ML26049A199

Summary of the 2025 NRC Standards Forum

ML26049A199
Person / Time
Issue date:	02/13/2026
From:	Iyengar J NRC/RES/DE
To:	Christian Araguas Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research
Erick Martinez Rodriguez 4150840
References
Download: ML26049A199 (0)

Text

MEMORANDUM TO:

Christian Araguas, Director Division of Engineering Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research FROM:

Raj Iyengar, Branch Chief /RA/

Reactor Engineering Branch Division of Engineering Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

SUMMARY

OF THE 2025 NRC STANDARDS FORUM On September 25, 2025, staff from the office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) held the 2025 U.S. NRC Standards Forum, Codes and Standards for Nuclear Energy Applications:

Emerging Trends,1 as the first of two Standards Forum meetings to be held this year. The purpose of the Standards Forum is to facilitate strategic discussions on priorities for codes and standards (C&S) development, discussions on C&S needs within the nuclear industry and explore how to collaborate in accelerating the development of C&S and the NRC's endorsement of these C&Ss in its regulations and regulatory guides. contains the agenda for the Emerging Trends Forum meeting. This meeting was a virtual meeting hosted via Microsoft Teams. Approximately 172 attendees joined the event, including participants from NRC staff, members of the public representing Idaho National Laboratory (INL), Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), American Nuclear Society (ANS),

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), academia, and industry, among others (See Enclosure 2 for a full list of attendees). The presentations and additional meeting information can be found at https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/standards-dev/standards-forum. The presentations are also available in NRCs Agencywide Documents Access and Management System under accession numbers:

ML25268A191 Session 1 Federal and International Activities, ML25268A091 Session 2 Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) Activities, ML25268A152 Session 3 Codes and Standards for Emerging Technologies, and ML25268A179 Session 4 Quality Assurance.

CONTACT: Erick Martinez Rodriguez 301-415-0840 Public Meeting Notice: https://www.nrc.gov/pmns/mtg?do=details&Code=20251071; ML25265A220 February 13, 2026

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Summary The Standards Forum opened with remarks by Russel Felts, acting Deputy Director of RES. He welcomed the attendees and discussed the NRC adapting to the changing nuclear landscape and the role that consensus standards play in good regulation. He specifically highlighted the staff coordinators for the different SDOs.

The event included four sessions, each with several presentations followed by a joint question and answer session. The sessions covered federal activities, international activities, SDO activities, C&S developments in emerging technologies and quality assurance. In addition, a poll was held throughout the Forum to solicit feedback on the areas of interest for the second Standards Forum meeting. The following is a summary of the discussions in the event sessions.

Session 1: Federal and International Activities The first session discussed current activities in C&S at the national and international levels and was chaired by Michele Sampson, director of the Division of New and Renewed Licenses in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR). She opened the session with introductory remarks where she highlighted the momentum within the nuclear industry to develop and build new nuclear power. She highlighted the need for effective C&S to underpin this process across countries.

These opening remarks were followed by the first presentation of the session, from Pekka Pyy on the status of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear harmonization and standardization initiative track TG-2 activities on common approaches on codes and standards.

He discussed the complications of codes and standards across the industry and the effort to simplify the industry by adopting common approaches. Mr. Pyys presentation discussed the process of collecting the standards that exist and providing information on where they can be obtained, as well as ongoing work with non-nuclear C&S, including fire exit routes and components.

Following this was a presentation from Christian Araguas providing updates on the NRCs C&S activities. He addressed the activities that the NRC is taking in response to Executive Order 14300 and the ADVANCE Act of 2024 before discussing the NRCs involvement with C&S through staff participation and using this information to support regulatory guidance development. He additionally highlighted the NRCs action plan for C&S, which included the release of a database that informs the public on NRC involvement in C&S.

The third presentation of this session was from Clare Allocca, from the Standards Coordination Office at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST). She discussed the activities from NIST to develop and promulgate standards throughout the U.S. and internationally through interactions with international SDOs. She additionally provided information about resources that NIST provides and mentioned the Strategic Standards Information Service Database.

The last presentation of the session was from Jason Christensen, who performs regulatory development and support for advanced reactors at INL. He presented the ongoing collaboration

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between INL and the NRC to review the effectiveness and timeliness of C&S for advanced reactors. He discussed the need to update the existing C&S for advanced reactors before shifting to collaborative efforts between the Department of Energy (DOE) and INL. Mr.

Christensen described the purposes of these efforts as continuing the work to update C&S, identifying the gaps in C&S that would impact high-volume deployment of microreactors, and conducting a crosswalk between DOE authorization and NRC licensing of advanced reactors.

Session 2: Evolving in Codes and Standards Development: SDO Activities This session discussed the activities from SDOs to update C&S, and was chaired by Mehdi Reisi Fard, deputy director of the Division of Advanced Reactors and Non-power Production and Utilization Facilities within the Office of NRR.

The first presentation in this section was by Andrew Sowder, chair of the ANS Standards Board, on ANSs role as an SDO and their work within that role to support the Advanced Reactor Codes and Standards Collaborative (ARCSC). Mr. Sowder highlighted the adoption of risk-informed and/or performance-based (RIPB) methods within ANS standards within ANS working groups and by 27 standards projects in development. He additionally discussed some of the gaps in standards ANS identified, and specifically mentioned ANS 2.26, on characterizing nuclear structures, systems, and components for seismic design; ANS 6.4, on concrete radiation shielding for nuclear power plants; and ANS 54.8, covering liquid metal fire protection, as high priority gaps. He finally presented several standards in the development process and perspectives on the NRC endorsement process.

The second presentation was by Tom Vogan, the chair of the ASME Board on Nuclear Codes and Standards. His presentation covered ASMEs activities on advanced reactor C&S development, beginning with an overview of the ASME standards development process and then describing nuclear standards and their interface with the NRC and DOE through the rulemaking process. He then discussed industry-identified standards gaps and where ASME is developing standards to address these, including in high-temperature materials, seismic analysis, and nuclear quality assurance.

The third presentation was by Robert Konnick, the chair of the IEEE Nuclear Power Engineering Committee (NPEC). His presentation included an overview of the 51 existing standards being maintained and the 25 standards development projects underway at NPEC. This included several significant activities, with highlights including the standards IEEE 1205 on aging effects for electrical systems and IEEE 317, on electrical penetrations. IEEE is aiming to harmonize its standards with those of International Electrotechnical Commission.

The final presentation of this session was by Donald Eggett, co-chair of ARCSC and a former chair of the ANS Standards Board. His presentation focused on the history, structure, and purpose of ARCSC before discussing the ongoing activities in standards development. ARCSC is designed to serve as a centralized hub for SDOs to ensure coordination among standards as a method of support for reactor stakeholders. ARCSC has representatives from national and international SDOs, industry, and government regulators. The presented activities of ARCSC included identifying gaps in standards applicable to advanced reactors, holding surveys of C&S needs, and harmonizing RIPB approaches. Finally, the presentation discussed the Advanced

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Reactor Roadmap, which identified identifying gaps in C&S and demonstrating RIPB approaches as two of the highest-priority items.

Session 3: Codes and Standards for Emerging Technologies This session discussed the activities related to C&S for emerging technologies, and was chaired by Tania Martinez Navedo, Acting Director of the Division of Engineering and External Hazards within the Office of NRR.

The first presentation in this section was by Dr. James Dickerson, the director of the Advancing Standardization for Critical and Emerging Technologies (ASCET) Center of Excellence. Dr.

Dickerson introduced the ASCET Center of Excellence, a new initiative launched in early 2025 to advance U.S. leadership in international standardization for emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), biotech, quantum, and semiconductors. He outlined ASCETs goals, including supporting industry priorities, accelerating standard development, and building workforce capacity through partnerships and outreach. Dr. Dickerson also highlighted ASCETs early progress, including team formation and stakeholder engagement, and shared plans for Q4 2025, such as launching a data sharing hub, hosting workshops, and expanding outreach through conferences and media.

The second presentation was by Dr. Ahmad Al Rashdan, representing the ANS and INL. His presentation captured an overview of ongoing efforts to develop nuclear-specific standards for AI applications within industry. He highlighted the increasing use of AI, particularly in operational aspects of nuclear power, and emphasized the need for tailored standards due to the sector's unique regulatory and safety requirements. He shared findings from a survey showing industry support for such standards and outlined efforts by the ANS to explore and develop them and invited feedback and collaboration from stakeholders to guide the future direction of AI standardization in nuclear applications.

The third presentation was by Dr. Emily Rose Lewis, a nuclear materials engineer at Oxford Sigma. Dr. Lewis presented the development of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) Section 3, Division 4, which includes a new set of pressure codes tailored for fusion power plants, highlighting the unique engineering and regulatory challenges of fusion energy.

The ASME BPVC Section 3, Division 4, introduced in July 2023, aims to address these challenges by providing construction standards for fusion-specific components. Dr. Lewis underscored the importance of global collaboration and stakeholder input, including contributions from private fusion companies and international regulators, to ensure the code supports safe, scalable, and economically viable fusion energy deployment.

The fourth presentation was from Brian McDonald, Principal Engineer and Corporate Vice President at Exponent. He presented updates to the ASCE 43 standard for seismic design of nuclear structures, emphasizing the importance of RIPB approaches. He highlighted the need to tailor quality assurance for civil structures, integrate advancements from commercial standards like ASCE 41, and adopt nonlinear response history analysis to improve safety and align nuclear practices with modern engineering methods. He concluded by stressing the importance of leveraging commercial innovations and updated seismic hazard data to improve nuclear structural safety

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The final presentation of this session was by Ralph Hill III. He introduced the ASME Plant Systems Design Standard, a technology-neutral framework aimed at enhancing the design of facilities with higher hazard potential, including nuclear, fossil fuel, and chemical plants. The standard integrates systems engineering, risk evaluation, and probabilistic design into existing engineering practices to reduce errors, improve safety, and enhance cost and schedule performance. It has completed public review and is slated for publication by the end of 2025, with pilot implementations already underway.

Session 4: Quality Assurance This session discussed the activities about quality assurance for C&S, and was chaired by Dr.

Raj Iyengar, chief of the Reactor Engineering Branch in the Division of Engineering in the office of Nuclear Regulatory Research.

The first presentation in this section was by Dominique Kugler. He provided an overview of the ISO 19443 standard, which builds upon ISO 9001 and outlines specific quality management system requirements for organizations in the nuclear energy supply chain that provide products and services critical to nuclear safety. Kugler highlighted the benefits of certification, including improved supplier recognition, streamlined audits, and enhanced safety and quality practices.

The presentation concluded with the goal of fostering a unified safety and quality culture across the nuclear supply chain.

The second presentation was by Roger Sims from Jensen Hughes. Mr. Sims delivered a presentation on ISO quality management systems, focusing on their application within the nuclear industry. He outlined the scope of his companys experience with various standards, including ISO 9001, ISO 19443, NQA-1, and Canadian nuclear standards. Sims highlighted the importance of supplementing ISO systems with additional controls to ensure compliance. He concluded that ISO-certified suppliers could be viable for nuclear safety-related items, provided there is thorough communication and verification between purchasers and suppliers.

The third and final presentation was by Yamir Diaz-Castillo, a seasoned reactor operator engineer at the NRC. He discussed the QA requirements outlined in Appendix B to 10 CFR Part 50, particularly in the context of advanced and small modular reactors. He outlined guidance documents and standards like Reg Guides 1.26, 1.233, and NEI 18-04, and proposed alternative compliance paths using ASME NQA-1, ISO 9001, and ASME U-stamp holders. He concluded by stressing the importance of effective management systems in ensuring quality, referencing lessons from a NUREG-1055 study.

The 2025 Standards Forum ended with closing remarks by Mr. Christian Araguas. Overall, the forum provided insights into how the NRC, INL, SDOs, the nuclear industry, and other stakeholders are collaborating to address challenges, implement innovation, and enhance safety in the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies. The discussions were valuable to understanding areas for further collaboration across SDOs and how the NRC and stakeholder groups can be more effective in developing, updating, and meeting the codes and standards needs. The discussions during the Forum are expected to lead to standards with wide ranging support that are more easily utilized by the NRC, applicants, and licensees. A second Standards Forum meeting is expected in early 2026.

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Enclosures:

1. Enclosure 1: 2025 Standards Forum Part 2 Agenda

2. Enclosure 2: 2025 Standards Forum Part 2 List of Attendee

SUMMARY

OF THE 2025 NRC STANDARDS FORUM, DATED:

DISTRIBUTION:

CAraguas, RES RIyengar, RES EMartinez Rodriguez, RES CLurvey, RES TWeaver, RES MSircar, RES MSampson, NRR JGrieves, NRR MReisi-Fard, NRR SWeerakkody, NRR JWise, NRR KManoly, NRR ABuford, NRR Cde Messiers, NRR TTate, NRR GOberson, NRR SBailey, NRR ITseng, NRR SRay, NRR IGarcia, NSIR ADAMS Package Accession No.: ML26049A199 OFFICE RES/DE/REB RES/DE/REB RES/DE NAME MRodriguez RIyengar CAraguas DATE 02/10/26 02/13/26 02/13/26 OFFICIAL RECORD COPY February 13, 2026

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PUBLIC MEETING AGENDA

The NRC Standards Forum: Codes and Standards for Nuclear Energy Applications: Emerging Trends September 25, 2025, 09:30 AM to 04:15 PM ET Webinar

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2025 Standards Forum Part 2 List of Attendees Names Ahmad Y. Al Rashdan Alexis Sotomayor-Rivera Alyssa Mykeloff Ambar Rodriguez Amber Harshman Andrew Prinaris Andrew Sowder Andrew Whittaker Angie Buford Anna Luczak Anne Goel Bader Sven Ben Ratichek Bis Dasgupta Brett Klukan Brian Jacob Webber Brian Lee Brian McDonald Bruce Albert William Gorham Bruce Lin Carolyn Fairbanks Casey Emler Casper Sun Chakrapani Basavaraju Chandrakanth Bolisetti Chase Lawing Chet Sigmon Christian Araguas Christopher Cook Christopher Nellis Christopher Ulmer Cindy Montgomery Clare M. Allocca Crystal D. Slavens Curtis Lurvey Cynthia Rogers Daniel Lamond David Dijamco David Faircloth David Rudland Deanna Zhang Denise M. Brandon Dennis Spielman Devin Bradshaw Diego Saenz Dominique Kugler Don Eggett Dustin Town Edward C. Renaud Ellie Cohn Emily Lewis Eric Magnuson Erick Martinez Rodriguez Ethan Tievy Fabian Ledezma Frankie Vega Fred F. Grant Gabe Taylor Gabriel Witter Gale Hauck Gary R. Huff Geoffrey Ottenberg Gerardo Martinez-Guridi Greg Oberson Gurjendra Bedi Harry Felsher Huan Li Ian Tseng Ismael Garcia Iza Grace Lantgios Jack Newman Jacob Prosser Jaison Monachan James August James Dickerson James Mejia James O. Klein James Slider Jana Bergman Janine Smith Jason A.

Christensen Jason P. Andrus Jason Tokey Jeremy Tapp Jesse Carlson Jill S. Monahan John Bozga John Cupp John Gayler John Wise Jon Facemire Jonathan Scherr Joseph Bass Joy Jiang JS Nie Juan Pérez Kai A. Kirk Kaihwa Hsu Kamal Manoly Kathleen Dunsavage Kathy Murdoch Keith A. Consani Keith Tetter Kevin L Groom Kris Smetana Latischa Hanson Leslie Hill Lisa Anderson Lon E Paulson Loren Howe Lundy Pressley Lynn Moring Riley Mark A. Joseph Mark Moenssens Mark Pérs Mark Richter

C. Araguas 10 Marlena Tatkowski Martin Flynn Matthew Hiser Matthew Humberstone Matthew Whetham Maury A Pressburger Megan Gangewere Mehdi Reisi Fard Melissa A. Rose Michael Benson Michael Bosley Michael K. Byrd Michael Lane Johnson Michele Sampson Michelle French Mike Melton Nachiketh Chandran Narasimha Prasad Kadambi Naser P. Sharifi Pat Schroeder Patrick Murray Pekka Tapani Pickelmann Johannes Raj Iyengar Ralph Hill Rebecca Owston Rob Burg Robert Konnik Robert Shewmake Roger Sims Russell Felts Sandra Munoz Sean Roy Shahrokhi Farshid Sheila Ray Siavash Dorvash Spencer Toohill Stacy Luu Stephanie Morrow Stephanie Roche Rivera Steve Unikewicz Steven Bloom Steven Justice Steven Levitus Steven Muller Stewart Bailey Suresh Channarasappa Tania Martinez Navedo Taunia Jean Sandquist Thomas Basso Thomas J Vogan Thomas Vogan Thomas Weaver Tiffany Lee Tim Stuhldreher Ting Shi Ting-Leung Sham Tira Patterson Todd Michael Anselmi Tom Houston Tom Houston Tony Briggs Trace Orf Tracie D.

Burdeshaw Vince Voltaggio Wesley Steh William L. Ebert William Roggenbrodt Yamir Diaz-Castillo Yan Peng Yeon-Ki Chung Yilia Vega Claudio Yiu Law

ML26049A199 OFFICE RES/DE/ICEEB RES/DE/CIB RES/DE NAME EMartinez RIyengar CAraguas MRahimi for DATE Feb 10, 2026 Feb 13, 2026 Feb 13, 2026