President Donald Trump is set to sign a sweeping series of executive orders—possibly as early as Friday—designed to supercharge America’s nuclear energy industry in response to a dramatic surge in power demand, largely fueled by artificial intelligence and the expanding data economy.
Dubbed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright as “Manhattan Project 2”, the initiative aims to simplify the regulatory process for approving new nuclear reactors, shore up U.S. nuclear fuel supply chains, and eliminate reliance on countries like Russia and China for enriched uranium and critical components.
The new policies will invoke the Defense Production Act, a Cold War-era statute, to declare a national emergency over U.S. nuclear dependency and unlock broader presidential authority to stimulate domestic production.
Why Now? A National Energy Emergency
On his first day back in office earlier this year, Trump declared a National Energy Emergency, enabling increased domestic mining and drilling “from coast to coast” — including for uranium. It came amid warnings from officials that the U.S. faces its first significant increase in electricity demand in two decades, thanks largely to energy-hungry AI and data centers.
“This is Manhattan Project 2,” Wright said, referencing the urgency of America’s 1940s atomic bomb effort now applied to modern energy infrastructure.
A draft summary of the orders, reviewed by Reuters and Newsweek, also shows Trump directing federal agencies to fast-track reactor permits, identify federal land for nuclear deployment, and expand financing through direct loans and guarantees.
Trump’s Nuclear Game Plan: What’s In the Orders
According to insiders, the four draft orders include:
- Invoking the Defense Production Act to reduce reliance on Russia and China for enriched uranium, fuel processing, and reactor components.
- Ordering the Departments of Energy and Defense to identify and deploy reactors on federal lands and streamline regulatory approvals.
- Directing the Department of Energy (DOE) to expand loan programs for nuclear projects via the Loan Programs Office (LPO), which now holds hundreds of billions in financing authority.
- Proposing reforms to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to speed up approvals and reduce bureaucracy in the buildout process.
Although the DOE’s Loan Programs Office played a limited role in Trump’s first term, it was significantly expanded under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. However, job cuts during Trump’s second term have weakened the office’s capacity.
“If we can’t leverage the LPO to de-risk these projects… then new nuclear won’t happen,” said Emmet Penney, senior fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation.
“The trade war and its uncertainties have elevated the LPO from ‘important’ to ‘necessary’.”
What does it mean for Stock Market
Trump’s plans have already moved markets. Following reports of the executive orders, nuclear industry stocks surged in after-hours trading:
- Lightbridge (LTBR) +11%
- NuScale Power (SMR) +11%
- Centrus Energy (LEU) +12%
- VanEck Uranium & Nuclear ETF (NLR) +2%
Sources say representatives from the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and Constellation Energy — the largest U.S. nuclear utility — have been invited to attend a signing ceremony scheduled for Friday afternoon.
Still, some experts are skeptical.
“Despite giving lip service to the need to ‘unleash’ nuclear power, the actions of Energy Secretary Chris Wright have not matched the rhetoric,” said Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists.
“Many of the so-called wins are recycled from previous administrations.”
This renewed nuclear push is part of Trump’s broader energy strategy — a sharp pivot from Biden-era green energy incentives — favoring base-load power over intermittent renewables. While Democrats support nuclear for its zero-carbon emissions, Republicans view it as a bulwark against wind and solar intermittency.
What Comes Next
The exact language of the executive orders remains under final review. But sources say the White House is eager to move quickly, with industry stakeholders already briefed and a national rollout likely to follow.
“The long-awaited nuclear renaissance is right around the corner,” the Department of Energy said last month.
“Thanks to President Trump, we’re working to restore American energy dominance.”
If signed as expected, the executive orders would mark the most aggressive federal push for nuclear energy in decades. With AI and cloud infrastructure reshaping the economy’s power demands, Trump’s plan could redefine America’s energy strategy, shifting the balance away from intermittent renewables and back toward large-scale nuclear as the backbone of U.S. electricity.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content and materials featured on this page are for educational purposes only.
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