The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has proposed a comprehensive package of regulatory reforms aimed at modernizing reactor licensing, safety oversight, and siting practices for nuclear power plants, marking its most significant update in decades. This proposal seeks to update requirements across all stages of a plant's lifecycle, from design to decommissioning, by introducing more flexible, risk-informed, and performance-based approaches.
NRC Chairman Ho Nieh said, "NRC’s regulations have not kept pace with new technologies and our energy needs. This proposed rule strips out rigid frameworks and unnecessary conservatism to accelerate the safe deployment of new reactors and expand existing capacity across America." The reforms are informed by decades of operating experience, lessons from new reactor licensing, and the emergence of advanced reactor designs, also advancing objectives from the ADVANCE Act of 2024 and Executive Order 14300.
Key proposed changes include streamlining construction starts by focusing oversight on safety-significant systems and allowing early site activities under a general license. The rule also offers flexible, risk-informed regulatory options for safety analyses, modernizes emergency preparedness with performance-based planning, and allows for internationally aligned quality assurance standards.
Further updates involve extending license renewal terms, updating siting criteria for diverse technologies, and tailoring decommissioning funding for advanced reactors. The proposal also supports the safe use of innovative fuels, such as higher-enriched and accident-tolerant designs, by modernizing safety requirements to focus on credible, risk-significant scenarios. The NRC will accept public comments on the proposed rule for 45 days following its publication in the Federal Register.