Remarks by Director Michael Kratsios on the One Year Anniversary of President Trump’s Nuclear EOs

At the Operation Gigawatt Summit in Deer Valley, Utah, Michael Kratsios, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, delivered a keynote address celebrating the one-year anniversary of President Trump’s 2025 nuclear energy Executive Orders.Kratsios characterized the administration’s policies as an "American Nuclear Renaissance," comparing the current momentum to President Eisenhower’s 1953 "Atoms for Peace" initiative. He outlined a transition from decades of regulatory stagnation to a "revolution for American power."1. Accelerated Reactor DevelopmentCriticality Goal: The administration is on track to see at least three test reactors achieve criticality before July 4, 2026, as part of the DOE reactor pilot program.Advanced Licensing: The NRC recently issued the first commercial advanced reactor construction permit in decades and the first-ever license to commercially manufacture TRISO fuel.2. Domestic Fuel and Supply ChainUranium Production: Domestic uranium production over the last year has doubled the total of the previous six years combined.Enrichment Investment: More than $2.5 billion has been invested in domestic uranium enrichment to end dependence on foreign fuel.3. Solving the Spent Fuel ChallengeInnovation Campuses: The administration launched the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses to manage used nuclear fuel.State Participation: DOE has received over 20 applications from states; notably, four states have applied to take unrestricted amounts of used fuel, signaling a major cultural shift in how nuclear waste is viewed.4. Military and National SecurityJanus Program: The U.S. Army is on track to deliver microreactors to military installations by 2028 to ensure energy resilience at vital defense facilities. The Air Force has also joined this effort.5. NRC ModernizationEfficiency Gains: The NRC has slashed bureaucratic burdens, approving power uprates and license extensions in under a year.Fastest Review: The Robinson plant renewal was the fastest license review in history.Securing the Grid: The NRC has authorized renewals for 18 reactors, securing 17,000 megawatts of power for an additional 20 years.Kratsios emphasized that "American Energy Dominance" is a prerequisite for the administration's broader technological goals, including winning the AI race, reshoring semiconductors, and ushering in a new space age.5 Gigawatt Goal: The administration aims to add 5 Gigawatts of nuclear power to the grid by 2030.Plant Restarts: Planned restarts of the Palisades (Michigan) and Crane Energy Center (Pennsylvania) will add 1,600 Megawatts to the grid in the next few years.The Fusion Frontier: The NRC has proposed the nation’s first regulatory framework for fusion machines, paving the way for a new class of energy technology.As the United States celebrates its Semiquincentennial (250th anniversary), Kratsios linked today’s nuclear innovators to the legacy of Benjamin Franklin. He concluded that the "American Nuclear Renaissance" will provide the energy necessary to sustain and build the nation for the next 250 years, ensuring that "peaceful power from atomic energy is no dream of the future," but a current reality of American strength.