uranium and other materials, intended to help stimulate private-sector investment in nuclear power.
The DOE said it is currently reviewing potential applicants and anticipates selecting at least three advanced reactor designs over the summer that have the potential to achieve criticality by July 4, 2026.
Also, DOE Secretary Chris Wright in April announced the release of a third loan disbursement to Holtec for the reopening of the Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan. The initiative released $46.7 million of the up to $1.52 billion loan guarantee to Holtec for the plant, which will provide 800 MW when completed.
“In advancing President Trump’s commitment to meet our growing demand for affordable, reliable and secure electricity, America needs to utilize all forms of energy that grow our economy, create new jobs, and secure energy independence,” Wright said. “With projects like the Palisades Nuclear Plant, the Energy Department is working to ensure America’s nuclear renaissance is just around the corner.”
Overall, it is clear the Trump Administration is pushing for billions of investment in nuclear and partnering with other countries, with the hope that it will increase its profile as an energy source as the U.S. deals with unprecedented demand for electricity.
Sources used in this article:
Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security. The White House.
Fusion record set for tungsten tokamak WEST. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.
How America Can Achieve Nuclear Energy Dominance. Energy Innovation Reform Project.
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER)
Nuclear regulators renew transatlantic collaborative agreement. Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).
—
All views expressed by the author are solely the author’s current views and do not reflect the views of Concentric Energy Advisors, Inc., its affiliates, subsidiaries, related companies, or clients. The author’s views are based upon information the author considers reliable at the time of publication. However, neither Concentric Energy Advisors, Inc., nor its affiliates, subsidiaries, and related companies warrant the information’s completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such.
