THE STATE OF PLAY

America leads in nuclear power production today — but building new plants requires innovative solutions.

KEY FINDINGS

19%
Of U.S electricity comes from nuclear, with no emissions.

120,000
American jobs supported by the nuclear industry.

94 of 417
Of the world's operating reactors are in the U.S. , the global leader.

76%
Of American support nuclear energy, with broad dipartisan backing.

By the numbers

Reactors built since 2000

Russia and China combined vs. U.S. companies

China

Russia

United States

To reestablish the U.S. nuclear industry’s dominance, the Administration set a goal to reach 400 GW of new nuclear capacity by 2050. The industry has identified over 7 GW of power uprates, has greatly increased license renewals for existing plants, is restarting several closed plants and is planning for over 30 GW of new nuclear capacity by 2040.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration; Nuclear Energy Institute; International Atomic Energy Agency; Potential Energy Coalition

FIVE PRIORITIES CLEARPATH RECOMMENDS

01

Build the first orderbook
Tax fixes and financing tools that help utilities commit to new reactors.

02

Solve used nuclear fuel
Modernize the 1982 law with a durable, innovation-forward path for used fuel.

03

Modernize the NRC
Targeted licensing fixes that speed construction and lock in recent reforms.

04

Rebuild the supply chain
Qualify more American suppliers and grow the workforce to build at scale.

05

Sell American reactors globally
Equip EXIM, DFC and allies to compete with state-backed rivals.

OUR TAKE

The Reactor Pilot Program is Just the Beginning

Posted on July 16, 2026 by Jake Kincer and Natalie Houghtalen

On July 4th, 2026, America celebrated its 250th birthday. Meanwhile, the nuclear industry celebrated something else: it met and exceeded a deadline many believed it couldn’t–and...

How Trump’s Nuclear Orders Sparked America’s Nuclear Revival (The National Interest)

Posted on May 21, 2026 by Jeremy Harrell

One year ago, President Donald Trump signed four executive orders (EOs) that charted a new course to rebuild America’s nuclear industry. Together, they represent the most...

Accelerating Nuclear Energy Through Interstate Collaboration

Posted on January 15, 2026 by Jake Kincer , Bryson Roberson, Cason Carroll and Austin Blanch

The United States is entering an era of rapidly growing power demand, driven by a manufacturing boom and the adoption of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence. To...

The Race to Scale Global Nuclear Energy (The National Interest)

Posted on October 2, 2025 by Nicholas McMurray

The administration has set one of the boldest energy goals in American history: quadrupling nuclear energy production by 2050. This is an ambitious but necessary goal if the...

Clean Baseload Power: A Politically Durable Energy Agenda

Posted on September 11, 2025 by Luke Bolar

Plenty of technology and industry-specific organizations existed. But who was working on an American innovation agenda and policy strategy focused on building clean, baseload...

1 2 3 … 19 Next »

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TECH 101

Nuclear Energy 101

Posted on August 21, 2026 by Natalie Houghtalen

Nuclear energy has been a cornerstone of American innovation and its role continues to be important as electricity demand accelerates and the nation seeks to strengthen its energy...

Advanced Nuclear Fuel 201

Posted on May 30, 2024 by Natalie Houghtalen

Congratulations! If you have read our Nuclear Fuel 101, you are already well on your way to understanding the importance of the nuclear fuel supply chain. This second installation...

Nuclear Fuel 101

Posted on January 17, 2024 by Natalie Houghtalen

How nuclear fuel is created and deployed is complex and often misunderstood; this article provides a high-level, broad explanation of how low enriched uranium nuclear fuel is...

Integrated Energy Systems: Getting More From Our Nuclear Workhorses

The domestic nuclear fleet is vital for both mitigating climate change and supporting the U.S. economy. By finding innovative ways to use current and future nuclear reactors, we...

Supply Chain for Lithium and Critical Minerals Is … Critical

The components to build a successful supply chain for American lithium and energy storage exist: lithium reserves, a capable workforce, domestic demand, and economic power. Yet to...

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