What Trump's Executive Signing Means for Nuclear Power

The United States is pivoting toward a policy of "nuclear dominance" to reclaim its competitive edge against Russia and China. Isaiah Taylor, founder of Valar, and Utah Governor Spencer Cox highlight how decades of regulatory "red tape" and a protectionist "moat" mentality have stifled domestic innovation, resulting in only two new nuclear facilities being built in fifty years. To reverse this trend, Valar is partnering with the San Rafael Energy Lab in Utah to activate an advanced test reactor by July 2026. This initiative, part of Utah's "Operation Gigawatt," aims to deploy thousands of small, modular reactors to produce carbon-neutral synthetic fuels cheaper than oil. While the transition faces challenges—including a dwindling expert workforce and economic uncertainty surrounding federal tariff policies—the strategy prioritizes rapid iteration and domestic uranium mining to ensure national security and lower energy costs for American citizens by the mid-2030s.