Trump's Nuclear Power Shift: Silicon Valley's Influence Grows

Last summer, officials from the Department of Energy convened at the Idaho National Laboratory, a vast 890-square-mile facility in Idaho where the U.S. government first developed a nuclear power plant in 1951. The focus of the meeting was the future of nuclear energy during the Trump presidency.

Leading the discussion was 31-year-old lawyer Seth Cohen, a recent law school graduate with limited experience in nuclear law or policy, who had recently joined the government through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team. As he guided the group through technical discussions on nuclear reactor licensing, Cohen minimized health and safety concerns, dismissing staff worries about radiation exposure from nuclear test sites.

When the topic of radiation risks was raised, Cohen remarked, “They are testing in Utah. … I don’t know, like 70 people live there.” This dismissal was met with pushback from staff who highlighted the vulnerability of certain populations, including pregnant women and infants, to low-level radiation exposure. Cohen's casual attitude was met with remarks about the use of AI transcription in meetings.

ProPublica's review of meeting records reveals a significant transformation occurring within nuclear energy regulation. The Trump administration is fundamentally altering how nuclear energy is overseen, driven by a goal of increasing energy availability to support artificial intelligence.

Longtime career experts in the field are being pushed out, and thousands of regulatory pages are being rapidly rewritten. A new generation of nuclear companies, backed by Silicon Valley investment and strong political ties, is gaining influence over policy decisions. Cohen represents a shift towards a Silicon Valley approach, characterized by a “move fast and break things” mentality.

The Trump administration has also aggressively challenged the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), an independent body responsible for approving commercial nuclear plants and ensuring their safety. Though not widely known, the NRC is regarded as a global leader in nuclear safety regulation.

Critics from Silicon Valley view the cautious NRC as an obstacle to innovation. In a notable incident, President Trump dismissed NRC Commissioner Christopher Hanson last June after he advocated for the agency's independence—marking the first termination of an NRC commissioner in history.

During the Idaho meeting, Cohen asserted that the NRC would no longer operate independently. “Assume the NRC is going to do whatever we tell the NRC to do,” he stated, as recorded by ProPublica. Following this, Cohen was appointed chief counsel for nuclear policy at the Department of Energy, overseeing a broad nuclear portfolio.

These aggressive policy shifts have alarmed many within the nuclear energy sector. Advocates for responsible nuclear initiatives express concern that the administration's recklessness could undermine public trust in the industry. Allison Macfarlane, a former NRC chair under the Obama administration, warned, “The regulator is no longer an independent regulator—we do not know whose interests it is serving.”

A ProPublica analysis of NRC staffing data indicates a significant staff exodus, with over 400 employees departing since Trump took office. The most affected teams are those handling reactor and materials safety, particularly veteran employees with a decade or more of experience. In stark contrast, hiring has slowed considerably, with only 60 new hires in Trump's first year compared to nearly 350 in Biden's last year.

Some proponents of nuclear energy argue that the administration's urgency is necessary to meet the energy demands of AI. They contend that the ongoing changes are not as perilous as critics suggest. Brett Rampal, senior director of nuclear and power strategy at Veriten, remarked, “I think the NRC has been frozen in time. It’s a great time to get unfrozen and aim to work quickly.”

The White House directed most inquiries to the Department of Energy, where spokesperson Olivia Tinari stated that the agency is dedicated to supporting the construction of safe, high-quality nuclear facilities. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, America’s nuclear industry is entering a new era that will provide reliable, abundant power for generations to come,” she claimed, adding that the DOE prioritizes high safety standards for workers and communities.

Cohen did not respond to multiple requests for comment, and the NRC declined to provide a statement.

The United States has not experienced a significant nuclear incident since the Three Mile Island partial meltdown in 1979, a record many attribute to stringent regulatory practices and a strong safety culture. Past global nuclear incidents have reinforced the importance of maintaining regulatory independence from industry and political pressures. Investigations into Japan’s Fukushima disaster identified regulatory capture as a key factor, highlighting the risks of close ties between industry and regulatory bodies.

In recent decades, the U.S. has seen minimal new nuclear power plant construction, with only three new reactors completed in the last 25 years. Despite nuclear energy supplying approximately 20 percent of U.S. electricity, the aging fleet raises concerns, exacerbated by the challenging economics of financing large projects and uncertainties around nuclear fuel management.

However, a growing faction of industry advocates and deregulation supporters attribute the slow pace of nuclear expansion to overly cautious regulatory practices. High-profile supporters of this viewpoint include billionaires Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen, both of whom have investments in the nuclear sector and are notable supporters of Trump.

Andreessen was closely involved with staff selections for the new administration at Mar-a-Lago after Trump’s 2024 election victory, while Thiel reportedly vetted candidates for the Office of Nuclear Energy. Neither responded to requests for comment.

In the early months of his second term, Trump issued a series of executive orders aimed at accelerating nuclear power development. “It’s a hot industry, it’s a brilliant industry,” Trump stated alongside nuclear energy executives in the Oval Office, adding, “And it’s become very safe.”

These orders directed the NRC to downsize its workforce, expedite reactor approvals, and revise many safety regulations. The DOE, which manages a wide range of nuclear responsibilities including waste cleanup and research facilities, was tasked with facilitating advanced nuclear companies in testing their designs. Trump's objective was to quadruple nuclear energy output to support the burgeoning AI sector.