New Nuclear Energy Act Authorizes $65 Million for Global Reactor Exports and Coordination Through 2030

The newly proposed International Nuclear Energy Act of 2025 is essentially the U.S. government’s new, aggressive export strategy for American nuclear technology. If you think of global energy supply as a high-stakes game of chess, this bill is about moving our pieces—specifically advanced nuclear reactors—onto the board faster than our competitors, namely Russia and China.

This bill doesn't just tweak existing policy; it creates a whole new infrastructure to coordinate and finance the export of U.S. civil nuclear technology, including advanced fission reactors, fusion reactors, and even radioisotope power systems (Sec. 2). It mandates the creation of a powerful new office in the White House—the Assistant to the President and Director for International Nuclear Energy Export Policy—to be the central quarterback for all U.S. international nuclear strategy (Sec. 3).

The New Export Strategy: Financing and Focus

For the U.S. nuclear industry, this is a massive boost. The bill establishes a Nuclear Exports Working Group tasked with creating a 10-year trade strategy, complete with specific two-year export goals for reactors and fuel (Sec. 3). But the real game-changer is the focus on financing. The bill allows the President to set up new cooperative financing deals with allied nations to help developing countries—dubbed "embarking civil nuclear nations"—adopt U.S. or allied nuclear tech (Sec. 5).

Crucially, this entire framework is designed to counter specific rivals. The definition of an “embarking civil nuclear nation” explicitly excludes China, Russia, Belarus, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, and Burma (Sec. 2). This means the financing and support are strictly aimed at giving U.S. tech a competitive edge against state-backed projects from those excluded countries. If you’re a U.S. nuclear engineer or manufacturer, this bill is essentially a government-funded international sales team.

Grants, Advisors, and Soft Power

To help these developing nations (think countries without a nuclear program yet, but actively trying to start one) actually adopt U.S. technology, the bill sets up the International Nuclear Support Initiative (Sec. 8). This initiative authorizes up to $50 million from FY 2026 through FY 2030 for grants and technical assistance.

Here’s how that money works on the ground: The Secretary of State can issue grants, up to $5.5 million each, for developing nuclear programs. More interestingly, the funds can be used to pay for senior advisors from U.S. nuclear energy companies to embed in these countries. These advisors help with everything from financing models and licensing rules to safety and liability issues (Sec. 8). For a country trying to build its first reactor, getting that kind of expert guidance, essentially paid for by the U.S. government, is a huge incentive to choose American technology.

Cutting the Red Tape for Global Deals

One provision that stands out for its potential impact on U.S. intellectual property is the authority granted to the Secretary of Energy to waive “United States competitiveness clauses” in certain agreements (Sec. 5). These clauses usually protect U.S. interests when sharing technology. The bill allows these protections to be waived if it helps secure the new financing relationships with allies. While this is meant to smooth the path for big international deals, it’s a provision that warrants close watch, as it means the government can prioritize making the deal happen over protecting every last detail of U.S. technological advantage.

Additionally, the bill sets up high-level cooperation on advanced reactor demonstration and research with at least five allied nations (Sec. 6). This means we’ll be sharing the R&D costs for next-generation reactors with countries like Canada, France, or the UK, aiming for deployment within the next ten years. It also mandates a biennial cabinet-level international conference to standardize global nuclear safety, security, and liability rules, specifically aiming to create alternatives to financing from China or Russia (Sec. 9).

In short, this Act is a massive, multi-agency push to make U.S. nuclear technology the global standard for the next generation. It provides the coordination, the financing tools, and the technical support necessary to make U.S. companies competitive in a market currently dominated by geopolitical rivals. For the average person, this bill is a long-term investment in energy security and climate change mitigation, leveraging U.S. tech expertise on the global stage.