In four executive orders signed last week, President Donald Trump called for the expansion of nuclear power, prioritizing developing and constructing nuclear power plants in the United States. Nuclear power has had an image problem for a long time, but it is safe when developed well. The Trump Administration is bringing clean energy into the 21st century with decisive action to spur American development of nuclear power plants to ensure a reliable power supply and energy independence.
The executive orders rightly state, “Swift and decisive action is required to jumpstart America's nuclear energy industrial base and ensure our national and economic security by increasing fuel availability and production, securing civil nuclear supply chains, improving the efficiency with which advanced nuclear reactors are licensed, and preparing our workforce to establish America's energy dominance and accelerate our path towards a more secure and independent energy future.”
Many Americans do not realize how vulnerable our power grid has become. Deferred maintenance and increasing power requirements have led to an electrical infrastructure teetering on the verge of catastrophe. And that is not an exaggeration. On the Moms for America Podcast and the MomView, we covered “Grid Down, Power Up,” a documentary film by David Tice. This eye-opening investigation of our nation’s power supply shocked many viewers. The reality is that our domestic power grid is one disaster away from widespread collapse.
Such a vulnerable grid also puts our nation at risk for terror attacks that could devastate its power supply. Beyond this, our reliance on foreign nations for energy needs increases our vulnerability and puts our interests at risk in international diplomacy. Instead of accepting a vulnerable and precarious place in the global energy supply chain, the Trump Administration is calling for American dominance in the energy sector.
Recommended
The goal of President Trump’s executive orders is “affordable, reliable, safe, and secure energy to the American people.” In addition, by encouraging domestic innovation, the Trump Administration is seeking “to power advanced nuclear reactor technologies, as defined in 42 U.S.C. 16271(b)(1)(A), and to build associated supply chains that secure our global industrial and digital dominance, achieve our energy independence, protect our national security, and maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of nuclear fuel through recycling, reprocessing, and reinvigorating the commercial sector.”
Beyond household energy needs, increasing electric vehicles, and other innovations, our nation’s businesses need secure energy and more of it. With the rise of artificial intelligence, the energy needs of our leading businesses will increase. Data centers with large energy needs, 24 hours a day, are necessary for the development and application of AI. As industry leaders have pointed out, nuclear is a 24/7 resource, supplying power reliably without interruption.
Oklo CEO Jacob DeWitte told the president, "We're working on small, next-generation reactors that take technology America invented... and bringing it to the market after it sat on the shelves of history for about 40 years. And it's because of the actions you're doing today that are going to help unleash that." For generations, America was the technology leader. Finally, our president recognizes that and wants to prioritize American development and innovation. Talent will go elsewhere when our nation does not build on our accomplishments and support industry.
The executive orders also address the shortsighted and overbearing policies of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The executive orders state that the NRC “has failed to license new reactors even as technological advances promise to make nuclear power safer, cheaper, more adaptable, and more abundant than ever.” The orders continue, “This failure stems from a fundamental error: Instead of efficiently promoting safe, abundant nuclear energy, the NRC has instead tried to insulate Americans from the most remote risks without appropriate regard for the severe domestic and geopolitical costs of such risk aversion.”
For too long, American innovators have been held back by fear of unlikely and remote dangers. By revising regulations in light of technological development and advancement, the Trump Administration is bringing attention to the real and present dangers in our current energy schema and pushing for solutions and expedited development and construction. The risks of not expanding nuclear power are too great to ignore.
Since I am the head of one of the fastest-growing organizations of conservative women in the country, Moms for America, you may be wondering: What does nuclear power have to do with moms? A lot. When we talk to moms in different areas of the country and across the political spectrum, they are united in what they want most for their children: security and prosperity. We cannot achieve those goals without reliable, clean energy that is domestically developed and maintained.
When moms learn about the dangers in our current electrical grid and the possibilities of nuclear power, they become enthusiastic supporters of updating our infrastructure, regulations, and technologies. American families need safe and reliable energy. American business needs improved infrastructure and capacity to meet the changing needs of commerce in the age of AI. We applaud the Trump Administration’s prioritization of the development of nuclear power and recognition of the importance of American energy independence and dominance.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member