Reactor Licensing & Regulation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission told Democrats on a House Energy and Commerce panel that NRC can remain independent despite the chance of commissioners being terminated by the White House. Wednesday’s hearing of the House Energy and Commerce’s Energy subcommittee came four months after the NRC regained a full  five-member contingent. […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Tuesday Senate hearing, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright offered a briefing to an Arizona Democrat on what the Department of Energy is doing to fast-track reactor deployment. In the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee fiscal 2027 budget hearing, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) said there have been concerns about a […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s fiscal year 2027 budget request will be the subject of a  House Energy panel hearing on Wednesday.  The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy subcommittee will also discuss NRC’s implementation of the Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act – or the ADVANCE Act and Executive Order 14300, during the hearing. All […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will have a public meeting with its Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes to discuss medical use of radioactive materials on April 21 at 10 a.m. at NRC’s headquarters in Bethesda, Md. According to NRC’s April 15 press release, the commission meeting discussion will include the Advisory Committee on […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued two new final rules under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) meant to streamline environmental review during its licensing processes. The first rule, affirmed on Monday by the Commission, creates a new generic environmental impact statement framework for new reactor technology. NRC said the new setup uses “a technology-neutral […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued two new final rules under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) meant to streamline environmental review during its licensing processes. The first rule, affirmed on Monday by the Commission, creates a new generic environmental impact statement framework for new reactor technology. NRC said the new setup uses “a technology-neutral […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff this week recommended NRC issue a construction permit allowing the Tennessee Valley Authority to build a small modular reactor (SMR) at the Clinch River site in Oak Ridge, Tenn. In the final supplemental environmental impact statement, published Monday in the Federal Register, NRC staff recommended issuing the permit to TVA, […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has received an application from Westinghouse this week that seeks to update and renew its AP1000 reactor design certification to support fleet-scale deployment. The Westinghouse application incorporates lessons learned from the construction of Vogtle 3 and 4 units into the design control documentation and uses Vogtle Unit 4 as its standard […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on April 2 renewed the operating licenses for Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s Diablo Canyon Units 1 and 2 in San Luis Obispo County, Calif. Diablo Canyon’s Unit 1 operating license will now expire in November 2044 and Unit 2 in August 2045. PG&E filed for an NRC license renewal in […]

Lynchburg, Va.-based BWX Technologies (BWXT) said Tuesday it plans to apply for a uranium enrichment license to build a new defense nuclear facility in Erwin, Tenn.  The nuclear fuel company notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) so the agency can prepare to review the application, which BWXT will submit during the first quarter of calendar […]

New York-based NANO Nuclear has filed a construction permit application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for its KRONOS microreactor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, Ill. The Grainger College of Engineering at the university formally submitted the application, NANO Nuclear said in an April 2 press release. The application was filed March 31. […]

The Department of Energy approved Antares Nuclear’s documented safety analysis for its test reactor, Mark-0, under DOE’s reactor pilot program, the company said this week.  The documented safety analysis marks the acceptance of Antares’s final design for its Mark-0 reactor. The company now enters the DOE’s readiness review process, which is the final phase of […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a proposed rule to create an additional licensing path for the Department of Energy and Pentagon demonstration reactors seeking commercial use. NRC said in a Monday press release that within its new rule it will look to leverage design information from the DOE and Department of Defense reactor demonstrations […]

Lynchburg, Va.-based BWX Technologies (BWXT) said Tuesday it plans to apply for a uranium enrichment license to build a new defense nuclear facility in Erwin, Tenn.  The nuclear fuel company notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) so the agency can prepare to review the application, which BWXT will submit during the first quarter of calendar […]

The House Appropriations subcommittee on energy and water development and related agencies scheduled a hearing for Wednesday, April 15 to review the Department of Energy’s budget request for fiscal 2027. This hearing comes after the White House issued a budget request for fiscal 2027 that would give $32.8 billion to the DOE’s semiautonomous National Nuclear […]

New York-based NANO Nuclear has filed a construction permit application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for its KRONOS microreactor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, Ill. The Grainger College of Engineering at the university was the entity that formally submitted the application, NANO Nuclear said in an April 2 press release. The application […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff this week recommended NRC issue a construction permit allowing the Tennessee Valley Authority to build a small modular reactor (SMR) at the Clinch River site in Oak Ridge, Tenn. In the final supplemental environmental impact statement, published Monday in the Federal Register, NRC staff said it made the recommendation to […]

The Department of Energy approved Antares Nuclear’s documented safety analysis for its test reactor, Mark-0, under DOE’s reactor pilot program, the company said on Monday. The documented safety analysis marks the acceptance of Antares’s final design for its Mark-0 reactor. The company now enters the DOE’s readiness review process, which is the final phase of […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued a proposed rule to create an additional licensing path for the Department of Energy and Pentagon demonstration reactors seeking commercial use. NRC said in a Monday press release that within its new rule it will look to leverage design information from the DOE and Department of Defense reactor demonstrations […]

Lynchburg, Va.-based BWX Technologies (BWXT) said Tuesday it plans to apply for a uranium enrichment license to build a new defense nuclear facility in Erwin, Tenn.  The nuclear fuel company notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) so the agency can prepare to review the application, which BWXT will submit during the first quarter of calendar […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on April 2 renewed the operating licenses for Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s Diablo Canyon Units 1 and 2 in San Luis Obispo County, Calif. Diablo Canyon’s Unit 1 operating license will now expire in November 2044 and Unit 2 in August 2045. PG&E filed for an NRC license renewal in […]

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has submitted its operating license application to Canada’s nuclear regulator for the company’s first small modular reactor (SMR) at the Darlington nuclear site in Clarington, Ontario. The March 25 application also seeks permission for an associated waste storage structure for the Darlington New Nuclear Project, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) […]

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has submitted its operating license application to Canada’s nuclear regulator for the company’s first small modular reactor (SMR) at the Darlington nuclear site in Clarington, Ontario. The March 25 application also seeks permission for an associated waste storage structure for the Darlington New Nuclear Project, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff has published the final environmental impact statement for Florida Power and Light St. Lucie Nuclear Plant’s subsequent license renewal. A subsequent license renewal extends a reactor’s operation from 60 to 80 years and comes after the first license renewal that extends potential operating life from 40 to 60 years. In […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission published the final environmental impact statement last week for a subsequent license renewal for Duke Energy’s Robinson Nuclear Plant in South Carolina. The subsequent license renewal would extend the reactor’s operation from 60 to 80 years. This license comes after the initial license renewal that extends its potential operating life from […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is set to issue its long-awaited new licensing process to speed reviews of advanced nuclear reactors. The rule, known as 10 CFR Part 53 or Part 53, is the first new set of regulations for approving reactors since 1989 and the first major update to reactor licensing standards since 1956 when […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking public input on Fermi America’s combined license application for Project Matador based in Carson County, Texas. NRC has opened up a 30-day comment period to gather feedback on the scope of its draft environmental impact statement it is preparing for the application. The period closes on April 20, according […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is set to issue its long-awaited new licensing process to speed reviews of advanced nuclear reactors. The rule, known as 10 CFR Part 53 or Part 53, is the first new set of regulations for approving reactors since 1989 and the first major update to reactor licensing standards since 1956 when […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission published the final environmental impact statement last week for a subsequent license renewal for Duke Energy’s Robinson Nuclear Plant in South Carolina. The subsequent license renewal would extend the reactor’s operation from 60 to 80 years. This license comes after the initial license renewal that extends its potential operating life from […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking public input on Fermi America’s combined license application for Project Matador based in Carson County, Texas. NRC has opened up a 30-day comment period to gather feedback on the scope of its draft environmental impact statement it is preparing for the application. The period closes on April 20, according […]