Red, white and glowing blue: Trump's push for new reactors reaches the finish li

[Marlin]

Red, white and glowing blue: Trump's push for new reactors reaches the finish line

https://www.npr.org/2026/06/29/nx-s1-5847944/new-nuclear-reactors-america-250-safety-concerns

[Core Content]

The Department of Energy's Reactor Pilot Program has enabled private companies to bring experimental nuclear reactors online ahead of a July 4, 2026, deadline. Antares Nuclear and Valar Atomics have both achieved criticality for their respective designs, marking a rapid acceleration in the development of small-scale nuclear technology.

The program facilitates this speed by reducing regulatory requirements and exempting projects from standard environmental reviews. While proponents argue these measures jump-start industry innovation and market viability, critics express concern that the expedited process compromises long-standing safety protocols and security standards for the deployment of mobile nuclear power systems.

A program initiated by the Trump administration has allowed small companies to rush their testing of several new nuclear reactor designs. Some worry that safety is being compromised.

Valar Atomics was one of the first companies to bring its new nuclear reactor online. It built its experimental design in a tentlike structure in the Utah desert, and on June 18 it went critical (nuclear-speak for switched on). **Valar Atomics******hide caption****

A little over a year ago, President Trump set an ambitious goal: He wanted to see American companies build at least three new experimental nuclear reactors by July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Read the full article at NPR:
https://www.npr.org/2026/06/29/nx-s1-5847944/new-nuclear-reactors-america-250-safety-concerns