The four executive orders signed by US president Donald Trump on 23 May show commitment to a policy outlook on nuclear energy that has remained relatively consistent for nearly a decade – with a few key breaks from precedent, especially in plans to encourage commercial nuclear fuel recycling and decrease the independence of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

The orders are aimed at speeding up reactor approvals, boosting domestic uranium production and enrichment capacity and accelerating the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies.

They also direct the government to fast-track construction of nuclear reactors and reform the “risk averse” culture of regulation in a bid to quadruple the US’s atomic energy capacity by 2050.

The orders instruct the Department of Energy (DOE) to facilitate the start of construction for 10 large reactors by 2030 and help finance power upgrades to existing reactors.