• World News
  • Politics
  • Stock
  • Investing
  • Editor’s Pick
Time And Sales Reporter
Politics

Energy chief envisions US nuclear renaissance: restoring ‘pit’ production, localizing nuke power

by March 30, 2025
March 30, 2025

WASHINGTON – In a wide-ranging interview last week, Energy Secretary Chris Wright discussed how the U.S. can bring nuclear power to the fore for both energy and defense purposes, starting with rebooting otherwise dormant ‘pit’ production.

Under the first Trump administration, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) sought to meet the Pentagon’s goal of manufacturing 80 such pits – spherical hulls of plutonium sized from a grapefruit to a bowling ball – according to the UK Guardian.

Wright suggested he wants to see the plan realized, as the same Energy Department laboratory in New Mexico where J. Robert Oppenheimer helped develop the atom bomb is reportedly working to return to earnest pit production.

The U.S. has never imported plutonium pits but also hasn’t done any such major manufacturing since the end of the Cold War.

Energy secretary optimistic about US energy independence but says US should be ‘very concerned’ about China

‘But those existing weapons stockpiles, like anything else, they age with time. And so, we’ve realized we’ve got to restore the production of plutonium pits in our complex,’ Wright said.

‘We’ve built one in the last 25 years, and we’ll build more than 100 during the Trump administration,’ he pledged.

Bolstering pit production along with a less military-minded nuclear technology are a priority of Wright’s tenure, he said.

Wright said he is working to reopen the shuttered Palisades nuclear power plant in southwestern Michigan, which closed a few years ago.

Another major plant, Indian Point on the Hudson River opposite Haverstraw, N.Y., that had helped power New York City was notably closed under then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo. There has been little effort there, however, to see a reopening.

In addition to the large-scale plants, Wright said the Energy Department seeks to forward SMR or Small Modular Reactor technology, which he said could be groundbreaking in terms of powering underserved communities and important or sensitive sites that may be far from established large-scale plants.

‘Nuclear weapons and nuclear power started in the United States. We built a whole bunch of power plants. And by the mid-80s, we essentially stopped building them,’ he said.

‘Part of our goal is to bring this to make it more efficient to build things in America again. But one thing with nuclear technology is things that you have to build on-location have become slower to build, and therefore way more expensive to build.’

SMRs alleviate that pressure, as materials needed to build the plants can be shipped and assembled on-site on a much smaller scale, but with a potential for per-capita greater power output.

Unlike ‘stick-building a house’ in terms of a large-scale plant, implements for an SMR can be made in a factory and are more mobile.

A data center, military base or state concern could essentially file to have an SMR installed on-site, giving a greater domestic power source and a better overall grid.

‘There’s great private capital, capital that’s been around the innovations to design these plants. But again, you got this slow-moving, bureaucratic central government that’s still got to permit them and allow them to approve. So the nuclear renaissance has been talked about for years. And the Trump administration were actually going to start it,’ Wright said.

‘That is, simplifying the regulatory regime. We just sent out a request for a proposal to fund efforts to speed these along. And actually there was a similar one sent out a while ago for the Biden administration. They hadn’t gotten responses back.’

States that seek to benefit from SMRs have been vocal in support of that technology.

Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy signed a bill in 2022 seeking to promote the construction of SMRs, saying that ‘micronuclear technology has a potential role to play in providing low-cost, reliable power for communities, remote villages and resource development projects.’

‘This bill will update state law to allow us to pursue the possibilities.’

Asked about opposition to nuclear energy, including the closure of Indian Point, Wright said that like almost any other topic, it is vulnerable to politicization.

‘It just makes no sense at all,’ he said. ‘It has by far been the safest way to produce energy in the entire history of the American nuclear industry.’

‘I know exactly how many people have died from nuclear energy: Zero.’

Wright said nuclear power has an ‘incredibly small footprint,’ and echoed President Donald Trump’s criticisms of relying too heavily on wind and solar.

‘You get the energy whether the sun is shining or the wind is blowing. But like any industry, it needs to be alive and vigorous so that supply chain is going; and not building nuclear plants in our country for decades means we’ve lost that industrial capacity. So, we’ve got to stand it back up again.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
previous post
Trump teases running for a third term: ‘Not joking’
next post
Trump says Zelenskyy wants to back out of mineral deal, addresses 3rd term during gaggle

Related Posts

Top Biden officials questioned and criticized how his...

September 7, 2025

Trump caps week with bold military moves from...

September 7, 2025

MIKE DAVIS: Impeachment time for Trump-hating renegade Judge...

September 7, 2025

Vice President JD Vance teases 2028 bid, says...

September 7, 2025

DAVID MARCUS: The Department of War marks the...

September 7, 2025

EXCLUSIVE: Franklin Graham praises VP Vance’s stand, critiques...

September 6, 2025







    Stay updated with the latest news, exclusive offers, and special promotions. Sign up now and be the first to know! As a member, you'll receive curated content, insider tips, and invitations to exclusive events. Don't miss out on being part of something special.


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.




    Recent Posts

    • MIKE DAVIS: Impeachment time for Trump-hating renegade Judge Boasberg

      September 7, 2025
    • Trump caps week with bold military moves from Pentagon name change to cartel crackdown

      September 7, 2025
    • Top Biden officials questioned and criticized how his team issued pardons, used autopen: report

      September 7, 2025
    • DAVID MARCUS: The Department of War marks the end of America as the world’s policeman

      September 7, 2025
    • Vice President JD Vance teases 2028 bid, says it won’t be ‘given’ to him

      September 7, 2025
    • About us
    • Contact us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Copyright © 2025 timeandsalesreporter.com | All Rights Reserved

    Time And Sales Reporter
    • World News
    • Politics
    • Stock
    • Investing
    • Editor’s Pick

    Read alsox

    RNC chair Whatley vows to be ‘tip of...

    January 17, 2025

    Barron Trump, celebrating 19th birthday, praised as ‘smart...

    March 20, 2025

    ‘She’s wrong’: Trump says Tulsi Gabbard incorrect about...

    June 21, 2025