U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on the 23rd (local time) to quadruple the country's nuclear power capacity by 2050.
President Trump said during the signing in the Oval Office, "We are signing a tremendous executive order today," adding, "This will make America a true power in this industry again."
The executive order addresses the reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), reform of nuclear energy research within the Department of Energy, promotion of nuclear power plant construction on federal land, and expansion of uranium mining and enrichment in the United States. This executive order aims to quadruple nuclear power capacity within the next 25 years and includes provisions to reform the NRC to align regulatory procedures with the actual needs of the industry and public safety.
Reports from the Associated Press and others indicate that the executive order also includes a provision to make decisions on new nuclear power plant permits within 18 months.