Lightbridge Outlines Opportunities Created by President Trump's Nuclear Executive Orders
RESTON, Va, May 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lightbridge Corporation ("Lightbridge" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:LTBR), an advanced nuclear fuel technology company, today announced how President Trump's recent nuclear energy Executive Orders (the "Executive Orders") create opportunities for the company's advanced fuel technology and business strategy.
On May 23, 2025, President Trump signed four Executive Orders representing the most significant policy shift toward nuclear energy in decades. These executive orders include provisions that we believe align closely with Lightbridge's technology capabilities and position as an American nuclear fuel technology company.
The most relevant provisions for Lightbridge come from the executive order "Reinvigorating the Nuclear Industrial Base," which directs the Department of Energy to prioritize work with the nuclear energy industry to facilitate power uprates to existing reactors.
To date, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, U.S. nuclear power plants have added approximately 8 GWe of additional generating capacity via power uprates, primarily through measurement uncertainty recapture and stretch power uprates. We believe that Lightbridge Fuel™ will be able to provide additional power uprate opportunities to existing nuclear power plants.
We believe enabling power uprates of up to 17% in existing reactors is one of Lightbridge Fuel's most value-adding capabilities. We may not meet the executive order's goal of adding five gigawatts of power uprates to existing reactors by 2030. Still, this direct policy support for power uprates aligns with the objectives of Lightbridge. Utilities seeking to implement power uprates will need cost-effective, safety-enhancing solutions. We believe Lightbridge Fuel is well-positioned to meet these requirements.
The Executive Orders also create new opportunities in the national security sector. As Lightbridge President and CEO Seth Grae noted in a Friday interview with Barron's following the signing ceremony, "The ability to build reactors on military bases could be a plus. If the federal government is the customer, the process of building a reactor would likely be faster" and "with the military as a customer, they could expedite orders."
We believe that Lightbridge Fuel's enhanced safety and performance characteristics make it well-suited for highly reliable power applications, including military installations and critical infrastructure. The Executive Orders frame nuclear energy as essential for "a global race to dominate in artificial intelligence" and "access to uninterruptible power supplies for national security." This positioning could open new market segments beyond traditional utility applications, including dedicated nuclear power supply at or near data center locations.
The Executive Orders emphasize "maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of nuclear fuel through recycling, reprocessing, and reinvigorating the commercial sector." We believe provisions supporting plutonium disposition in reactor fuel could present another opportunity for Lightbridge.
The Executive Orders establish promising funding opportunities. According to the Executive Orders, the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office will prioritize nuclear power projects. At the same time, federal funding will also be directed toward companies demonstrating the largest degrees of design and technological maturity, financial backing, and potential for near-term deployment. Procurement support, forward contracts, and guarantees are authorized for domestic fuel supply. We believe Lightbridge is well-positioned to seek funding opportunities facilitated by this Executive Order.
Together, the May 23, 2025 Executive Orders and strong bipartisan support for nuclear power in Congress present a highly favorable political environment for Lightbridge. We expect that the alignment between the Company's capabilities—particularly Lightbridge Fuel's power uprate potential and enhanced safety features—and the policy directives may create opportunities for accelerated progress.
About Lightbridge Corporation
Lightbridge Corporation (NASDAQ:LTBR) is focused on developing advanced nuclear fuel technology essential for delivering abundant, zero-emission, clean energy and providing energy security to the world. The Company is developing Lightbridge Fuel™, a proprietary next-generation nuclear fuel technology for existing light water reactors and pressurized heavy water reactors, significantly enhancing reactor safety, economics, and proliferation resistance. The Company is also developing Lightbridge Fuel for new small modular reactors to bring the same benefits plus load-following with renewables on a zero-carbon electric grid.
Lightbridge has entered into two long-term framework agreements with Battelle Energy Alliance LLC, the United States Department of Energy's operating contractor for Idaho National Laboratory, the United States' lead nuclear energy research and development laboratory. DOE's Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear program has twice awarded Lightbridge to support the development of Lightbridge Fuel over the past several years. Lightbridge is participating in two university-led studies through the DOE Nuclear Energy University Program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Texas A&M University. An extensive worldwide patent portfolio backs Lightbridge's innovative fuel technology. Lightbridge is included in the Russell Microcap® Index. For more information, please visit www.ltbridge.com.
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Forward Looking Statements
With the exception of historical matters, the matters discussed herein are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations on the date of this news release and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ significantly from such estimates. The risks include, but are not limited to: Lightbridge's ability to commercialize its nuclear fuel technology; the degree of market adoption of Lightbridge's product and service offerings; Lightbridge's ability to fund general corporate overhead and outside research and development costs; market competition; our ability to attract and retain qualified employees; dependence on strategic partners; demand for fuel for nuclear reactors; Lightbridge's ability to manage its business effectively in a rapidly evolving market; the availability of nuclear test reactors and the risks associated with unexpected changes in Lightbridge's fuel development timeline; the increased costs associated with metallization of Lightbridge's nuclear fuel; public perception of nuclear energy generally; changes in the political environment; risks associated with war in Europe; changes in the laws, rules and regulations governing Lightbridge's business; development and utilization of, and challenges to, Lightbridge's intellectual property; risks associated with potential shareholder activism; potential and contingent liabilities; as well as other factors described in Lightbridge's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Lightbridge does not assume any obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements, whether as the result of new developments or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in Lightbridge's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, and in its other filings with the SEC, including in the sections thereof captioned "Risk Factors" and "Forward-Looking Statements," all of which are available at http://www.sec.gov/ and www.ltbridge.com.
Investor Relations Contact:
Matthew Abenante, IRC
Director of Investor Relations
Tel: +1 (347) 947-2093
[email protected]
