Nuclear Power in the USA: A Renaissance or a Pipe Dream?

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump, speaking at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, stood in front of a room of Silicon Valley executives and stated: Build your own nuclear plants to fuel AI, and my administration will approve them in just three weeks.

Even by Trump's standards, the declaration was slightly optimistic, but let's take a look at the context, and see where nuclear fits into the wider picture.

The basics - how does nuclear power work?

Nuclear power generally uses fission, where heavy atoms (usually uranium-235) are split to release heat. This heat turns water into steam, which in turn drives turbines, and generates electricity. The vast majority (over 95%) of reactors are so-called Light Water Reactors (LWRs), which use ordinary water as a coolant and neutron moderator. Nuclear plants produce continuous, baseload electricity, meaning they run nearly all the time at high output, a key advantage over intermittent renewables such as wind or solar.

The U.S. nuclear fleet today

The U.S. has the largest nuclear fleet in the world, with 94 reactors spread over 54 plants. These plants produce around 20% of total U.S. power generation, and accounts for 30% of global nuclear generation.

(Source: EI Statistical Review of World Energy 2025)

However, unlike rapidly-expanding countries such as China and India, building new nuclear capacity in the U.S. has been very slow, and there are currently zero large reactors under construction. The Department of Energy (DoE) is however heavily promoting Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), with ambitious targets to quadruple U.S. nuclear capacity by 2050.

Pros and cons of nuclear energy

Unlike solar and wind, nuclear can run continuously, providing stable 24/7 power with near-constant output. Modern nuclear plants operate at high utilisation (often above 90%), and nuclear emits essentially zero greenhouse gases during operation, making it a key tool for decarbonisation strategies. It can be seen as a complement to renewables, particularly with rising electrification (EV charging, heat pumps) and large loads like AI data centres. Further, with life extensions, existing plants can keep operating for decades.

So what are the challenges? Firstly, significant upfront costs. Building new reactors is capital-intensive and historically faces consistent delays and overruns. Traditional plants can take anywhere from 7-15 years to build, from planning to operation, significantly longer than many renewable projects. Further, concerns about accidents and waste treatment/disposal remain political hurdles, though modern designs are far safer than early generations. Black swan event (e.g. Fukushima) risks remain, but designs now focus on passive safety, flood protection and blackout resilience. Indeed, Japan this week restarted operations at the world's largest nuclear plant for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

Why is Trump mentioning nuclear now?

At his speech this week in Davos, Trump made it clear that the energy system in the U.S. is unprepared for the AI era, with the requirement to "more than double the energy currently in the country just to take care of the AI plants". As AI pushes electricity demand to record highs, an aging and strained electrical grid could pose huge threats to growth and even national security. Trump argues that slashing approval timelines for nuclear power is a necessary response.

So, is Trump's idea feasible?

In short: Cutting approval timelines? Yes. Cutting approval timelines to 3 weeks? No.

The traditional Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) process historically requires four to five years for environmental and design approvals, as well as rigorous site selection. Public consultation, construction, grid interconnection, fuel supply and staffing all take considerable lengths of time, and any attempts to bypass due process would likely face legal challenges, slowing things further.

So while the upcoming wave of SMRs could get approvals in under two years, there is little evidence to suggest that NRC approval could come in as little as three weeks. In fact, such an expedited process would likely trigger concerns about environmental impacts and safety.

What is clear however is that the world's largest nuclear power is looking to spring out of its stagnation phase, with significant future growth potential. Reliable and carbon-free, nuclear has a key role to play in decarbonisation efforts going forward, providing constant power in a world where electricity demand continues to surge.

Connect with me on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/jamieprior