The administration of President Donald Trump is carrying out an ambitious reform of the nuclear sector in the United States, with the objective of modernizing the energy system and responding to the accelerated growth in electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence.
In an increasingly competitive global context, the White House has decided to bet on nuclear energy as a strategic pillar to guarantee a stable, clean and abundant supply. To this end, the government has implemented a series of regulatory changes aimed at reducing time, simplifying processes and facilitating the construction of new
reactors.For years, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) was considered the international standard in safety, but it also accumulated criticism for its slowness and rigidity. From industrial and technological sectors, it was pointed out that the regulatory framework was designed for traditional reactors and was not adapted to new emerging technologies. The Trump administration took these criticisms as a starting point to push for structural transformation.
One of the central axes of this new phase is the incorporation of more dynamic profiles in public management. Officials like Seth Cohen, from the Department of Energy, represent a generation that seeks to apply efficiency and speed criteria specific to the private sector. This approach aims to unlock projects that, according to the government, were paralyzed by
excessive bureaucratic processes.The plan includes accelerating the approval of nuclear reactors, especially so-called small modular reactors, a technology that promises to reduce costs, improve safety and allow for more flexible energy production. These innovations are driven by a new wave of companies backed by Silicon Valley capital
.Among the main supporters of this change are investors such as Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen, who believe that nuclear energy will be key to sustaining the growth of the digital economy. The expansion of data centers and artificial intelligence systems requires enormous amounts of energy, and the government seeks to anticipate that demand
.
Within this framework, the administration has promoted executive orders that reduce regulatory deadlines, review technical standards and create new ways to test innovative designs. The objective is clear: to accelerate the development of energy infrastructure without compromising security
