Deregulation

Trump Cut Nuclear Red Tape. Now His Administration Is Picking Winners.

The Trump administration can build on its success in the nuclear industry by getting out of the way.

Tosin Akintola | 5.29.2026 3:25 PM

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(Illustration: Adani Samat. Photo: Sylvie Pabion/Dreamstime/Sipa USA/Newscom)

Earlier this week, the Energy Department announced that it would give its surplus plutonium from dismantled warheads to five energy startups—Oklo, Exodys Energy, SHINE Technologies, Standard Nuclear, and Flibe Energy—to use as fuel for commercial nuclear reactors. The move, which has sparked controversy, is yet another example of the Trump administration's push to accelerate nuclear energy, albeit through unconventional methods. 

Some of the administration's other moves happened a year ago this week, when President Donald Trump issued four executive orders aimed at revitalizing America's commercial nuclear industry. These orders sought to bolster the country's nuclear industrial base, reform technology testing within the Energy Department, and accelerate the deployment and export of advanced nuclear reactors.    

Perhaps the most impactful of the four called for a "wholesale revision" of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and its regulations governing the industry. Specifically, it directed the NRC to issue a final decision on all new construction and operating licenses—a process that normally........

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