NUCLEAR POWERDespite Bipartisan Backing, Nuclear’s Future Is Uncertain Under Trump
As President Trump seeks to cut clean energy funding across the country, nuclear energy emerges as a rare area of bipartisan alignment and a priority for the administration. Yet inconsistent and conflicting federal policies threaten to impede efforts to promote nuclear energy production.
President Donald Trump kicked off his second term aiming to slash funding for clean energy projects. On his first day, he signed an executive order freezing Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding, and shortly after, the Department of Energy (DOE) created a “hit list” of clean energy projects to roll back that were funded under the previous administration.
Despite this targeting of the clean energy industry, nuclear energy projects continue to move forward. In March, the DOE disbursed $56.8 million to energy equipment supplier Holtec International to develop the first-ever U.S. commercial restart of a nuclear power plant in Palisades, Michigan. In April, it released another loan disbursement of $46.7 million. This disbursement continued an agreement that began under the Joe Biden administration. The Palisades reopening is one of multiple nuclear power plant projects taking place across the country.
Nuclear energy has remained a consistent area of interest across several U.S. administrations because of its role in low-carbon energy generation, national security, and global competitiveness. However, it still raises significant concerns over safety and nuclear waste. While the Trump administration has signaled strong support for nuclear energy through recent executive actions and public statements, other developments—such as proposed budget cuts and changes to clean energy incentives—complicate the broader picture.
What’s the State of Nuclear Energy in the United States?
Electricity generation from nuclear power is the largest source of low-carbon energy in the United States, making up 19 percent of total utility-scale electricity generation. The United States led early efforts in nuclear power technology, generating electricity from its first commercial plant in 1958. However, the United States has not significantly increased its nuclear capacity since the 1980s due to a combination of safety, economic, and regulatory challenges.
Meanwhile, U.S. investment in nuclear research and development has decreased significantly in recent years compared to other countries—most notably China and Russia. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the United States has spent a much lower proportion of its low-carbon energy research budget on nuclear technology since the 1990s.
