Nuclear Energy Now tracks the latest nuclear energy developments across technology, diplomacy, industry trends, and geopolitics.
NASA to Fast-Track a Nuclear Reactor on the Moon
The world may be witnessing the early steps of a twenty-first-century space race. While the Trump administration has cut 24 percent of NASA’s 2026 budget, the country is also accelerating its plans to build a nuclear reactor on the Moon by 2030 to meet its goal of establishing a permanent base on the lunar surface. The 100-kilowatt reactor is over double the power of earlier designs, for which NASA issued $5 million in contracts to support in 2022. While the US had been developing plans for a nuclear reactor on the moon, the sped-up timeline may be a response to China and Russia’s announcement earlier this year of their intent to pursue their own automated lunar nuclear power station by 2035. Beijing is also targeting its first Moon landing for 2030. The new directive accelerates the timeline to ensure deployment by the end of the decade, positioning nuclear power as an important enabler for a future lunar economy, a long-term mission to Mars, and geopolitical influence in space.
Kentucky is Getting a Uranium Enrichment Facility
Amongst the backdrop of increased US uranium production—from 50,000 pounds of U₃O₈ in 2023 to 677,000 pounds in 2024—California-based company General Matter plans to build a $1.5 billion uranium enrichment facility in Kentucky, at the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. Backed by billionaire Peter Thiel and led by ex-SpaceX engineer Scott Nolan, General Matter plans to have the facility operational by the end of the decade, supplying fuel for next-generation nuclear technologies, manufacturing, and the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. Already on the Department of Energy’s (DOE) list of approved uranium suppliers, General Matter’s project aligns with the Trump administration’s executive orders to expand nuclear energy and strengthen the domestic fuel supply chain.
Denver Airport Considers Small Modular Reactors
Denver International Airport (DEN) is considering deploying small modular reactors (SMRs) in an effort to become “the greenest airport in the world.” The feasibility study, which will determine if SMRs will meet the airport’s electricity needs, regulatory requirements, and cost, is expected to take between six months and a year. The decision coincides with Colorado’s recent reclassification of nuclear power as a clean energy resource and comes as DEN anticipates passenger volumes to increase to 120 million annually by 2045. This move makes DEN among the first major airports globally to explore nuclear-powered energy independence, potentially setting a precedent for large-scale transportation hubs.
US Nuclear Restarts Gain Momentum
The Trump administration’s push to expand existing nuclear capacity is advancing, with planned restarts of shuttered nuclear power plants leading the way. Holtec International’s 800 megawatt (MW) Palisades reactor in Michigan—which will likely be the first US plant to restart—received a fifth installment of federal loan guarantee funding, bringing total disbursements to over $83 million. In Iowa, NextEra Energy filed a request to regain interconnection rights in seeking to restart the 615 MW Duane Arnold nuclear power plant. If successful, these plans, along with other restarts and plant upgrades, could boost US nuclear capacity by seven percent, supporting Trump’s goal of adding five gigawatts (GW) by 2030. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission also anticipates applications for an additional two GW of uprates.
About the Author: Emily Day
Emily Day is an experienced researcher, writer, and editor with expertise in geopolitics, nuclear energy, and global security. She is an Associate Editor of Energy World at The National Interest and a Research Associate at Longview Global Advisors, where she provides insights on global political and economic trends with a specialization in utilities, risk, sustainability, and technology. She was previously a Della Ratta Energy and Global Security Fellow at the Partnership for Global Security.
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