The chaotic first week of US President Donald Trump’s second term in office set the nuclear industry on edge, particularly after a flurry of executive orders that appeared to pause many of the very Biden administration policies that have revived the US nuclear sector. But Trump continues to lump in nuclear power with the other energy sources he hopes will underpin his “energy dominance” agenda, and his personnel appointments — including soon-to-be-confirmed Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum (also slated to head Trump’s new “National Energy Council”) — are nuclear fans. This week, Trump also appointed new heads to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the latter of which will play a role in adjudicating a debate over “behind-the-meter” colocating of generating plants including nuclear with power offtakers such as data centers or hydrogen producers.
