The White House is giving the federally owned Tennessee Valley Authority early access to proposals out of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, raising questions about who gets to shape nuclear safety rules for the expanding industry.
The seven-state utility serving over 10 million people is sending feedback on draft nuclear power regulations via a closed-door White House review process recently introduced to the NRC under the Trump administration. The NRC oversees America’s 54 nuclear power plants, including the seven TVA reactors accounting for two-fifths of its power supply.
President Donald Trump directed the NRC to begin submitting proposed regulations for White House review in February 2025 as part of a wider effort to increase the political accountability of independent agencies. The reviews depart from nearly a century of history, with the agencies now often in the dark as they await the executive’s suggestions.
NRC has been a priority for Trump, who directed a wholesale revision of its laws and significant organizational changes in May 2025. His administration hopes to establish speedy paths for reactor approvals to usher in a nuclear power resurgence, in part to serve gargantuan electricity demand from artificial intelligence data centers.
