Nuclear energy stocks extended gains on Tuesday, fueled by President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at increasing U.S. nuclear power production fourfold over the next 25 years. The ambitious plan targets expanding the country’s nuclear capacity from approximately 100 gigawatts in 2024 to 400 gigawatts by 2050.
Key Stock Movers in Nuclear and Uranium Sectors
Oklo (OKLO), backed by Sam Altman, surged more than 8%, pushing its year-to-date gains above 145%.
Centrus Energy (LEU) jumped over 11%, trading near record highs.
NuScale Power (SMR) rose 2%.
Energy companies such as Vistra (VST) and Constellation Energy (CEG), the largest U.S. nuclear power plant operator, increased by over 3%.
Uranium producers also saw gains, with Uranium Energy Corp. (UEC) and Energy Fuels Corp. (UUUU) climbing more than 1%.
The rise in uranium-related stocks reflects the essential role uranium plays as fuel for nuclear reactors.
Executive Order Focuses on Removing Regulatory Barriers and Promoting New Technologies
The executive order, signed by President Trump last Friday in the Oval Office with nuclear industry executives present, aims to clear regulatory and permitting hurdles that have historically slowed nuclear projects. Joe Dominguez, CEO of United Energy, highlighted the damaging effects of regulatory delays on project revenues and financing costs.
This regulatory easing also accelerates the development and deployment of advanced nuclear technologies, including small modular reactors (SMRs). SMRs offer flexibility by being manufactured off-site and transported to installation locations, which can lower costs and construction times.
Nuclear Power as a Foundation for Tech Industry Growth
The executive order coincides with growing investments by major technology companies in nuclear power to support their expanding data centers and artificial intelligence (AI) operations, which require massive, reliable energy supplies.
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Google announced a partnership with Elemental Power, a developer focused on advanced nuclear projects.
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Microsoft partnered with Constellation Energy in September to support clean energy goals.
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Amazon acquired a data center campus from Talen Energy last year.
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Oracle’s Larry Ellison revealed plans to build a data center powered by SMRs.
Jay Jiang Yu, founder of microreactor firm NANO Nuclear Energy, noted that AI, quantum computing, and data centers increasingly depend on steady, baseload power that nuclear energy uniquely provides.
Investment Interest in Nuclear Energy Rising
The VanEck Uranium & Nuclear ETF (NLR) hit a 52-week high on Tuesday, up 20% year-to-date, reflecting growing investor confidence in the nuclear energy sector.
