‘America is building again’: Trump hails US nuclear power milestone as 4 companies meet reactor deadline

WASHINGTON: In an announcement touting a major resurgence for domestic energy, US President Donald Trump declared on Friday (local time) that four private companies have met his administration’s ambitious deadline to develop and achieve criticality on advanced nuclear reactors, signaling what he described as a new era for American power generation.

Speaking during an address on American nuclear innovation, President Trump framed the progress as a historic breakthrough for the nation’s energy supply, praising the rapid timeline achieved under a Department of Energy pilot initiative. “Today, we’re celebrating a historic milestone for civilian nuclear energy and the incredible renaissance of nuclear power in America,” President Trump said.

He stated that the initiative stems from executive orders signed during his administration aimed at cutting regulatory hurdles and fast-tracking domestic nuclear power generation.

.@POTUS: “Last year, I signed 4 historic executive orders to reignite a wave of progress in America’s nuclear power production and promote this abundant, affordable, unlimited supply of energy for the American people. As part of this effort, I directed @SecretaryWright to… pic.twitter.com/vgS9DS2WSj

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 24, 2026

“Last year, I signed four historic executive orders to reignite a wave of progress in America’s nuclear power production and promote this abundant, affordable, unlimited supply of energy for the American people,” President Trump stated. “As part of this effort, I directed @SecretaryWright to establish a pilot program for advanced reactors and to see at least 3 cutting-edge reactors started up safely by the 4th of July… most believed the goal is impossible, but I’m delighted to say that FOUR companies succeeded in meeting that deadline.”

According to the administration, the achievement marks the first time in over four decades that brand-new reactor designs are actively advancing in the United States.

President Trump noted that review and deployment processes that previously stretched to six years or longer have been dramatically compressed, positioning the US at the forefront of next-generation nuclear technology. “America is building again. America’s dreaming again,” the president added.

Industry leaders participating in the initiative credited the administration’s aggressive policy mandate with shifting the domestic nuclear sector from theoretical planning to physical construction.

Valar Atomics CEO Isaiah Taylor, standing in the Oval Office during the announcement, underscored the cultural shift within the industry, thanking the administration for revitalizing energy hardware development. “Over the last 30 years, we became more interested in Powerpoint than in power plants, and it’s your leadership that is changing that,” Taylor remarked.

Earlier on Wednesday, the US Department of Energy announced the first projects selected under the Genesis Mission Request for Applications (RFA) as part of “President Trump’s historic Genesis Mission”. The Department stated that the national portfolio of research teams will help “develop and demonstrate AI-enabled scientific workflows designed to accelerate breakthroughs in energy, discovery science, and national security.”

Designed to double America’s scientific productivity, the Genesis Mission brings together DOE’s world-class scientific capabilities, advanced AI, high-performance computing, and the nation’s leading researchers to transform how scientific discovery is conducted and strengthen American leadership in science and technology, the department stated.

“America has no shortage of bold ideas or talented scientists, and the response to the Genesis Mission proves that,” said US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. “The 278 projects selected today represent the very best of our nation’s scientific enterprise. The remarkable number of high-quality proposals we received demonstrates that America’s innovation pipeline is strong, and it points to even greater opportunities for future investment and continued expansion of the Genesis Mission portfolio.”

These projects will address some of the nation’s most pressing energy, scientific, and engineering challenges, including in nuclear energy, critical mineral extraction, intelligent chip design, and commercial fusion energy.

Among the selected projects, the largest is a three-year, $60 million investment in nuclear energy that will harness AI to help deliver nuclear facilities faster and safer while cutting operating costs to provide Americans with affordable, reliable, and secure energy, the department added. (ANI)