FALSE SOLUTIONS and REAL POLLUTION�The Truth about Nuclear Power and Big Tech

Tim Judson

Executive Director

Nuclear Information & Resource Service

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Contact:

+1 (301) 270-6477

timj@nirs.org

www.nirs.org

fb: @nirsnet

Insta: @nirs_net

IPPNW Webinar

April 14, 2026

“Can We Nuke the Climate?”

Nuclear Power is …

• Too Dirty
• Too Dangerous
• Too Expensive
• Too Slow

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Rooted in Env. Racism & Human Rights Violations

• Indigenous Nations
• Communities of Color
• Gender Discrimination & Intergenerational Harm

Use Case: Nuclear for AI & Crypto

Power Demand/Generation

• Baseload profiles roughly align
• Hyperscale Data Centers: 100 - 650 MW (1,000+ MW projected)
• Nuclear Reactors: 300 - 1,600 MW

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Uncertain Energy Needs

• AI Load Growth Estimates (USA):
• 2030 = 50 GW 2035 = 81 GW
• Double-Counting of data center projects – exaggerating demand
• Investment Risk: AI Boom or Bubble? When will it burst?
• Data Center Design: energy intensity and short- vs. long-term costs

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Co-Location Myth + Tragedy of the Commons

• Data Centers can’t run on nuclear power alone
• Reactors AND data center need grid power for safety
• Misaligned lifespans:
• Data centers may outlive old reactors – but close before new reactors built

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Use Case: Nuclear for AI & Crypto

Misaligned Construction Times

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Nuclear Project Risks

• Cost Overruns and Construction Delays – “cost overrun insurance”
• High Cancellation Rates

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Source: Mycle Schneider Consulting, WNISR 2025

Use Case: Nuclear for AI & Crypto

Water Consumption

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Environmental and Liability Risks

• Data Centers Nuclear Waste Dumps
• National Security:
• military targeting of reactors/waste
• non-proliferation: safeguarding fissile materials

Source: U.S. Department of Energy

Nuclear Power and Data Centers

Several Deals – Few Commitments, Little Investment, Major Contingencies

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Meta’s Nuclear Deals

Four deals total 8.8 GW

• Near-term: 3.7 GW of Zero Emissions Credits from existing reactors
• Long-term: new nuclear generation commitments >1 GW
• 1.2 GW Oklo deal could be supplied by gas generation
• 4 GW Terrapower deal only commits to two reactors: 690 MW nuclear + 300 MW storage

Direct Federal Investments

Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act: US$10.5 B

• Civil Nuclear Credit Program US$6 billion
• US$1.1 B for Diablo Canyon-1 & -2
• US$2.72 B reallocated for HALEU and Fuel Production
• Advance Reactor Demonstrations US$3.11 billion
• US$2.5 billion allocated to X-Energy & Terrapower
• Regional Hydrogen Hub Demonstrations US$2 billion

Inflation Reduction Act: up to US$387 B

• Existing Reactors
• Production Tax Credit @ US$15/MWh up to US$72.3 billion
• Loan Guarantees up to US$250 billion
• New Reactors
• Production Tax Credit @ US$15/MWh
• Investment Tax Credit @ 30-50% of capital cost > US$4 billion
• Loan Guarantees up to US$40 billion
• HA-LEU Procurement + R&D US$700 million
• Hydrogen Production Tax Credit up to US$20 billion (est.)

Status of New Reactor Designs

No SMR or “Advanced” reactors fully approved

• First demonstration projects are nearing construction starts
• Operating license applications to be submitted in several years

Nuclear Construction Costs Rising

Source: IEEFA 2024

Status of New Reactor Licensing

NRC Pre-application Engagement

• 23 reactor designs + 2 construction permits + 2 early site permits

Early Site Permit Applications

• 1 under review
• 1 ESP renewal under review
• 1 active ESP connected to construction permit application

Design Certification Applications

• 0 under review
• 1 SMR design certification (partially approved – NuScale SMR 600)
• 1 SMR standard design approval (NuScale SMR 460)

Construction Permit Applications

• 3 under review
• 3 permits issued (non-power prototypes)

Combined Operating License Applications

• 4 pending (4-unit NPP project)

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14299: Deploying ANR Technologies for National Security

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Aligns nuclear power and AI as national security priorities

• DOD: begin using nuclear reactors to power bases and operations by 2028
• DOE: designate AI data centers and power supplies as “critical defense facilities”
• DOE create a HALEU fuel bank for reactors that power DOE and AI facilities
• DOE directed to utilize “all available legal authorities” to develop nuclear reactors and fuel infrastructure
• Nuclear Exports: State Dept. to pursue exports and 20 new cooperation agreements

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Post Exec. Order Nuclear Projects

Pilot Reactor Program:

• DOE approved construction of 11 reactors
• Cut 700+ pages of safety guides
• Reactors exempt from environmental review

Project Janus:

• Dept. of Defense program – microreactors to power military bases
• November 2025: six bases identified as prime candidates

Fermi America, Inc.: Donald J. Trump NPP

• Former Texas Gov. and Energy Secretary Rick Perry
• 11 GW power and AI data center development
• Located at Pantex nuclear weapons plant
• 4 Westinghouse AP1000 reactors + gas plants + SMRs
• COL application partially submitted

FALSE SOLUTIONS and REAL POLLUTION�The Truth about Nuclear Power and Big Tech

Tim Judson

Executive Director

Nuclear Information & Resource Service

​

Contact:

+1 (301) 270-6477

timj@nirs.org

www.nirs.org

fb: @nirsnet

Insta: @nirs_net

IPPNW Webinar

April 14, 2026

Status of Reactor Restarts

Limited Options: 3 reactors (~2.2 GW)

• No regulatory precedent for restoring licenses
• Retired reactors must be maintained to preserve the restart option

What is “Advanced Nuclear”?

No Consistent Definition

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Refers Broadly to Many Reactor Types

• Large light-water reactors (LWRs): Westinghouse AP1000
• Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
• LWR: NuScale SMR460, Holtec SMR-300, GE-Hitachi BWRX-300
• Non-LWR: X-Energy Xe-100, Kairos Hermes, ARC-100
• Non-LWRs (“small” but not modular): Terrapower Natrium, Natura MFSR
• Microreactors (non-LWR): Oklo Aurora, Westinghouse eVinci, Aalo/MARVEL

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Are “Advanced” Reactors Safer?

Small Reactors still have Large Accidents

• Santa Susana Field Lab meltdown (1959)
• 6.5 MW sodium-cooled reactor
• Windscale Pile 1 fire (1957)
• Equivalent to ~60 MWe reactor – graphite-pile reactor
• Fermi 1 (1966) partial meltdown – “We Almost Lost Detroit”
• 150 MW sodium-cooled reactor
• THTR-300 fuel rupture (1986)
• German pebble-bed graphite reactor

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More Nuclear Waste per Megawatt

• Stanford study (2022):
• 2 to 30 times more radioactive waste
• Smaller core = more neutron “leakage”
• Requires more enriched uranium
• Produces more “low-level” waste

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Overview: Nuclear Energy in the U.S.

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U.S. reactors among oldest in the world’s

• Average age 43+ years (vs. 32.4 years worldwide)
• 2024: 17.8% of U.S. electricity vs. 24.6% from renewables
• Down from 22.5% in 1995

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Nuclear Construction History

1952-1996: 247 reactors proposed

• 1970: President Nixon projected 1,000 reactors by 2000
• 1977: last reactor placed on order until 2008

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131 reactors completed

• 47% cancellation rate
• 42 reactors retired (through 2024)

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Ever-growing Costs and Delays

• Average construction times grew to 14+ years
• Costs averaged 307% of original estimates
• Some exceeded 1000%

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Nuclear “Renaissance”: 2005-2024

2005 Energy Policy Act

• Loan Guarantees: $18.5 billion
• Production Tax Credits: $6 billion
• Next-Gen Nuclear Plant: $1.25 billion
• Licensing Delay Insurance: $2 billion

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30 Reactors Proposed (2006-2008)

• 14 licenses issued
• 4 construction starts: Vogtle 3&4 (GA) and Summer 2&3 (SC)
• 2 reactors completed (2024)
• Vogtle 3 & 4: 7 years late + $37 billion final cost
• 23.6% rate increases for Georgia Power customers
• 93% cancellation rate

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Startups vs. Retirements

Net Reduction over 35 Years (1991-2025)

• 1990s: 4 startups vs. 9 shutdowns --
• 2000-2024: 3 startups vs. 13 shutdowns

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State Subsidies vs. Retirements

Federal Legislation (2018-2024)

2018: Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act (S.97)

• R&D infrastructure and subsidies

2019: Nuclear Energy Innovation & Modernization Act (S.512)

• NRC to create “technology-inclusive, performance-based” licensing; limits NRC license fees

2021: Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)

• ~$10 billion for unprofitable reactors, “advanced reactor demonstrations,” hydrogen production

2022: Inflation Reduction Act

• Subsidies and financing for new and old reactors, HA-LEU fuel, hydrogen ($100+ billion)

2023: Nuclear Fuel Security Act (in NDAA 2023, H.R. 2670)

• Redirects $2.7 billion of IIJA funds to HA-LEU and fuel production

2024: ADVANCE Act (S.870)

• Revises NRC mission and promotes nuclear exports, accelerated licensing, foreign ownership, etc.

Renewable Energy Growth

Global Solar and Wind Growth

• 2023: 470 GW
• 2024: 673 GW
• 2025: 814 GW

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U.S. Solar and Wind Growth

• 2023: 29 GW
• 2024: 36 GW
• 2025: 41 GW (projected)

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Source: American Clean Power Association 2025

Source: Ember 2026

Renewables: Intercon Problem

Backlog of Solar, Wind, Storage (2023)

• Nationwide: 2,500 GW (96%)
• PJM: 250 GW
• California: 500 GW (solar & wind: ~200 GW)
• Southeast: >120 GW

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Source: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 2024

Trump Policies: Executive Orders

14302: Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base

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14301: Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy

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14300: Ordering the Reform of the NRC

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14299: Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security

Other Presidential Actions

DOE Authority at NRC

• DOGE Staffer at DOE assigned to NRC
• Told NRC Chair: “DOE, DOD would approve stuff, and then NRC would be expected to just kind of rubber-stamp it.”

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NRC Commission Changes

• June 14: Fired Commissioner Christopher Hanson (2-1)
• June 16: Reappointed David Wright as Chair (3-1)
• July 29: Commissioner Annie Caputo resigned (2-1)
• July 31: Appointment of former NRR Director Ho Nieh (3-1)

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Investment Deals

Japan Investment Deal

• US$100 billion investment in reactor projects
• US$80 billion for Westinghouse AP1000 deployments
• Role for GE-Hitachi SMRs and Japan contractors/suppliers

Westinghouse Profit-Sharing, IPO, & Equity

• US receives 20% of profits after first US$17.5 billion
• Westinghouse goes public at $30 B – US receives 8.3% equity share

Export Deals

• Saudi Arabia Nuclear Cooperation Agreement
• AP1000s: Poland, Netherlands, Slovenia, Bulgaria
• SMRs: Romania (NuScale), United Kingdom

Ukraine: Zaporizhzhia NPP Co-ownership Proposal

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Executive Orders

What is an EO?

• Article II Constitutional power:
• “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.”
• Presidential directive to federal agencies:
• How to interpret laws/statutes
• How to prioritize and undertake their duties
• EOs cannot:
• Supersede or contradict laws
• Exercise powers not granted to the Executive branch

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14301: Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at DOE

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Sets the Stage for DOE Takeover of New Reactor Regulation

• “The Secretary shall create a pilot program for reactor construction and operation outside the National Laboratories, pursuant to the AEA’s authorization of reactors under the Department’s sufficient control… “
• “… approve at least three reactors pursuant to this pilot program with the goal of achieving criticality in each of the three reactors by July 4, 2026.”
• “… use all available authorities to eliminate or expedite the Department’s environmental reviews for authorizations, permits, approvals, leases, and any other activity requested by an applicant or potential applicant.

14302: Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base

• Finance “Restarts, Completion, Uprates, or Construction”
• Target of 5 GW of uprate capacity
• Target of 10 new large reactors under construction by 2030
• Develop a plan to expand uranium conversion and enrichment capacity
• Program for transporting HALEU and reactors with HALEU
• Directs DOE to report on options for fuel chain infrastructure:
• Consolidated Interim Storage
• Reprocessing
• Milling, Conversion, Enrichment, Fuel Fabrication
• Recommendations for disposal of reprocessing wastes

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14300: Ordering the Reform of the NRC

Policy: 400 GW of nuclear power by 2050

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Directs NRC to Subjugate Safety to Promotion

• “NRC’s mission shall include facilitating nuclear power while ensuring reactor safety”
• “In consultation with NRC’s DOGE Team … reorganize the NRC to promote the expeditious processing of license applications and the adoption of innovative technology”
• “… undertake reductions in force in conjunction with this reorganization, though certain functions may increase in size … including those devoted to new reactor licensing.”
• “The personnel and functions of the ACRS shall be reduced to the minimum necessary… focus on issues that are truly novel or noteworthy.”

14300: Ordering the Reform of the NRC

Regulatory Changes

• 9 months: “review and wholesale revision of its regulations and guidance documents”
• 18 months: “issue final rules and guidance to conclude this revision”

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• Licensing Deadlines:
• New Reactors: 18 months
• Relicensing: 12 months

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• Radiation: “NRC shall reconsider reliance on the linear no-threshold (LNT) model for radiation exposure and the ALARA standard”
• “Those models are flawed …”

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• “Establish an expedited pathway to approve reactor designs that the DOD or the DOE have tested”

14300: Ordering the Reform of the NRC

Regulatory Changes -- Inspections and Enforcement:

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• “Revise the Reactor Oversight Process and reactor security rules and requirements to reduce unnecessary burdens …”

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• “… ensure that reactor safety assessments focus on credible, realistic risks.”

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• “Streamline the public hearings process.”

14300: Ordering the Reform of the NRC

Regulatory Changes -- Inspections and Enforcement:

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• “Revise the Reactor Oversight Process and reactor security rules and requirements to reduce unnecessary burdens …”

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• “… ensure that reactor safety assessments focus on credible, realistic risks.”

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• “Streamline the public hearings process.”