The US is trying to kick-start a "nuclear energy renaissance"

"In May, President Donald Trump signed four executive orders to facilitate the construction of nuclear reactors and the development of nuclear energy technology; the orders aim to cut red tape, ease approval processes, and reshape the role of the main regulatory agency, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or NRC. These moves, the administration said, were part of an effort to achieve American independence from foreign power providers by way of a "nuclear energy renaissance.""

"Self-reliance isn't the only factor motivating nuclear power proponents outside of the administration: Following a decades-long trend away from nuclear energy, in part due to safety concerns and high costs, the technology has emerged as a potential option to try to mitigate climate change. Through nuclear fission, in which atoms are split to release energy, reactors don't emit any greenhouse gases."

"The Trump administration wants to quadruple the nuclear sector's domestic energy production, with the goal of producing 400 gigawatts by 2050. To help achieve that goal, scientific institutions like the Idaho National Laboratory, a leading research institute in nuclear energy, are pushing forward innovations such as more efficient types of fuel. Companies are also investing millions of dollars to develop their own nuclear reactor designs, a move from industry that was previously unheard of in the nuclear sector."

President Donald Trump signed executive orders to ease reactor construction, streamline approvals, and reshape the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's role to pursue American energy independence via a "nuclear energy renaissance." Nuclear power is positioned as a climate-mitigation option because fission-based reactors emit no greenhouse gases. The administration targets 400 gigawatts of domestic nuclear capacity by 2050, and research institutions and companies are pursuing fuel innovations and new reactor designs. Major barriers persist: construction costs remain high, build times are long, and experts are divided about nuclear power's future viability.

Read at Ars Technica