Big news comes from Trump! The nuclear energy sector in the US stock market surged after the market!

**Source:** Securities Times Network  

**Big News in Nuclear Power and Energy!**  

According to foreign media reports, four informed sources stated that U.S. President Trump will sign an executive order on Friday (23rd local time) aimed at promoting the nuclear energy industry by streamlining regulatory procedures for new reactor approvals and strengthening fuel supply chains. With the booming development of artificial intelligence, which has caused the first growth in U.S. electricity demand in 20 years, he declared an energy emergency on his first day in office.  

U.S. nuclear energy stocks surged collectively after hours. Lightbridge's after-hours stock price soared over 22% to $13.1, NuScale Power rose 16% to $29.45, and Centrus Energy climbed 21% to $112.8. The VanEck Uranium & Nuclear ETF, which tracks uranium and nuclear energy stocks, rose 3.75% after hours to $91.5.  

In China, the nuclear energy sector has also seen continuous catalysts recently. From 2022 to 2025, China approved ≥10 nuclear power units annually for four consecutive years. CITIC Securities notes that overseas controlled nuclear fusion has accelerated in recent years, with U.S.-led commercial fusion projects expected to enter commercial operation before 2030, pressing domestic industries to accelerate progress. Currently, the market capitalization of A-share nuclear power stocks exceeds 3.8 trillion yuan.  

**Trump’s Major Initiative**  

Sources revealed that Trump will sign an executive order on Friday (23rd) to vigorously promote nuclear power development. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright called the race to develop power supplies and data centers for artificial intelligence "Manhattan Project 2.0," emphasizing its importance comparable to the large-scale U.S. atomic bomb research program during World War II.  

A draft summary of the executive order states that Trump will invoke the Cold War-era *Defense Production Act* to declare a national emergency, addressing U.S. reliance on Russia and China for enriched uranium, nuclear fuel processing, and advanced reactor inputs. The summary also instructs agencies to approve and site new nuclear facilities, directs the Departments of Energy and Defense to identify federal lands and facilities for nuclear deployments, and streamlines construction processes.  

The order also encourages the Department of Energy to use loan guarantees and direct loans to increase reactor construction. During his first term, Trump only used the Loan Program Office to support a large nuclear power plant in Georgia.  

Due to legislation passed during former President Biden’s term, the Department of Energy’s Loan Program Office (LPO) currently holds hundreds of billions of dollars in financing, though the agency has been heavily impacted by staff cuts during Trump’s second term.  

The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The specific text and wording of the executive order draft may change frequently, and there is no guarantee that certain provisions will not be deleted or modified during the final review stage.  

The U.S. was the first country to develop nuclear power and has the largest nuclear power capacity in the world, but China is currently experiencing the fastest nuclear power growth. A source said industry officials, including the U.S. Nuclear Energy Institute and Constellation (the U.S. utility with the largest reactor capacity), have been invited to Friday afternoon’s signing ceremony. Constellation and NEI did not immediately respond to comment requests.  

**Related Sectors Surge**  

Following the news, U.S. nuclear energy stocks surged after hours. Lightbridge skyrocketed over 22%, Oklo Inc rose over 18%, and NuScale Power gained over 16%.  

Analysts believe past experience suggests the U.S. stock surge could influence China’s nuclear power sector. Domestically, from 2022 to 2025, China approved 10 or more nuclear power units annually for four consecutive years: 4, 4, 5, 10, 10, and 11 units approved annually from 2019 to 2024. On April 27, 2025, the State Council Executive Meeting approved five nuclear power projects including Zhejiang Sanmen Phase III, totaling 10 units with a installed capacity of 12.346 million kilowatts. Technologically, among the 10 approved units, only Shandong Haiyang #5 and #6 use the CAP1000 route, while the remaining 8 are HPR1000 units.  

Additionally, a CITIC Securities research report released today notes that overseas controlled nuclear fusion has accelerated in recent years, with U.S.-led commercial fusion projects expected to launch before 2030, urging domestic industry acceleration. With technological breakthroughs and continuous capital inflows, domestic fusion projects such as the Institute of Plasma Physics, Energy Singularity, and StarRing Energy are pushing China’s controlled nuclear fusion research to new stages. China has established a comprehensive "national team + private institutions" and "fusion + hybrid reactor" layout, making continuous progress in technological routes and commercialization. In the short term, experimental reactor investments will drive related companies’ performance growth; hybrid reactors offer advantages in material/engineering requirements and fuel costs, serving as a long-term transitional solution post-commercialization. Investors are advised to focus on key materials and equipment links in the fusion industry chain.  

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