The U.S. nuclear energy sector is entering a long-awaited resurgence. Over the past few months, momentum has accelerated at a pace the industry has not seen in decades. The Department of Energy’s commitment of $17.5 billion to accelerate the deployment of up to 10 new Westinghouse AP1000 reactors could break the logjam that has prevented large-scale reactor construction from becoming routine in the United States. Now, one or more of the participating utilities must take the next step and move a project forward.
Meanwhile, small modular reactor developers are making steady and visible progress. GE Hitachi’s BWRX-300 is moving ahead in Canada and with the Tennessee Valley Authority. TerraPower, X-energy, and others are advancing their first projects. Microreactor companies are quickly developing new designs, and recent criticality milestones from companies such as Antares demonstrate these technologies are beginning to move from development into operation. For the first time in a generation, America is pursuing not one nuclear future, but many.
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We’ve proven these technologies can work. Now we must prove we can build the ecosystem needed to deploy them at scale.
If the U.S. intends to build hundreds, or possibly even thousands, of new reactors over the next two decades and become a leading global supplier, we must fill in the gaps to ensure this nuclear renaissance succeeds.
Fuel may be the biggest gap.
The U.S. has made important progress rebuilding its nuclear fuel cycle after decades of neglect. Government support has accelerated domestic uranium enrichment efforts, while companies including Centrus, Orano, and Urenco are expanding capacity or building new facilities.
Yet, enrichment is only one piece of the puzzle.
Conversion capacity remains constrained, and advanced reactors will require new fuel forms that must be licensed, manufactured, qualified, and supplied at a commercial scale. Meeting that challenge will require leadership, sustained investment, and time.
Without a complete domestic fuel cycle, even the most innovative reactor designs remain dependent on fragile supply chains. A robust reactor fleet will require an equally robust domestic fuel supply.
The supply chain presents an equally urgent challenge.
Building nuclear plants requires thousands of specialized components, from forgings and valves to pumps, cables, instrumentation, and digital control systems. All must be qualified to nuclear standards to ensure reliable operation for more than half a century. Becoming a qualified nuclear supplier is not something manufacturers accomplish in a few months. It requires years of investment, certification, workforce training, and regulatory oversight.
Fortunately, investments in the nuclear supply chain benefit multiple reactor technologies at once. The same factories, advanced manufacturing, and AI tools used to improve quality assurance, construction planning, and project management can reduce costs across the industry. But we must develop these capabilities before demand arrives, not just when opportunity knocks.
Regulatory modernization can also help unlock additional manufacturing capacity. As the NRC considers incorporating internationally recognized codes and standards into its Part 57 framework for advanced reactors, it has an opportunity to expand the number of suppliers able to participate in the nuclear sector while maintaining rigorous safety standards. Opening the door to more qualified manufacturers would increase competition at the input level, create a more redundant supply chain, and ultimately lower costs for reactor developers.
A strong supply chain also depends on having the skilled workforce to support it.
America will need tens of thousands of engineers, craft workers, operators, welders, electricians, project managers, and technicians to build and operate the next generation of nuclear facilities. Competition for the best technical talent is already intense, particularly from the technology sector.
Meeting this challenge requires more than expanding university programs. We need apprenticeships, vocational education, partnerships with community colleges, military transition programs, and clear career pathways that make nuclear one of the most attractive professions for talented and ambitious young Americans.
The same is true for the many non-technical professionals needed to bring these projects to life. That includes project managers, finance professionals, procurement specialists, logistics experts, construction managers, IT professionals, and many others.
None of these challenges is insurmountable.
The encouraging news is that progress is already underway across each of these areas. The administration has demonstrated unprecedented support for nuclear energy through financing, regulatory reform, fuel initiatives, and industrial policy. The DOE deserves full credit for recognizing that building reactors also means rebuilding the industrial ecosystem behind them.
Now, the industry must deliver, and there is every reason to believe it can. Companies across the nuclear sector are making the investments and forming the partnerships needed to support the next generation of reactor projects.
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The next few months could prove decisive. If the U.S. nuclear sector demonstrates it can finance projects, license new technologies, build efficiently, and operate successfully at home, international customers will surely take notice.
The reactors are coming. Now comes the harder part: ensuring we have the fuel, workforce, supply chains, and industrial capacity to build them successfully. If we get that right, America’s nuclear resurgence will be measured not by announcements, but by reactors built, supply chains strengthened, and global leadership restored.
Todd Abrajano is president and CEO of the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council.
