Washington, D.C. – The Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted 4-0 to approve on May 26 the implementation of a more streamlined and predictable licensing pathway for advanced non-light water reactors. This approach is consistent with the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA) legislation passed last year by Congress calling for the development of a risk-informed, performance-based and technology inclusive licensing process for advanced reactor developers. The following is a statement on this important milestone by Doug True, Chief Nuclear Officer of the Nuclear Energy Institute:
“A modernized regulatory framework is a key enabler of next-generation nuclear technologies that can help us meet our energy needs while protecting the climate. The Commission’s unanimous approval of a risk-informed and performance-based licensing framework paves the way for regulatory reviews to be aligned with the inherent safety characteristics, smaller reactor cores and simplified designs of advanced reactors.
Over the last several years the industry’s Licensing Modernization Project, sponsored by DOE, led by Southern Nuclear, and supported by NEI’s Advanced Reactor Regulatory Task Force, developed the guidance for this new framework. This modernized approach will inform the development of a new rule for licensing advanced reactors, which NEIMA requires. A well-defined licensing path will benefit the next generation of nuclear plants, which could meet a wide range of applications beyond generating electricity such as producing heat for industry, desalinating water, and making hydrogen – all without carbon emissions.”
