in effect
Executive Order 14302, signed May 23, 2025, directs federal agencies to rebuild and expand the U.S. nuclear energy industry, from uranium mining and fuel processing through reactor construction and workforce training. It does not create new law on its own but instructs cabinet secretaries to develop plans, prioritize funding, and enter voluntary agreements with private industry within specific deadlines.
The Department of Energy must develop a plan within 120 days to expand domestic uranium conversion and enrichment capacity for civilian and military needs. Within 240 days, the Secretary of Energy must deliver a report to the President recommending a national policy for managing spent nuclear fuel, including options for reprocessing and recycling rather than permanent disposal. The existing program to dilute and bury surplus plutonium is halted (except for obligations to South Carolina), and that plutonium is instead to be processed into usable reactor fuel. The DOE Loan Programs Office is directed to prioritize financing for restarting closed plants, increasing output at existing plants, and building new reactors, with a stated goal of 5 gigawatts of power uprates and 10 large new reactors under construction by 2030. Within 30 days, the Secretary of Energy was directed to begin negotiating voluntary cooperative agreements with domestic nuclear companies for joint procurement of enriched uranium fuel under the Defense Production Act.
Nuclear energy companies, uranium miners, fuel processors, and reactor builders are the primary private-sector targets — they are invited into voluntary agreements with the federal government for fuel procurement and supply chain coordination. Universities, community colleges, and apprenticeship programs in nuclear engineering fields are directed to receive increased federal grant and workforce-development funding. Federal agencies including the Departments of Energy, Defense, Labor, and Education all receive new reporting and coordination responsibilities, and existing nuclear plant operators may be eligible for federal loan support to expand or restart operations.