😱Trump Declares National Energy Emergency

😱Trump Declares National Energy Emergency😱

In a sweeping executive order, President Trump declared a national energy emergency, underscoring the urgent need for reliable and diversified domestic energy.

Notably, the order explicitly includes uranium under its definition of “energy resources,” signaling focus on nuclear power’s role in national security.

Agencies are directed to identify and use emergency authorities—potentially including eminent domain and Defense Production Act measures—to accelerate energy projects on federal lands.

This encompasses everything from expanded uranium mining to the fast-tracking of critical infrastructure approvals under environmental laws.

The administration cites high energy prices and vulnerability to foreign actors as reasons for the emergency designation, calling for swift, large-scale projects to bolster the electric grid—especially in regions like the Northeast and West Coast.

Observers see it as a pivotal move toward reviving the nuclear supply chain, with uranium producers standing to benefit from streamlined permitting and increased federal support.

Watch Trump talk about it here:

😭Did the UK Just Beat Germany in Nuclear Policy Stupidity?😭

The UK has opted to bury 140 metric tons of reactor-grade plutonium (RGPu) at a cost of £2-3 billion—despite critics insisting this “waste” could have powered the entire country for years.

Proponents say the UK’s plan to immobilize plutonium addresses proliferation risks, but opponents argue that fully spent fuel-derived RGPu is ill-suited for weapons.

They contend the move is as irrational as discarding gold bars at sea, given potential alternatives: using RGPu in MOX (mixed oxide) fuel for existing reactors or deploying advanced molten salt designs like Copenhagen Atomics’ TS-MSBR.

Both approaches could have slashed emissions, advanced energy security, and yielded billions in clean energy revenue.

Meanwhile, India’s strategy of recycling plutonium for thorium reactors highlights what some call the UK’s colossal missed opportunity—raising questions about whether Britain has just surpassed Germany in short-sighted nuclear policy.

On Wednesday’s “Market Movers” segment on BNNBloomberg, uranium stocks took center stage as Cathie Wood, founder and CEO of ARK Invest, initiated a position in Cameco.

💰The Nuclear Plant Bidding War Has Begun💰

South Carolina utility Santee Cooper is looking for partners to finish building two partially completed nuclear reactors at the V.C. Summer station—projects cancelled in 2017 after USD 9 billion had already been spent.

Financial advisers at Centerview Partners will accept proposals until May 5, seeking a consortium of construction firms, technology companies needing clean power for data centers, and additional investors.

Originally halted amid design complications, high costs, and low electricity demand, the climate now favors rebooting the project.

Each of these Large Modular Reactor units is already over 50% complete and together would match the output of roughly eight SMRs.

🤝Sweden Pushes Joint SMR Purchase🤝

Sweden’s Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch is urging the UK and other Northern European nations to join forces in purchasing a fleet of 10 to 15 small modular reactors (SMRs).

Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Busch emphasized that by pooling orders and standardizing designs, countries can spread risk, lower costs, and develop a robust nuclear supply chain—much like how government mandates for wind and solar drove down their costs.

She noted that China’s rapid nuclear expansion requires a cooperative Western response to stay competitive.

While the UK government has not confirmed its interest, it is already running a design competition featuring Rolls-Royce, Holtec International, GE-Hitachi, and Westinghouse.

SMRs are seen as a potential breakthrough in factory-built nuclear reactors, promising faster builds and lower costs, though the technology is still in its early commercial stages.

⚛️Nuclear Nuggets

Trump announces a $500 billion AI infrastructure investment in the US. OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle is teaming up with a Japanese investment firm and an Emirati sovereign wealth fund to build $500bn of artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure.

TerraPower has signed a memorandum of understanding with a major U.S. data center developer to deploy advanced nuclear reactors to power existing and future facilities.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Republic of Kazakhstan revoked the uranium license held by Nur Dala by a court decision, tightening the regulation of uranium exploration by foreign entities.

The SMART tokamak - an experimental fusion device designed, built and operated by the University of Seville, Spain - has generated its first plasma.

😂Meme of the Week

I’m pulling the control rods for now—thanks for fueling your curiosity at Nuclear Update!

Until next time, stay glowing and we’ll see you next week.

Fredrik