The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has announced a significant modernization of its reactor licensing review process, shifting mandatory public hearings to the early stages of review to enhance public engagement and information exchange. This revised policy implements requirements from Executive Order 14300 and the ADVANCE Act, fundamentally altering a hearing process that historically occurred near the conclusion of licensing reviews.
NRC Chairman Ho K. Nieh emphasized the benefits of the new approach. "The new approach to mandatory hearings provides meaningful opportunities for public engagement and information sharing," Nieh said. "By holding them earlier in the review process, we can give the public greater visibility into licensing decisions while improving the effectiveness of the process."
The Atomic Energy Act mandates these "uncontested" hearings for new reactor licenses. Under the updated policy, public input and agency discussions will now take place when they can be most impactful, applying immediately to both existing and future reactor applications. The agency's "contested" hearing process, which addresses formal legal challenges, remains unchanged. Separately, the NRC finalized a rule in April to increase flexibility in conducting mandatory hearings by removing non-AEA mandated requirements.