The Trump administration’s 400-GW nuclear goal is looking like wishful thinking. (Third Way)
A new Third Way assessment of 22 active US nuclear projects warns that the industry is essentially giving out “participation trophies"...while falling far behind the Trump administration’s goal of 4Xing capacity by 2050.
By the numbers: Out of 22 analyzed projects, only half are intended for commercial use; of those, just seven have secured offtake commitments and two hold NRC construction permits. And if every active project and planned restart actually succeeds? The US would still stop 289 GW short of Trump’s target.
Follow the money: While the administration keeps hyping its "Reactor Pilot Program,” critics call it a "splashy" distraction from the NRC licensing slog—though private equity is still betting on the backbone, as evidenced by Arlington Capital’s recent $1.25B acquisition of Enercon (a heavy-hitter in US nuclear engineering and licensing services).