ICYMI: President Trump Signs Executive Orders to Usher in a Nuclear Renaissance, Restore Gold Standard Science

WASHINGTON—Today, President Trump signed several key executive orders to usher in a nuclear renaissance and restore America's gold standard in science and innovation, directing the Department of Energy to take a leading role in unleashing the American nuclear renaissance. President Trump is taking decisive action to strengthen scientific discovery in America, rebuild public trust in science, and accelerate advanced nuclear technologies.

After decades of stagnation and shuttered reactors, President Trump is providing a path forward for nuclear innovation. Today’s executive orders allow for reactor design testing at the Department of Energy's (DOE) National Labs, clear the way for construction on federal lands to protect national and economic security, and remove regulatory barriers by requiring the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to issue timely licensing decisions.

“For too long, America’s nuclear energy industry has been stymied by red tape and outdated government policies, but thanks to President Trump, the American nuclear renaissance is finally here,”Energy Secretary Chris Wright said. “With the emergence of AI and President Trump’s pro-American manufacturing policies at work, American civil nuclear energy is being unleashed at the perfect time. Nuclear has the potential to be America’s greatest source of energy addition. It works whether the wind is blowing, or the sun is shining, is possible anywhere and at different scales. President Trump’s executive orders today unshackle our civil nuclear energy industry and ensure it can meet this critical moment.”

“Over the last 30 years, we stopped building nuclear reactors in America – that ends now. Today’s executive orders are the most significant nuclear regulatory reform actions taken in decades. We are restoring a strong American nuclear industrial base, rebuilding a secure and sovereign domestic nuclear fuel supply chain, and leading the world towards a future fueled by American nuclear energy. These actions are critical to American energy independence and continued dominance in AI and other emerging technologies,” said White House Office of Science and Technology Director Michael Kratsios.

“President Trump’s executive orders expand America’s Energy Dominance agenda. As energy demand continues to surge, expanding our existing nuclear fleet and investing in advanced nuclear technologies ensures we have reliable energy to power our homes, fuel for President Trump’s manufacturing revolution, and a stronger electric grid,” said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

The President also signed an executive order implementing Gold Standard Science to rebuild public trust in the national science enterprise. The EO defines Gold Standard Science and requires federal research agencies to conform their existing programs and activities to these fundamentals. In addition to federal agencies, the Trump Administration is issuing a call to excellence for all American researchers and academic institutions to go back to the basics by restoring Gold Standard Science.

Gold Standard Science is just that—science that meets the Gold Standard. It’s reproducible, transparent, falsifiable, subject to unbiased peer review, clear about errors and uncertainties, skeptical of assumptions, collaborative, interdisciplinary, accepting of negative results, and free from conflicts of interests.

“President Trump is making Gold Standard Science the cornerstone of the federal science enterprise and rebuilding public trust in science. With this executive order, we are recommitting ourselves to scientific best practices and empowering America’s researchers to achieve groundbreaking discoveries. Gold Standard Science starts in the policies and programs of our great federal research institutions, and continues with partnership across academia, industry, and philanthropy,” said Director Kratsios.