Trump Administration Prioritizes Nuclear Power Expansion While Criticizing Wind Energy Subsidies
Key Insights
The Trump administration, through EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, announced an aggressive push to accelerate the approval and deployment of nuclear power plants.
Zeldin criticized current EPA regulations for unnecessarily delaying energy projects and advocated for legislative reforms to streamline nuclear licensing processes.
The administration views wind power as economically unfeasible without significant government subsidies, contrasting its viability with nuclear energy's zero-emissions potential.
This federal policy shift occurs as New York State independently plans to build a new major nuclear power plant, signaling diverse approaches to energy development.
The Trump administration is actively pursuing policies to accelerate the approval and deployment of nuclear power plants while simultaneously re-evaluating federal support for wind energy, according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin. Speaking on WABC 770’s “Cats Roundtable” program on Sunday, Zeldin emphasized President Trump’s directive to expedite nuclear project approvals, asserting that the EPA needs to “get out of the way” of such developments to foster rapid expansion.
Zeldin criticized existing regulatory frameworks within his own agency, citing instances where bureaucratic processes unnecessarily impeded energy projects, including nuclear power initiatives. He advocated for congressional action to enact legislation that would streamline the licensing process for zero-emissions nuclear power plants, aiming for reduced timelines, lower costs, and increased certainty for developers, regardless of future political administrations. “Nuclear is certainly a key part of the future… President Trump is all in. His team is all in. The National Energy Dominance Council is all in,” Zeldin stated, underscoring the administration’s unified commitment to nuclear energy.
In stark contrast, Zeldin expressed skepticism regarding the economic feasibility of wind power projects without substantial government intervention. He argued that continued taxpayer subsidies are artificially propping up the wind sector, rendering it less viable and economical on its own merits. “Without the government propping up wind, that it becomes even less feasible, it becomes even less economical,” he remarked, suggesting that economic data should deter investment in wind.
This federal stance emerges as New York State, under Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul, recently announced plans to develop the nation’s first new major nuclear power plant in over 15 years, signaling a bipartisan recognition of nuclear's role in some state-level energy strategies. Zeldin also indicated a positive outlook for the expansion of natural gas power plants, particularly following his recent visit to Alaska. The administration's dual focus on nuclear and natural gas, coupled with a critical view of wind subsidies, highlights a distinct energy policy agenda that prioritizes dispatchable power sources and seeks to reduce perceived regulatory burdens on conventional and advanced clean energy technologies.