Why It Matters
A recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) report, published Aug. 5, examines the Trump Administration's ambitious nuclear expansion agenda, which aims to quadruple the nation's nuclear capacity to 400 gigawatts by 2050, alongside a push to rebuild domestic uranium enrichment and confront regulatory barriers.
The U.S. currently operates 94 licensed reactors at 54 sites, generating about 20 percent of the nation's electricity, according to the report. Between 2013 and April 2022, 13 reactors permanently closed, but now, about a dozen more reactors are planned or proposed.
The Big Picture
Several executive orders on nuclear policy were signed in May 2025. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved a new licensing framework on March 25, 2026, providing a technology-inclusive, risk-informed pathway for advanced reactors. Yet the regulatory environment has grown more contentious: the NRC proposed changes later that year on July 15 to remove the "as low as reasonably achievable" radiation protection standard, according to the report.
The Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act banned Russian uranium imports starting August 2024, yet the U.S. will remain dependent on waivers for Russian enriched uranium through at least 2027. High-assay low-enriched uranium, which is required for many advanced reactor designs, is not currently available in commercial quantities.
As of May 2026, approximately 99,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel is currently stored at reactor sites around the country, growing at roughly 2,200 metric tons per year.
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