The DOE lays off thousands of workers, now asking for VOLUNTEERS to perform safety analysis for novel nuclear power plant designs.

Trump's rush to build nuclear reactors across the U.S. raises safety worries A new program at the Department of Energy is pushing the development of nearly a dozen new reactor designs at breakneck speed.

NEW: Trump's new Reactor Pilot Program is rushing to build at least 3 experimental reactor designs by July 4, 2026.

Here's a deep look at the program and why it's raising safety concerns.

For the nuke nerds, I'll also highlight what's new in this 🧵

www.npr.org/2025/12/17/n...

#readingisnotfundamental

Excerpt from Gorsuch's dissent in Texas v. NRC

Storing radioactive waste in the Permian Basin threatens harm to citizens, employees, and poses risk to lands, air, and water...

But storing radioactive waste at long decommissioned reactor sites—or at Yucca—... doesn't?!

Excerpt from Gorsuch's dissent in Texas v. NRC

"You can have sugar, flour, water, oil, and eggs... but you MAY NOT have a cake."

"... for providing interim storage of SNF...

BY MAXIMIZING, TO THE EXTENT PRACTICAL

effective use of existing storage facilities at the site..."

Sorry, Neil... that's NOT a limitation. It's no longer practical to hold spent fuel at decommissioned sites

Gorsuch's dissent relies heavily on the NWPA and the idea that it's unlawful to store nuclear waste anywhere but the reactor site or a federally owned facility.

BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT IT FUCKING SAYS.

42USC§10151: "Persons owning and operating [nuclear reactors] have the primary responsibility...

Excerpt of https://www.oaoa.com/local-news/micro-nuclear-plants-going-into-oilfield/

But at the same time as this case is being decide, Texas is suing the NRC, AGAIN. This time to deregulate small nuclear reactors for (guess what!), POWERING OIL FIELD OPERATIONS IN THE PERMIAN BASIN.

Excerpt from Gorsuch's dissent in Texas V. NRC

"Terrorists are going to target the oil fields."

Excerpt from Gorsuch's dissent in Texas v. NRC

Where's the conservative nuclear advocates when a Republican governor spouts the same rad fears that they contribute to environmentalists!?

Excerpt from Gorsuch's dissent in Texas v. NRC

Mask comes off.

Excerpt from Gorsuch dissent in Texas v NRC

"Spent nuclear fuel is... explosive... and can remain so for thousands of years." #FactCheck

🤯

Except from Gorsuch dissent in Texas v NRC

Radioactive waste poses such a great risk that the Justices believe we should ignore judicial standing in this case and let anybody sue when the NRC decides to issue a RAM license for it.

This thinking blows up litigation when new plants are proposed.

Gorsuch makes the same distinction, but is there? These sites have been decommissioned and basically greenfield, except for the mandated storage of spent fuel until the Feds can do something about it.

Excerpt from Gorsuch's dissent in Texas v NRC.

Photo of interim storage of spent nuclear fuel from Maine Yankee Nuclear Power Plant. The reactor has been removed since the 1990s.

More concerning, however is Gorsuch's dissent, joined by Thomas and Alito.

He says that spent fuel cannot legally be stored away from a reactor unless it's in a federally owned facility.

Hello, Maine Yankee Atomic Power Company? Three Justices think you've been breaking the law for decades.

NOT TODAY, TEXAS!! 😋

SCOTUS rules narrowly in favor of the NRC's authority to license an interim spent fuel storage facility in West Texas. The merits of the case were not examined. Rather, Fasken & Texas could not become parties to judicial review.

www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24p...

Republicans and especially the Trump administration, are doing all they can to prevent the clean energy transition.

Nuclear isn't just caught in the crossfire. It has a target on its back.

Wonder where Philly is going to get the 1.9GW it's currently using from Susquehanna. 🤔

A sign reads, "Project Funded by President Joe Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law."

The NRC has determined Diablo Canyon is safe to operate for another 20 years!

Thanks, in part, to a $6B grant authorized within the IIJA (Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law), DCNP was brought back from the brink of early retirement.

#NukeSky

Trump to sign orders to boost nuclear power as soon as Friday, sources say U.S. President Donald Trump will sign executive orders as soon as Friday that aim to jumpstart the nuclear energy industry by easing the regulatory process on approvals for new reactors and strengthening fuel supply chains, four sources familiar said.

We're about to get a Chornobyl-level drop in public approval for nuclear energy.

This is by design.

People will rightfully become skeptical after headlines like, "Trump EO rolls back regulations on nuclear safety." Siting becomes 10x harder.

In the end, they'll blame the Dems.

"To infinity—and beyond!"

NRC v. Texas: Supreme Court weighs challenge to NRC authority in spent fuel storage case

Amy Roma has a great article out for Nuclear Newswire on the two NRC lawsuits involving Texas: www.ans.org/news/2025-05...

#NukeSky

DOGE Just Ended Nuclear in America YouTube video by hankschannel

@hankgreen.bsky.social Crash Coursing my whole Democrats-are-better-for-nuclear-energy manifesto was not on my 2025 bingo card.

"Hey, the NRC is moving too slow. How should we fix it?"

Trump Admin.: "Reduce staff, order them to rewrite everything from scratch, and... oh yeah, add another layer of bureaucracy.

👏👏 That ought to do it.

Yes! I think I got used to the old search system. Thankfully, it's still there in case some people aren't ready to make the jump.

The new search has the look of being more user friendly. I hope more people get to used it.

Even the Trump DOJ thinks that Texas, Utah, and Florida's interpretation of the Atomic Energy Act - which they say would prohibit the NRC from licensing small reactors - is bogus.

#NukeSky

storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...

E&E News: Details emerge on surging DOE departures Key offices in the Department of Energy face a staff exodus that could undermine policy objectives.

Is this the beginning of the end of the second nuclear renaissance? Or will these moves force the consolation of dozens of nuclear startups into two or three viable candidates?

#NukeSky

subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene...

An effective ban on SMRs. Because no municipal government and the vast majority of state governments aren't going to write their own nuclear regs.

Texas has even argued that spent nuclear fuel too dangerous to keep near its oil fields.

Posts from Sen. Shelly MOORE CAPITO of West Virginia backing the dirtiest and most climate destructive source of electricity in the U.S.

Conservative leaning #nuclearenergy advocates have praised Sen. CAPITO. Some calling her, "the most pro-nuclear representative in Congress."

Turns out the coal-to-nuclear transition can wait a little while longer - I suppose.

#nukesky

They could - but they'd still need to administer those regs. It takes the NRC years to review license applications now, how long would it take a mini-NRC at the state level to do the same?