New Bill Pushes U.S. to Finance Global Nuclear Power, Challenging Russian and Chinese Influence

The International Nuclear Energy Financing Act of 2025 is basically the U.S. government deciding to get serious about the global nuclear power race. The core idea? Push back against the influence of Russia and China, who are currently building reactors all over the world, by making sure U.S. and allied nuclear tech gets the financing it needs from major international banks. This bill directs the Secretary of the Treasury to use U.S. clout at places like the World Bank (formally the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, or IBRD) to remove any rules that currently block financial support for nuclear energy projects. The catch? The nuclear technology has to meet or exceed U.S. or allied quality standards—which is a polite way of saying, 'Not theirs, ours.'

The Geopolitical Power Play

Why the sudden focus on foreign nuclear financing? Because Congress sees reactors as a long-term geopolitical tool. When Russia’s state-owned nuclear company, Rosatom, builds a plant in a country, they often lock in decades of financial and operational influence. Section 2 highlights that Russia has over 70 projects globally, and China is building a huge chunk of the world’s new reactors. This bill is a direct response, aiming to give developing nations a high-quality, non-Russian/Chinese option. For a country like Poland or Kenya, which Section 2 notes are interested in new nuclear tech like Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), this means potentially accessing cheaper, safer financing options backed by U.S. advocacy, rather than relying on state-backed loans from rivals.

Setting Up the 'Nuclear Fund'

The bill doesn't just want the U.S. to talk a good game; it wants to put money where its mouth is. Section 4 mandates the creation of dedicated Nuclear Energy Assistance Trust Funds within these multilateral development banks. Think of these as special savings accounts designed only to finance and provide expert help for nuclear projects, specifically those that use U.S. or allied-standard technology. The goal is to make the financing competitive enough to beat out the deals offered by non-OECD countries—read: Russia and China. This is a big deal because it means international banks, which usually focus on things like infrastructure and health, will now have a dedicated, U.S.-backed mechanism to support complex nuclear projects.

The Fine Print and the Sunset Clause

There are a couple of details here that show the government is trying to keep its options open. First, the Treasury Secretary gets to decide which other multilateral banks are “relevant” for these mandates (Section 3 and 4), giving them a lot of discretion over where to apply this diplomatic pressure. Second, Section 4 gives the Treasury Secretary the option to send the U.S. share of the trust fund’s revenues back to the general U.S. Treasury instead of letting it stay in the fund. If the U.S. starts pulling its own money out, it could undermine the fund's effectiveness and its ability to compete globally.

Crucially, this whole structure—the lobbying mandate and the trust funds—has a 10-year expiration date (Section 3 and 4). This means Congress is setting this up as a strategic, decade-long push rather than a permanent change to the international financial system. For the next seven years, the National Advisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Policies must detail the progress of this nuclear financing effort in its annual report (Section 5). In short, the U.S. is stepping onto the global stage with a checkbook and a diplomatic mandate to ensure that when a country decides to go nuclear, they choose a Western-backed reactor.