ML26056A217
| ML26056A217 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 01/08/2026 |
| From: | Office of Public Affairs |
| To: | |
| Shared Package | |
| News Release-26-004 | List: |
| References | |
| News Release-26-004 | |
| Download: ML26056A217 (0) | |
Text
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission was created as an expert, technical agency to protect public health, safety, and security, and regulate the civilian use of nuclear materials, including enabling the deployment of nuclear power for the benefit of society. Among other responsibilities, the agency issues licenses, conducts inspections, initiates and enforces regulations, and plans for incident response. The global gold standard for nuclear regulation, the NRC is collaborating with interagency partners to implement reforms outlined in new Executive Orders and the ADVANCE Act to streamline agency activities and enhance efficiency No: 26-004 January 8, 2026 CONTACT: Office of Public Affairs, 301-415-8200 NRC Staff Guidance Shapes Collaboration with Interagency Partners on Reactor Designs The NRC has underscored its commitment to the whole-of-government approach to deployment of new nuclear in the United States by issuing staff guidance that establishes expectations for working with reactor vendors who leverage authorizations from the Departments of Energy or War in moving their designs toward commercialization.
By observing interagency partner authorization activities, were laying the groundwork for a more informed and responsive licensing process, said Jeremy Groom, Acting Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. Well work with vendors and our federal partners to gain familiarity with the technologies and their safety cases. This will improve our efficiency during commercial reactor licensing reviews.
NRC staff will treat observation of authorization reviews in the same manner as the agency conducts pre-application activities today.
The issuance of staff guidance is part of the NRCs efforts to implement Executive Order 14300 in support of safely enabling new reactors to meet the nations growing energy needs. The internal guidance is a pivotal step in establishing an expedited pathway to approve reactor designs that have been tested under the DOE or DOW programs and have demonstrated the ability to function safely.
Our partners at DOE are making good progress on their reactor pilot projects, said Mike King, the NRCs Executive Director for Operations. As we conduct our independent reviews, we will focus on risks associated with commercializing these designs, leveraging insights from DOE and DOW reviews to avoid duplicating efforts. This collaboration will make our reviews more efficient and effective and strengthen our ability to ensure safety as these innovative technologies move toward deployment.
More information about the NRCs implementation of Executive Order 14300 and ADVANCE Act requirements is available on the NRC website.
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