The clean energy transition isn’t a zero-sum game – it’s a team effort. And one player is stepping back into the spotlight with renewed strength: nuclear energy. With the President’s signing of four new Executive Orders on May 23, 2025, nuclear is poised to play a major role in a future defined by clean, reliable power. From next-generation technologies to small modular reactors (SMRs) that promise flexibility and innovation, nuclear is no longer just a legacy option – it’s shaping up to be one of the most exciting frontiers in clean energy. Now’s the time to pay attention – and maybe even get curious.
The four executive orders signed last week are aimed at rapidly expanding the U.S. nuclear energy industry, including reforms to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to accelerate reactor licensing and reduce bureaucratic barriers. These orders set ambitious goals such as tripling nuclear capacity to 400 gigawatts by 2050, completing ten new large reactor designs by 2030, and achieving operational status for three experimental reactors by July 4, 2026. The directives also focus on strengthening the domestic nuclear fuel supply chain, reviving reprocessing capabilities, and expanding the nuclear workforce. Additionally, the orders promote deployment of advanced nuclear reactors for national security, including powering AI infrastructure and military bases, while positioning U.S. nuclear technology for global export leadership.
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What is Nuclear Energy?
There are two types of nuclear energy – fission and fusion. Nuclear fission is the process of splitting heavy atoms like uranium to release energy, which is how today’s nuclear power plants – including both large reactors and SMRs – generate electricity. Large plants produce massive amounts of power but require complex infrastructure and many years to build, while SMRs are smaller, factory-built, and designed for faster, safer, and more flexible deployment, with several U.S. projects aiming to break ground before 2030. Nuclear fusion, by contrast, tries to replicate the energy of the sun by fusing lighter atoms (like hydrogen) together, but it’s still in the experimental stages – despite recent exciting breakthroughs, we are likely decades away from building fusion power plants at commercial scale (unless quantum computing accelerates that). In short, fission is here now and evolving, while fusion remains a promising but long-term goal.
What are the IRA Nuclear Incentives and how does the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Support Nuclear Energy?
The Inflation Reduction Act introduced new nuclear incentives:
- Section 45U (Zero Emission Nuclear Power PTC) – a production tax credit to incentivize the continued operation of existing nuclear power plants, which offers up to $15/MWh for electricity produced and sold from 2024 to 2032, provided prevailing wage requirements are met. However, this tax credit applies only to facilities that were in service before passage of the IRA.
- Section 45Y (Clean Electricity PTC) – includes a production tax credit for new nuclear power plants placed in service after December 31, 2024, which offers $0.003/kWh and can increase to $0.015/kWh if prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements are met. These statutory amounts are subject to annual inflationary adjustments; additional bonuses are available if the facility is located in an energy community or meets domestic content requirements.
- Section 48E (Clean Electricity ITC) – includes provisions allowing nuclear facilities to qualify for a 6% investment tax credit, which can increase to 30% if prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements are satisfied. Additional increases are available if the facility is situated in an energy community or meets domestic content criteria.
- HALEU Funding – the IRA allocated $700 million to the Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a domestic supply chain for high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), a specialized fuel. This funding supports research, development and safety initiatives, aiming to reduce reliance on foreign sources and ensure a stable supply for future nuclear technologies.
The “One Big, Beautiful Bill” that recently passed by the House and is under Senate review, bolsters the nuclear energy sector by improving regulatory processes, providing financial incentives, supporting technological advancements, and ensuring long-term liability protections. Although the House bill scales back availability of the 45Y and 48E tax credits for all types of technology, nuclear facilities were treated far better than other types of facilities—qualifying nuclear facilities would remain eligible for those credits as long as construction begins by December 31, 2028. As the bill progresses to the Senate, its potential impact on the U.S. nuclear energy landscape will depend on further legislative negotiations and approvals.
Why Should Renewables Professionals be Thinking about Nuclear?
According to the DOE, nuclear accounted for nearly 50% of the carbon-free electricity generated in the U.S. in 2023. Over the next decade, due to new policies and innovative technology, renewables and nuclear will increasingly compete in the same marketplaces – especially for power purchase agreements, in clean hydrogen hubs, and for credit transfer deals. Several traditional tax equity investors are watching SMRs, which may qualify for the ITC and bonus credits that are very familiar to them. Investors looking to purchase transferable tax credits from zero-carbon sources may soon see nuclear as a credit supplier – or even a financing partner on hybrid projects. You may develop a hybrid facility that combines SMRs with renewables to balance reliability and cost. Even if you never work on a nuclear project, you may share a substation with one, compete for transmission capacity, or trade hydrogen with facilities powered by SMRs. As green capital markets grow more inclusive, developers and financiers with cross-technology fluency will be better positioned to innovate and negotiate.
Is Nuclear Technology Safe?
Safety has long been a major concern with nuclear energy due to high-profile accidents that raised fears about radiation, reactor failure, and long-term waste. However, newer nuclear technologies – especially SMRs and advanced reactors – are designed with passive safety systems that automatically shut down without human intervention or external power. They often use safer coolants, operate at lower pressures, and are built underground or in containment structures that reduce risk in extreme events. Additionally, modern regulatory frameworks and real-time monitoring technology greatly enhance safety oversight compared to past decades. Further, the low-enriched uranium that is used is not suitable for making weapons.
What do the Four New Executive Orders Require?
The orders direct government agencies to aggressively “usher in a nuclear energy renaissance” through reforms to the NRC, involving (i) streamlining its licensing process to incorporate fixed deadlines for review of applications, (ii) undertaking a “review and wholesale revision” of its guidance and regulations with final rules and guidance to be issued within 18 months, (iii) reconsidering the linear no-threshold model for radiation exposure (currently that there is no safe threshold of radiation exposure), (iv) expediting the NRC’s review of reactor designs tested by the Department of Defense (DOD) or DOE, and (iv) reorganizing the NRC to focus on the “expeditious processing of licensing applications and adoption of innovative technology.”
