Policy Updates
Nuclear Industry Asks Congress to Maintain Tax Credits
In a letter to Congress, the Nuclear Energy Institute, along with a long list of utilities, reactor developers and other nuclear-related companies, urged leaders to keep nuclear energy tax credits amid discussions of a cut to energy funding programs and incentives under the new administration. The letter highlights energy demand, reliability and economic benefits of nuclear growth as essential to energy development in the U.S., illustrating the importance of tax credits to help states achieve nuclear goals. Additionally, the letter cites national security strategies as a key factor in developing domestic nuclear programs. The letter is one of many requests from the energy industry to preserve some of the major incentive programs, particularly tax credits, in U.S. energy development.
White House Seeks Increased NRC Oversight, Cuts Nuclear Funding
The Trump administration recently announced increased oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the independent agency that oversees nuclear reactor operations and related safety in the U.S. Historically, the NRC has been the most independent agency in the government. New rules drafted by the administration require the NRC to send new rules to the White House for review. Additionally, NRC commissioners will vote in private before sending rules to the White House. Commissioner voting was previously public. In addition to this change, the administration announced potential budget cuts for the Office of Nuclear Energy in the discretionary funding proposal for fiscal year 2026. The budget cuts would eliminate nonessential nuclear energy research in the proposed $408 billion cut.
State Legislation Updates
Alabama SJR 67 (enacted) urges Alabama’s congressional delegation to collaborate with federal authorities to transfer and store uranium-233 in the state to create economic opportunity and boost the state’s role in the U.S. nuclear cycle. The resolution requests that storage and handling of the material be transferred from its current storage facility in Oak Ridge National Laboratory to a new, future facility in Alabama.
Arizona H.B. 2774 (vetoed by governor) would have reduced the regulatory process for industrial use of small modular reactors. The bill would have allowed industrial users to power facilities without a certificate of environmental compatibility and would exclude the facilities from local zoning restrictions in rural locations. The bill was vetoed by Gov. Katie Hobbs. Hobbs stated that the bill addresses new technology and makes exemptions when SMRs are not yet commercially deployed, stating that she hopes to continue working on deploying SMR technology in the state.
Arkansas S.B. 307 (enacted), titled the Generating Arkansas Jobs Act of 2025, requires the Arkansas Public Service Commission to rule on strategic investments by utilities within six months of application. The strategic investments are defined as incremental cost recoveries during construction, with a goal to maintain a lower long-term recovery rate for customers. The bill also directs the state to continue evaluating advanced nuclear technologies, to pursue strategic investments as they become feasible and commercially viable and to support license extension of existing plants.
Arkansas H.B. 1572 (enacted) requires the state’s Department of Energy and Environment to contact an outside firm to conduct a technical study to examine the feasibility of nuclear generation in the state. The study will include, among other aspects, an assessment of supply chains, workforce education, local and state tax base and job creation, along with feasible nuclear technologies. The bill is set to take effect 60 days after the act is funded, with the feasibility report due in 15 months.
Montana H.B. 623 (to governor) approves the siting of spent nuclear fuel in the state if the fuel is produced by a plant in the state. The bill does not allow for a facility to receive outside spent fuel at this time, and spent fuel must be stored on site where it was generated. Montana currently does not have any nuclear power plants.
Montana H.B. 696 (enacted) provides legislative approval to allow uranium conversion and enrichment facilities to be sited in the state to process uranium initially mined or milled in or out of state. No uranium mines are currently operating in the state.
Texas H.B. 14 (passed in House) would authorize the Texas Advanced Nuclear Development Fund to allow grantmaking in the state for nuclear reactor costs, including construction, licensing and permitting for up to $200 million or half of the costs. The funds can also be used for fuel fabrication costs for up to $12.5 million. The fund would be administered under a new Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office within the governor’s office, which would also oversee a statewide strategic plan for nuclear energy.
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
Holtec Receives Additional $47 Million for Palisades
The DOE has completed the third installment of a loan to Holtec International for the reopening of the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan. The third installment totaled $46.7 million for a total loan guarantee of $1.52 billion that DOE finalized in September 2024. Holtec remains hopeful that the plant can be reopened by October, though it is still awaiting a licensing decision by the NRC as it completes upgrades to the plant. The plant will be the first in the U.S. to restart, though plants in Pennsylvania and potentially Iowa are also preparing for the route to a nuclear restart.
Materials, Nuclear Fuel, and Spent Nuclear Fuel
Department of Interior Fast-Tracks Utah Mine
According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Velvet-Wood uranium mine’s environmental permits will be fast-tracked. The permitting process, which normally takes up to one year, will reportedly be completed in 14 days. Most of the mine’s footprint is part of a previous mining operation, adding three new acres for the new operation. The mine will produce both uranium and vanadium, the latter being used for steel and titanium strengthening. The expedition is part of the new administration’s work to quickly increase domestic energy production, though critics are concerned by the two-week environmental permitting process, stating that it is too fast to assess the impact of the mining operation.
Deep Isolation Successfully Tests TRISO Storage
A pilot project by Deep Isolation successfully demonstrated the use of the Universal Canister System to store Kairos Power’s TRISO spent nuclear fuel. Deep Isolation’s canister design received funding through the DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy program. The canister is designed for storage in both borehole and mined storage. Kairos Power’s TRISO fuel is a sphere-shaped fuel pebble, designed to be resistant to melting and corrosion. TRISO fuel will be used in multiple advanced reactor designs, including Kairos Power’s fluoride salt-cooled reactor.
Wyoming Uranium Resurgence
After a decade of declining uranium prices and employment, Wyoming’s industry is seeing a resurgence as the state works to meet domestic demand. The state reported 235 uranium mining jobs in 2024, coinciding with an increase in price in the U.S. The state has the largest uranium deposit in the country and restarted mining operations last year after Russian imports were banned as a response to the war with Ukraine. Additionally, the EPA and Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality recently approved an expansion of U-Energy’s Lost Creek mine in south-central Wyoming. The U.S. milled 9 tonnes (1 tonne being 2,204 pounds) of “yellowcake” uranium needed for nuclear fuel in 2021, down from a high of 2263 tonnes in 2014. In 2022, that number began steadily increasing again to 88 tonnes. More on current trends in U.S. uranium mining and a look at market changes in the last few decades can be found here.
Operations and Partnerships
Holtec Partners with Utah
To reach new energy generation goals, Utah has partnered with Holtec International to deploy small modular reactors, or SMRs, in the state. Under the agreement, Holtec International and partner Hi Tech Solutions will construct a nuclear training facility in Utah, with a target date to complete the center by 2028. For new power generation, Holtec is deploying a fleet of its SMR-300 pressurized water reactors, which are also slated for deployment in Michigan’s Palisades plant, among other locations. Historically, Utah has relied on coal for power and has increased natural gas usage in recent years. The state currently does not use nuclear power and faced disappointment in 2023 when nuclear reactor developer NuScale canceled many of its U.S. projects and faced financial hurdles.
Other News
World Bank Studies Nuclear Financing
Leaders at the World Bank are examining whether the organization should fund nuclear projects. Committee members have cited the economic and environmental benefits as major ways to improve conditions around the planet, though initial costs remain the major barrier to development. According to leaders, they will consider changing rules to allow for nuclear financing this spring. The World Bank currently does not fund nuclear development, though major members, including the U.S. and France, are working to advance nuclear energy. The organization’s overall mission is to address poverty and living conditions across the globe, including climate and infrastructure issues.