ML26044A129
| ML26044A129 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 02/17/2026 |
| From: | Angela Wu NRC/NRR/DNRL/NLRP |
| To: | Clinton Hobbs NRC/NRR/DNRL/NLRP |
| References | |
| Download: ML26044A129 (0) | |
Text
MEMORANDUM TO:
Clinton L. Hobbs, Acting Chief License Renewal Projects Branch Division of New and Renewed Licenses Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation FROM:
Angela Wu, Senior Project Manager License Renewal Projects Branch Division of New and Renewed Licenses Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
SUBJECT:
SUMMARY
OF THE JANUARY 20, 2026, PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE EFFICIENCIES ON THE SUBSEQUENT LICENSE RENEWAL REVIEW On January 20, 2026, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff held an information meeting with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) on possible efficiencies on the subsequent license renewal (SLR) review. The public meeting notice is located at Agencywide Documents Access and Management Systems (ADAMS) Accession No. ML26014A255. The agenda and list of meeting attendees are included in Enclosures 1 and 2 of this meeting summary, respectively.
SUMMARY
The purpose of this meeting was for the NRC staff to discuss efficiency opportunities for the SLR review process with NEI, industry, and members of the public. The NRC staffs presentation (ML26014A224) highlighted updates to the NRCs licensing activity, efficiency efforts, and introduced SECY-25-0104, Subsequent License Renewal Review Efficiency (ML25229A004).
Licensing Activity and Efficiency Efforts The NRC staff began its presentation with a graph of the initial license renewal (LR) and SLR reviews from 2018 to present day. Since 2018, the NRC has issued a total of 24 renewed licenses. With its ongoing efficiency efforts and application of SECY-24-0026, Achieving Timely Completion of License Renewal Safety and Environmental Reviews (License Renewal Roadmap) (ML24059A131), the NRC staff has successfully increased efficiency in its reviews with an evident downward trend of resources and schedule time expended. The NRC staff is currently meeting the expectations set forth by Executive Order 14300, Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NEI commended the NRCs continuous efficiency efforts, acknowledging that the graph was noteworthy.
CONTACT: Angela Wu, NRR/DNRL 301-415-2995 February 17, 2026 Signed by Wu, Angela on 02/17/26
C. Hobbs 2
Since its last public meeting in June 2025, the NRC has renewed 12 licenses, including the restoration of the 80-year SLR for Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Units 2 and 3. On August 7, 2025, the NRC staff issued letters to advance the schedules and resource estimates for six active LR and SLR reviews. While on track to be completed ahead of their original target dates, three of the recently completed reviews (Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Units 1, 2, and 3, Clinton Power Station, Unit 1, and Dresden Nuclear Power Station, Units 2 and 3) were impacted by the 2025 lapse in appropriations.
As of August 2025, the NRC staff has completed the License Renewal Roadmap. To date, the License Renewal Roadmap has produced savings of 29,677 hours0.00784 days <br />0.188 hours <br />0.00112 weeks <br />2.575985e-4 months <br /> and a reduction of 14 months from the renewal of 22 licenses. While the License Renewal Roadmap and its commitments have been fully fulfilled, the initiatives, process improvements, and best practices continue to be applied to all active and future LR and SLR reviews.
In fiscal year 2025, the Environmental Center of Expertise (ECOE) completed 10 LR and SLR environmental reviews and it continues to work on 3 SLR environmental reviews. It has significantly reduced the resources and review schedules required for an environmental review through the application of additional process improvements to further streamline the technical review and publication process. In dialogue with NEI, the ECOE discussed the potential opportunity to have a future workshop related to environmental reviews.
SECY-25-0104 On December 17, 2025, the NRC staff issued SECY-25-0104 to significantly streamline its review of SLR applications received after January 2026. SECY-25-0104 focuses the review on aspects that depart from NRC guidance, decreasing the hours required for both the safety and environmental reviews to as low as 7,000 hours0 days <br />0 hours <br />0 weeks <br />0 months <br />. The approach aligns with Executive Order 14300 for a 12-month review schedule. With the implementation of SECY-25-0104, the NRC staff anticipates the opportunity to significantly reduce the size and details traditionally provided in an SLR application.
Slides 8 and 9 of the NRC staffs presentation (ML26014A224) elaborate on the specific areas of the NRC staffs new safety review. Under SECY-25-0104, the NRC staff will review aging management that does not align with NRC guidance. In particular, it will review aging management programs with exceptions and aging management review items not consistent with, or not fully covered by, NRC guidance. The safety review will continue to examine plant-specific operating experience, scoping and screening, further evaluations, and time-limited aging analyses.
The NRC staff and industry agreed on the potential to streamline the scoping and screening review, with interest in further engagement in the form of workshops and public meetings. With changes to how the review will be conducted, the NRC staff will make the appropriate corresponding changes to its documentation, including the audit report and safety evaluation.
For SLR applications received after January 2026, the SECY-25-0104 approach will replace the Tiered Approach, which was previously documented in the License Renewal Roadmap. In response to NEIs question regarding how LR applications will be reviewed, the NRC staff responded that the review process of an LR application will be determined at the time of submission on a case-by-case basis. Overall, the NRC staff plans to continue the adoption of the various efficiency efforts and will leverage as much of the new, innovative SLR approaches as possible.
C. Hobbs 3
Throughout the meeting, there was great interest from NEI and the industry to have future discussions on standardizing future applications to match the new SLR review process cited in SECY-25-0104. As the NRC staffs new, safety focused approach narrows in on the divergence from the guidance, there is great opportunity to shorten applications to exactly what the NRC staff will review.
For applications that are expected to be submitted in the near future, the NRC staff emphasized that there was no immediate action on the applicant to modify the contents of the application.
However, as the NRC begins to implement SECY-25-0104 to its new applications in 2026, it will also maintain its continuous engagement with the industry to collaboratively rightsize the SLR application.
Enclosures:
1.
Meeting Agenda 2.
List of Attendees
ML26044A129 NRR-106 OFFICE NRR/DNLR/PM NRR/DANU/LA NRR/DNRL/BC (A)
NRR/DNLR/PM NAME AWu NParker CHobbs AWu DATE 2/12/2026 2/13/2026 2/16/2026 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
SUMMARY
OF THE JANUARY 20, 2026, PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE EFFICIENCIES ON THE SUBSEQUENT LICENSE RENEWAL REVIEW Meeting Agenda Time Topic Organization 2:00 pm
Introductions
All 2:10 pm Discussion U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Nuclear Energy Institute 3:20 pm Opportunity for public comments NRC and Public 3:30 pm Adjourn All U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
SUMMARY
OF THE JANUARY 20, 2026 PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS POSSIBLE EFFICIENCIES ON THE SUBSEQUENT LICENSE RENEWAL REVIEW List of Attendees Name Affiliation Andrew Johnson U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Angela Sabet NRC Angela Wu NRC Angie Buford NRC Ashley Waldron NRC Brian Allik NRC Brian Correll NRC Brian Harris NRC Carol Moyer NRC Carolyn Fairbanks NRC Chaitali Chattopadhaya NRC Christopher Tan NRC Clinton Hobbs NRC Dan Hoang NRC Dev Ray NRC George Wang NRC Greg Makar NRC Isaac Anchondo-Lopez NRC Jay Collins NRC Jessica Umana NRC John Wise NRC Karen Loomis NRC Kimyata Morgan-Butler NRC Mark Yoo NRC Michael Benson NRC Michele Sampson NRC Michelle Kichline NRC PetriaRoxana Hartsock NRC Reena Boruk NRC Steve Downey NRC Steve Koenick NRC Varoujan Kalikian NRC Brett Titus Nuclear Energy Institute Helen Levendosky American Electric Power Mark Radspinner Arizona Public Service Matthew Cox Arizona Public Service Adam Andria Constellation Nuclear Gregory McFadden Constellation Nuclear Iba Ello Fletcher Constellation Nuclear James G Trettin Constellation Nuclear Jason Smith Constellation Nuclear John Hilditch Constellation Nuclear
2 Kristin C Meek Constellation Nuclear Rebecca S. Craddick Constellation Nuclear Sarah Brochu Constellation Nuclear Scott L. Kauffman Constellation Nuclear Scott Rutenkroger Constellation Nuclear Shanna Bobbins Constellation Nuclear Wesley Price Constellation Nuclear William H. Ford, Jr.
Constellation Nuclear Pratt Cherry Dominion Energy Meghan Claire Hammond Department of Energy Zahira Cruz Perez Department of Energy Daniel William Roberts Duke Energy Lori Hekking Duke Energy Luke Obenauf Duke Energy Mark Pyne Duke Energy Aaron Halstrom ENERCON Jeffrey Head ENERCON Mattson Tanton ENERCON Michael Henderson ENERCON Min Noh ENERCON Olivia Roster ENERCON Rachel Turney-Work ENERCON Stacy Burgess ENERCON Tim Sande ENERCON Tristen Hunnewell ENERCON Victoria Spring Bradley ENERCON Theodore Hilston Energy Harbor Tracey Collis Energy Northwest Rob Burg Engineering Planning and Management, Inc.
Ilya Golberg Electric Power Research Institute Robert Clark Exelon Kyle Pitchler FirstEnergy Stephan Franzone Florida Power and Light William Fowler Honeywell Yeon Ki Chung Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety Kurt Kreifels Nebraska Public Power District Russ L. Wenzl Nebraska Public Power District Larry Lee Omaha Public Power District Leo Fifield Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Gary Stith PSEG Nuclear Keith Boring PSEG Nuclear Jared Jones Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Ally Humphries Hatton Southern Company Amy G. Aughtman Southern Company Brandon Marlow Southern Company Jessica Gressett Southern Nuclear Lindsey Renee Grissom Southern Company Sandra Martin Southern Company
3 Joy Jiang The Breakthrough Institute Jonathan DeLaune Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
Peter John Donahue TVA Steven Graham US Naval Academy Christopher Hermeling Vistra Corp Mark Bensi Vistra Corp Richard J Rogalski Volt Caleb Fisler Westinghouse Electric Company David Conner Westinghouse Electric Company Samuel Schibonski Xcel Energy Sara Scott Xcel Energy Allen Hiser Ben Ratichek Bruce Huhmann David Coy Deann Raleigh Eric Wilke Heather Galloway Heather Westra Jason Tribe Lauren Jill Morgan Lisa Matis Matthew Peters Steve Clair Willaim R. Boyd William Ross Victor