⌘K
Change language Switch ThemeSign In
Narrow Mode
DOGE goes nuclear: How trump invited silicon valley into America’s nuclear power regulator
!Image 2: Ars Technica Ars Technica @ProPublica
One Sentence Summary
This investigative report reveals how the Trump administration, through Elon Musk's DOGE team, is fundamentally reshaping US nuclear energy regulation by installing young, inexperienced Silicon Valley-aligned officials who are downplaying safety concerns while rapidly rewriting thousands of pages of regulations to accelerate nuclear power for AI data centers.
Summary
This investigative piece by Ars Technica provides a rare glimpse into the dramatic transformation underway at US nuclear regulatory bodies. Based on ProPublica records, the article documents how the Trump administration, driven by the goal of powering artificial intelligence, has invited Silicon Valley insiders into the Nuclear Regulatory Commission through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The story centers on 31-year-old lawyer Seth Cohen, who entered government through Musk's DOGE team and now leads discussions on nuclear reactor licensing with little relevant experience. The article describes how career experts are being forced out while thousands of pages of regulations are being rapidly rewritten, and how a new generation of nuclear energy companies with strong Silicon Valley connections are wielding increasing influence over policy. The meeting at Idaho National Laboratory serves as a case study, where Cohen allegedly downplayed health and safety concerns about radiation exposure, prompting staff to jokingly note they don't use AI transcription in meetings.
Main Points
* 1. The Trump administration is fundamentally restructuring nuclear energy regulation to prioritize rapid expansion for AI data centers.This represents a dramatic shift in how nuclear energy—a sensitive public safety domain—is governed, with traditional regulatory caution being replaced by speed-focused Silicon Valley methodology. * 2. Inexperienced DOGE appointees with no nuclear expertise are making critical regulatory decisions.Seth Cohen, a 31-year-old lawyer five years out of law school with no significant nuclear law experience, is leading technical licensing discussions and downplaying health and safety concerns raised by career staff. * 3. Career nuclear experts are being displaced while thousands of regulatory pages are being rewritten at unprecedented speed.This represents a systematic dismantling of institutional expertise and regulatory frameworks that have developed over decades, potentially compromising safety standards. * 4. Silicon Valley capital and ideology are increasingly shaping US energy policy through direct political connections.Nuclear energy companies flush with venture capital are gaining unprecedented policy influence, representing a new model where tech money directly drives government decision-making in sensitive sectors.
Metadata
AI Score
78
Website arstechnica.com
Published At Today
Length 321 words (about 2 min)
Sign in to use highlight and note-taking features for a better reading experience. Sign in now
[](https://www.bestblogs.dev/article/8ee6c7be)
Last summer, a group of officials from the Department of Energy gathered at the Idaho National Laboratory, a sprawling 890-square-mile complex in the eastern desert of Idaho where the US government built its first rudimentary nuclear power plant in 1951 and continues to test cutting-edge technology.
On the agenda that day: the future of nuclear energy in the Trump era. The meeting was convened by 31-year-old lawyer Seth Cohen. Just five years out of law school, Cohen brought no significant experience in nuclear law or policy; he had just entered government through Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency team.
As Cohen led the group through a technical conversation about licensing nuclear reactor designs, he repeatedly downplayed health and safety concerns. When staff brought up the topic of radiation exposure from nuclear test sites, Cohen broke in.
“They are testing in Utah. … I don’t know, like 70 people live there,” he said.
“But… there’s lots of babies,” one staffer pushed back. Babies, pregnant women, and other vulnerable groups are thought to be potentially more susceptible to cancers brought on by low-level radiation exposure, and they are usually afforded greater protections.
“They’ve been downwind before,” another staffer joked.
“This is why we don’t use AI transcription in meetings,” another added.
ProPublica reviewed records of that meeting, providing a rare look at a dramatic shift underway in one of the most sensitive domains of public policy. The Trump administration is upending the way nuclear energy is regulated, driven by a desire to dramatically increase the amount of energy available to power artificial intelligence.
Career experts have been forced out and thousands of pages of regulations are being rewritten at a sprint. A new generation of nuclear energy companies—flush with Silicon Valley cash and boasting strong political connections—wield increasing influence over policy. Figures like Cohen are forcing a “move fast and break things” Silicon Valley ethos on one of the country’s most important regulators.
!Image 3: Ars Technica Ars Technica @ProPublica
One Sentence Summary
This investigative report reveals how the Trump administration, through Elon Musk's DOGE team, is fundamentally reshaping US nuclear energy regulation by installing young, inexperienced Silicon Valley-aligned officials who are downplaying safety concerns while rapidly rewriting thousands of pages of regulations to accelerate nuclear power for AI data centers.
Summary
This investigative piece by Ars Technica provides a rare glimpse into the dramatic transformation underway at US nuclear regulatory bodies. Based on ProPublica records, the article documents how the Trump administration, driven by the goal of powering artificial intelligence, has invited Silicon Valley insiders into the Nuclear Regulatory Commission through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The story centers on 31-year-old lawyer Seth Cohen, who entered government through Musk's DOGE team and now leads discussions on nuclear reactor licensing with little relevant experience. The article describes how career experts are being forced out while thousands of pages of regulations are being rapidly rewritten, and how a new generation of nuclear energy companies with strong Silicon Valley connections are wielding increasing influence over policy. The meeting at Idaho National Laboratory serves as a case study, where Cohen allegedly downplayed health and safety concerns about radiation exposure, prompting staff to jokingly note they don't use AI transcription in meetings.
Main Points
* 1. The Trump administration is fundamentally restructuring nuclear energy regulation to prioritize rapid expansion for AI data centers.
This represents a dramatic shift in how nuclear energy—a sensitive public safety domain—is governed, with traditional regulatory caution being replaced by speed-focused Silicon Valley methodology.
* 2. Inexperienced DOGE appointees with no nuclear expertise are making critical regulatory decisions.
Seth Cohen, a 31-year-old lawyer five years out of law school with no significant nuclear law experience, is leading technical licensing discussions and downplaying health and safety concerns raised by career staff.
* 3. Career nuclear experts are being displaced while thousands of regulatory pages are being rewritten at unprecedented speed.
This represents a systematic dismantling of institutional expertise and regulatory frameworks that have developed over decades, potentially compromising safety standards.
* 4. Silicon Valley capital and ideology are increasingly shaping US energy policy through direct political connections.
Nuclear energy companies flush with venture capital are gaining unprecedented policy influence, representing a new model where tech money directly drives government decision-making in sensitive sectors.
Key Quotes
* Figures like Cohen are forcing a 'move fast and break things' Silicon Valley ethos on one of the country's most important regulators. * 'They are testing in Utah. ... I don't know, like 70 people live there,' he said when staff raised radiation exposure concerns. * The Trump administration is upending the way nuclear energy is regulated, driven by a desire to dramatically increase the amount of energy available to power artificial intelligence. * Career experts have been forced out and thousands of pages of regulations are being rewritten at a sprint. * Babies, pregnant women, and other vulnerable groups are thought to be potentially more susceptible to cancers brought on by low-level radiation exposure, and they are usually afforded greater protections.
AI Score
78
Website arstechnica.com
Published At Today
Length 321 words (about 2 min)
Tags
Nuclear Energy Regulation
DOGE
Trump Administration
Silicon Valley Influence
Energy Policy HomeArticlesPodcastsVideosTweets