EASTERN IDAHO — Four months into his second presidential term, President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders aimed at accelerating nuclear power development. The orders directed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reduce its workforce, speed up approval timelines for nuclear reactors, and rewrite many of its safety rules.

The Trump administration changed nuclear energy regulations aiming to increase the energy supply for artificial intelligence. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, an independent regulator that approves commercial nuclear power plants and monitors their safety, has faced actions challenging its independence under the Trump administration.

President Trump fired NRC Commissioner Christopher Hanson in June after Hanson spoke out about the importance of agency independence. No NRC commissioner had been fired before Hanson. Over 400 people have left the Nuclear Regulatory Commission since Trump took office, according to analysis of staffing data from the NRC and the Office of Personnel Management. The departures have been particularly pronounced among staff in reactor and nuclear materials safety teams and among staffers with 10 or more years of experience.

"The regulator is no longer an independent regulator—we do not know whose interests it is serving," said Allison Macfarlane, former NRC chair. "The safety culture is under threat."

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission hired nearly 60 new staff members in Trump's first year in office, according to the same staffing data analysis. By comparison, the commission hired nearly 350 new staff members in the last year of the Biden administration.

"It's a hot industry, it's a brilliant industry," President Trump said. "And it's become very safe."

Department of Energy officials met at Idaho National Laboratory last summer to discuss the future of nuclear energy under the Trump administration. In November, Cohen was appointed chief counsel for nuclear policy at the Department of Energy. As chief counsel, he oversees a broad nuclear portfolio.

"It's a great time to get unfrozen and aim to work quickly," said Brett Rampal, senior director of nuclear and power strategy at Veriten.

A new generation of nuclear energy companies has received Silicon Valley venture capital funding and developed political connections, increasing their influence over nuclear policy. Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen are billionaires and venture capitalists with investments in the nuclear energy sector and are influential Trump supporters. After Trump won the 2024 election, Andreessen stayed at Mar-a-Lago and helped select staff for the new administration.