Authored by Jill McLaughlin via The Epoch Times,
A U.S. nuclear regulatory agency proposed sweeping reforms July 1 to modernize nuclear reactor licensing and safety practices, shifting away from a global radiation measurement standard after 50 years.
The cooling towers for units 4 (L) and 3 (R) are seen at Plant Vogtle, operated by Georgia Power Co., in east Georgia's Burke County near Waynesboro, Ga., on May 29, 2024. Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, FileThe regulatory changes are expected to make it faster and easier to build more nuclear reactors to meet increased energy demands.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), an independent federal agency that oversees licensing and regulation of nuclear energy and radioactive materials, expects the changes will streamline regulations without lowering safety standards.
"NRC's regulations have not kept pace with new technologies and our energy needs," Chairman Ho Nieh said in a July 1 statement. "This proposed rule strips out rigid frameworks and unnecessary conservatism to accelerate the safe deployment of new reactors and expand existing capacity across America."
The effort is part of President Donald Trump's executive order, "Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission," signed May 23, 2025, calling for his administration to reform the agency's regulations and operations to achieve dominance in the global nuclear energy market.
The order also sets out goals to quadruple American nuclear energy capacity from
