NRC staff work to improve fuel and spent fuel licensing

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff this week outlined efforts underway to expedite its licensing for fuel facilities and spent fuel storage facilities at its commission meeting in Rockville, Maryland.

Since April 2024, the NRC has completed 30 fuel licensing actions. The agency’s staff said Tuesday it currently has 20 fuel licensing actions and expects 63 fuel licensing actions to be performed through 2030, according to an NRC presentation. 

With an increasing workload and growing interest in nuclear energy, the NRC’s staff has sought ways to improve its licensing processes while also providing licensing accountability and transparency.

Additionally with the Department of Energy awarding contracts to increase domestic uranium enrichment, the NRC expects to see additional licensing work on fuel projects.

Samantha Lav, NRC branch chief for fuel facilities licensing, said throughout the reviews the staff worked to learn and tweak its processes.

Despite the changes, NRC commissioner Annie Caputo questioned what resource savings the agency expects to see from these changes and NRC director of the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards John Lubinski said the agency department expects to lower its budget by fiscal year 2027 to account for the efficiencies.

On the spent fuel side, NRC deputy director of fuel management Cinthya Roman-Cuevas said her department is in the preliminary stages of its regulatory framework review, which will prioritize research and data needs and potential guidance updates.

In fiscal year 2024, the NRC completed 96 spent fuel and transportation licensing actions, of which 85 of them were subjected to the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act.