WASHINGTON, D.C. – With sweeping changes coming to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), culture change might be the most crucial piece in NRC reform, panelists said Tuesday at the American Nuclear Society conference.
President Donald Trump ordered an overhaul of NRC as part of his May 23 nuclear-related executive orders. The president called for streamlining nuclear licensing procedures within 18 months. The slated overhaul of the agency is scheduled to come to fruition in November 2026.
The orders from the White House also laid out the goal to have 400 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2050.
While new regulations and reorganization are important, NRC Special Assistant for ADVANCE Act and Executive Orders David Curtis said cultural change will dictate the success of the executive order.
For many years NRC moved slowly on key decisions because so many decision-makers were involved, Curtis said.
With the overhaul ongoing, Curtis said NRC is in a “period of significant decisiveness”. Some people might be disappointed by certain decisions, but it will allow the agency to “meet the vision of today,” Curtis said.
“And I do think that the staff of the agency [will] get the idea that even though safety is our preemptive mission, we can also do that in a very enabling way in partnership with the [nuclear] industry,” Curtis said.
Vice President of Technical and Regulatory Services at Nuclear Energy Institute Jennifer Uhle concurred.
“We can have the best regulatory process in place, but if we don’t have a change in culture at the agency so that efficiency and safety coexist, [then] we will see that sliding and that erosion of all this great work that we’re all ready to put in to achieve that framework that we need to enhance efficiency and ensure safety,” Uhle said.
Uhle formerly worked at NRC for 23 years and served in several positions, including director of Office of New Reactors.
Other panelists were Adam Stein, director of nuclear innovation at Breakthrough Institute and Seth Cohen, Department of Energy chief counsel for nuclear policy.