Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Nearly 30 former Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff members and one ex-chair criticized President Donald Trump’s firing of Commissioner Christopher Hanson in a Tuesday letter. On June 13 Trump fired Hanson from his position on the Commission in a move that shook up the nuclear industry. The Tuesday letter was written to the agency’s four remaining […]

Despite the recent executive order to overhaul the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, safety will continue to be the independent agency’s highest priority, NRC Chair David Wright told the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Wednesday. “Safety is our strike zone over home plate, it is our North Star and it will continue to be that,” […]

The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling affirming the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s authority to license consolidated interim storage, clears the way for Holtec to move forward on a spent fuel storage site in New Mexico, according to the company. At the same time, however, Holtec said last week major issues remain to be worked out both […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said June 18 it has decided three policy matters designed to hasten deployment of microreactors. Microreactors are small nuclear reactors capable of producing electricity from a range of 1 to 20 megawatts. These reactors also can be fabricated in a factory and then shipped to the final location. First, NRC decided […]

The Department of Energy has released its fourth loan reimbursement to Holtec for about $100 million to support efforts to restart the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan.  Secretary of Energy Chris Wright made the announcement this past Friday, saying that the efforts to restart the Palisades plant further align with one of President Donald Trump’s […]

Here are events related to nuclear matters that Exchange Monitor staff are tracking: June 25: Hearing: Senate Environment & Public Works Committee meets at 10 a.m. E.T. to consider the re-nomination of David Wright to another term on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.  25: Industry Day Online Program: DOE’s Reactor Pilot Program starting at 3 p.m. […]

Centrus Energy, headquartered in Bethesda, Md., has been awarded an extended contract with the Department of Energy, worth about $110 million, to produce high-assay low-enriched uranium through June 30, 2026. In 2022, Centrus was awarded a three-phase follow-on contract to bring the cascade into production and produce HALEU for DOE’s use. DOE has exercised its […]

Interest groups and nuclear policy insiders have started to weigh in on a Wednesday decision by the U.S. Supreme Court effectively upholding a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license for a private interim waste storage facility in Texas. When asked for a comment the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) simply said via email: “The Supreme Court decision upholds […]

On the heels of a controversial firing of a Nuclear Regulatory Commission member, President Donald Trump has renominated NRC Chairman David Wright to serve another term. The Wright nomination was sent to the Senate and referred to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Monday. Wright’s hearing is scheduled for June 25 at 10 […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s executive director of operations, Mirela Gavrilas, has announced her retirement from the independent agency, effective June 28.   Gavrilas told the NRC staff of her retirement in an emailed statement, according to an NRC spokesperson. “Serving as your EDO [Executive Director of Operations] this last year has been the absolute highlight of […]

Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner Christopher Hanson was fired late Friday June 13 by President Donald Trump, according to Hanson’s Monday LinkedIn post. “Late on Friday, President Trump terminated my position with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission without cause, contrary to existing law and longstanding precedent regarding removal of independent agency appointees,” Hanson said A NRC spokesperson […]

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-to-3 Wednesday that the state of Texas and Fasken Land and Minerals are not eligible to seek legal review of a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license issued to Interim Storage Partners for a private spent fuel facility in West Texas. “Because Texas and Fasken were not parties to the Commission’s licensing […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has recently released an 18-month review schedule for X-Energy’s construction permit application for its advanced nuclear project in Seadrift, Texas. The NRC provided estimated dates for the Rockville, Md. based nuclear technology company construction permit application’s safety and environmental reviews on June 10. For the safety review milestones, the agency expects […]

Interest groups and nuclear policy insiders have started to weigh in on a Wednesday decision by the U.S. Supreme Court effectively upholding a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license for a private interim waste storage facility in Texas. When asked for a comment the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) simply said via email: “The Supreme Court decision upholds […]

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-to-3 Wednesday that the state of Texas and Fasken Land and Minerals are not eligible to seek legal review of a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license issued to Interim Storage Partners for a private spent fuel facility in West Texas. “Because Texas and Fasken were not parties to the Commission’s licensing […]

Interest groups and nuclear policy insiders have started to weigh in on a Wednesday decision by the U.S. Supreme Court effectively upholding a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license for a private interim waste storage facility in Texas. When asked for a comment the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) simply said via email: “The Supreme Court decision upholds […]

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-to-3 Wednesday that the state of Texas and Fasken Land and Minerals are not eligible to seek legal review of a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license issued to Interim Storage Partners for a private spent fuel facility in West Texas. “Because Texas and Fasken were not parties to the Commission’s licensing […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s executive director of operations, Mirela Gavrilas, has announced her retirement from the independent agency, effective June 28.   Gavrilas told the NRC staff of her retirement in an emailed statement, according to an NRC spokesperson. “Serving as your EDO [Executive Director of Operations] this last year has been the absolute highlight of […]

On the heels of a controversial firing of a Nuclear Regulatory Commission member, President Donald Trump has renominated NRC Chairman David Wright to serve another term. The Wright nomination was sent to the Senate and referred to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Monday. Wright’s current term is due to end on June […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has recently released an 18-month review schedule for X-Energy’s construction permit application for its advanced nuclear project in Seadrift, Texas. The NRC provided estimated dates for the Rockville, Md. based nuclear technology company construction permit application’s safety review and environmental review on June 10. For the safety review milestones, the agency […]

Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner Christopher Hanson was fired late Friday by President Donald Trump, according to Hanson’s Monday LinkedIn post. “Late on Friday, President Trump terminated my position with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission without cause, contrary to existing law and longstanding precedent regarding removal of independent agency appointees,” Hanson said.  A NRC spokesperson confirmed the […]

Nano Nuclear Energy has recently appointed former Secretary of Energy Rick Perry as its Chairman of its executive advisory board. The startup nuclear company headquartered in New York, N.Y. made the announcement on June 10 in a press release. Nano Nuclear’s executive advisory board is made up of various governmental, military and science experts from […]

The Donald Trump administration’s nuclear executive orders are a “significant step forward” for accelerated nuclear deployment, but could undermine the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, an American Nuclear Society expert group said recently. On May 23, the Trump administration released a handful of executive orders to speed up new reactor licensing and construction and generally bolster the […]

SAVANNAH, GA — Here are a few takeaways from this week’s 19th Radwaste Summit held here this week. The mood conveyed by most speakers and many attendees was generally upbeat. There seems to be news of a proposed new small modular reactor or revival of a mothballed nuclear plant, such as Palisades in Michigan, every […]

The legacy waste cleanup contractor at the Department of Energy’s Los Alamos National Laboratory has sent its first shipment of transuranic waste derived from corrugated metal pipes to the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), DOE said this week. Newport News Nuclear BWXT-Los Alamos (N3B) has completed the first shipment of transuranic waste to WIPP that […]

SAVANNAH, GA – The Supreme Court will probably rule by July 3 on whether the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has authority to license privately-held interim storage facilities, a leading industry lawyer said during the 19th Radwaste Summit. That was the assessment offered Tuesday by Michael McBride, a partner with Van Ness Feldman during the opening day […]

SAVANNAH, GA.—With interest in nuclear energy the highest it has been in years, attaining public trust is vital to development of new reactors and waste disposal projects. That was a recurring theme here during Exchange Monitor’s 19th Radwaste Summit. Only a few years ago, state legislatures across the country would propose a handful of nuclear-related […]

The Donald Trump administration’s nuclear executive orders are a “significant step forward” for accelerated nuclear deployment, but could undermine the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, an American Nuclear Society expert group said recently. On May 23, the Trump administration released a handful of executive orders to speed up new reactor licensing and construction and generally bolster the […]

SAVANNAH, GA.— Exchange Monitor’s 19th annual Radwaste Summit kicks off here Tuesday with discussions on expanding nuclear energy generation, a priority with the White House, while addressing spent fuel issues. This year’s conference starts at 2 p.m. Eastern Time with an introduction by senior nuclear safety consultant Larry Camper followed by a panel discussion on […]

With an eye toward growing nuclear energy dominance by Russia and China, a senate bill aimed at boosting U.S. leadership in exporting and financing civilian nuclear technology headed to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for a hearingJune 5. If eventually passed,the Nuclear Energy Act would create a new office under the National Energy Dominance Council […]