President Trump on Friday signed several executive orders to help clear the way for more nuclear power development and, in the words of one of his top officials, "usher in the American nuclear renaissance." "It's a hot industry, it's a brilliant industry," Mr. Trump said of nuclear power before signing the executive orders.

Shares of nuclear power companies surged Friday as President Donald Trump signed new executive orders aimed at boosting the industry.

President Trump announced on Friday that the focus would be on building smaller reactors, in addition to rolling back regulatory processes. The president denied that a fundamental overhaul of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission could compromise safety: 'It's time for nuclear and we're going to do it very big.