The Break Through

Evaluating Deployment, Investment, and Impact in America's Clean Energy Future Jul 1, 2026 Share Share via Twitter Share via Facebook Share via Email This interactive tool from The Breakthrough Institute brings together two distinct analyses of nuclear energy in the United States. The Map and Dashboard tabs visualize results from a 2022 modeling study of advanced nuclear deployment through 2050.

Washington, DC, June 25, 2026 — Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Monsanto in Monsanto Co. v. Durnell, holding that federal pesticide law preempts state-law failure-to-warn claims that would require a cancer warning on Roundup labels beyond what the Environmental Protection Agency has required.

How quickly the United States can deploy a new generation of advanced nuclear reactors will depend in large part on whether the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) can license them efficiently and at scale. The NRC's proposed "Part 57" rule is designed to do exactly that—making licensing faster, more standardized, and more repeatable by scaling regulatory requirements to the consequences a reactor can actually pose.

A comprehensive deal to reform federal permitting will likely include changes to Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 401. Section 401 grants states and Tribes authority to certify, block, or impose conditions on federally permitted activities that may result in a discharge into state or Tribal waters. The political and policy dynamics surrounding Section 401 reform are complicated. In 2016, New York state began to use Section 401 to block gas pipelines on climate change grounds.

The central challenge facing nuclear regulation today is an implementation and decision-architecture problem. Congress has already provided substantial direction to modernize the NRC through legislation, including NEIMA and the ADVANCE Act, and the NRC has begun to make visible progress. But modernization will ultimately be judged by implementation.

WASHINGTON, DC, May 18, 2026 — The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has completed its environmental assessment (EA) for the proposed Long Mott Generating Station in Port Lavaca, Texas, ahead of schedule. The NRC issued a finding of no significant impact for the project, determining that the proposed construction permit would not require a full environmental impact statement.

The Earth Mapping Resource Initiative (Earth MRI) accelerates the development of domestic critical mineral resources by collecting and providing industry with geologic data. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act formally established Earth MRI within the U.S. Geological Survey and provided $64 million of annual funding through FY26. As the authorization expiration approaches, Congress should renew and even expand funding to enhance Earth MRI capabilities.

Washington, D.C.—May 14, 2026—Today, Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced the Build Nuclear with Local Materials Act. Congressmen Byron Donalds (R-FL-19) and Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-4) also introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

The NRC’s proposed new licensing framework, called Part 57, tests whether nuclear regulation can do something it often says it wants to do: match regulatory burden to actual risk. Part 57 would create a new licensing framework for a narrow class of reactors, primarily microreactors and other designs with very low potential offsite consequences.

Washington, DC — April 30, 2026 — Today, President Trump announced a new pick for surgeon general, withdrawing his nomination of Casey Means for the position. The Breakthrough Institute previously announced its opposition to Dr. Means’ nomination, citing concerns that her views represented a significant threat to American agriculture and scientific progress.