Policy Activity
Trump Fires NRC Commissioner Via Email
Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner (NRC) Christopher Hanson was recently fired from the organization, an unexpected decision by the president. According to the White House, the action was within the power of the executive branch. However, the firing is under legal scrutiny as the NRC has functioned as the most independent federal agency until recent actions to increase direct oversight by the White House. Hanson was nominated to the NRC by Trump in 2020 and was later appointed by former President Joe Biden in 2021 and reappointed in 2024. The NRC will continue to function with a smaller number of commissioners as they adapt to new executive orders.
Four Nuclear Executive Orders Signed
On May 23, 2025, President Trump announced four executive orders that target the nuclear industry. The orders address multiple aspects of U.S. nuclear development to increase the country’s nuclear capacity in the coming decades. Provisions in the orders include a faster licensing process, directing the NRC to set specific timelines for licensing steps; increasing the country’s nuclear fleet by 300 gigawatts by 2050; constructing pilot test reactors at U.S. National Laboratories by 2026; using advanced reactors for AI data centers and military installations; exploring the prospect of a federally-owned spent nuclear fuel reprocessing facilities; increasing domestic fuel production through mining, enrichment, and fabrication; and categorizing nuclear engineering and nuclear related education and career programs as priorities for federal investment. Additionally, one executive order addressed the need for a national spent nuclear fuel management program. Lastly, as the U.S. focuses on developing a domestic nuclear cycle, emphasizing domestic fuel supplies, expanding nuclear exports is a priority for the administration. The administration directed the State Department and other federal agencies to draft strategies for nuclear exports, requesting the draft within 90 days. Read more from each order here:
Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security
Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy
Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base
State Legislation Updates
Louisiana S.B. 127 (enacted) creates an expedited environmental permitting process for SMRs, housed within the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. The goal of the process is to prepare state authorities for an efficient process if and when the NRC begins the permitting process for future SMRs. Louisiana currently has two nuclear power plants.
New Jersey A.B. 5840 (introduced) would create the Power Generation Training Center within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development to train individuals for the nuclear workforce, along with other non-nuclear technologies. The center would be established and operated by state education, labor and workforce administrations along with state colleges and universities. Workforce efforts under the purview of the new center would include instruction and apprenticeships, services for underserved communities and displaced workers, the creation of credentialed certification programs, and the development of programs that align with colleges and universities where appropriate. Nuclear currently accounts for 40% to 45% of New Jersey’s energy generation.
Oklahoma S.B. 130 (enacted) directs the corporation commission to contract a consulting firm to study the technical and legal feasibility of nuclear generation in the state. The study will include the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear in the state, environmental impacts, workforce considerations for maximizing the existing workforce, design considerations, land siting criteria, SMR and microreactor capability, the local and state tax base, and other parameters. The bill directs the commission to provide the report within nine months after the act takes effect.
Texas H.B. 14 (passed, sent to governor) creates the Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office within the office of the governor to support the development of advanced nuclear energy in the state and administer any relevant grant and loan programs to accommodate nuclear development. The office will also be tasked with identifying barriers to development, including in the federal permitting and licensing process, among administering any required relevant processes needed to develop an advanced nuclear program.
Stay up to date on these bills and more with NCSL’s 50-state bill tracking database. Filter by topics like nuclear, renewable energy, workforce, and more.
Nuclear Power Plants and Infrastructure
NRC Approves Palisades Environmental Review
The NRC has determined that the restart of Michigan’s Palisades nuclear plant poses no significant impact on the environment, completing one more step in the restart licensing process. According to Holtec, the plant’s operator, the plant is still on track to potentially be operating by the end of 2025. However, the plant is still undergoing maintenance and repairs. The NRC’s webpage on the Palisades process lists September 30, 2025, as the estimated date for required steam generator repairs. Despite estimated repairs, the plant is still set to be the first restart in U.S. history.
Washington’s Columbia Generating Station to Add 200 MW
Bonneville Power Administration has approved $700 million in new projects to increase the output of Energy Northwest’s Columbia Generating Station. The nuclear plant currently generates 1,207 MW and will add 186 total MW through upgrades to the facility by 2031. Updates needed to increase the output will be performed in coordination with existing refueling outages, allowing the plant to continue supplying power without additional outages.
Operations and Partnerships
Meta and Constellation Sign PPA
Meta has entered a power purchase agreement to ensure supply from Constellation’s Clinton Clean Energy Center in Illinois. Power from the center will not be directly connected to data centers, like many other tech-nuclear partnerships, but will instead provide power to a variety of Meta’s operations. The agreement helps ensure that the plant will remain operational, supporting a 20-year operating license extension. Additionally, the agreement supports a 30 MW power uprate, increasing the plant’s current output of 1,092 MW. In a press release from Constellation, the company estimates that the PPA will ensure 1,100 jobs and $13.5 million in tax revenue.
Talen to Bypass FERC, Signs PPA with Amazon
Talen Energy has entered a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Amazon Web Services (AWS), changing course after FERC denied an interconnection service agreement last year. Talen, which previously stated it would seek additional hearings over the decision, has instead opted to partner with AWS for a 1,920 MW agreement powered by Susquehanna nuclear plant. Located in Pennsylvania, the plant currently supplies AWS directly with 300 MW of power. Now, the new agreement will shift to a PPA, supplying front-of-meter power to AWS data centers. Together, the two companies will also examine expanding generation through new SMRs at the Susquehanna plant. The new PPA is in contract through 2042.
Research and Technology
Additional NuScale SMR Approved by the NRC
NuScale’s 77 MWe (megawatt electric) SMR design was approved by the NRC, adding the second design by the company. The NRC previously approved NuScale’s 50 MWe design in 2023, which was the first SMR design to be approved in the U.S. The company’s power plant design accommodates up to six of the SMR modules for a total output of 462 MWe. NuScale has received over $500 million through various DOE programs, including the SMR cost share program, to kickstart the deployment of the SMR technology.
Initiatives, Announcements, and Funding Opportunities
Kansas State University to Offer BA In Nuclear Engineering
Starting this fall, Kansas State University will begin offering a bachelor’s program in nuclear engineering, adding to its existing master’s and doctoral nuclear programs. According to the university, the school previously offered a BA in nuclear engineering until 1996. As students’ interest in nuclear expands, the school is adapting to respond to the greater demand. The university also hosts the TRIGA Mark II facility, a 1.25 MW research reactor for academic use and education.
Nuclear Energy Resources