Chairman Ho K. Nieh speaks at the 2026 Regulatory Information Conference. The NRC has moved quickly to modernize licensing while working to preserve the independence and technical rigor that underpin public confidence. (Nuclear Regulatory Commission)

Maintaining the Credibility and Independence of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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The NRC has moved quickly to modernize licensing while working to preserve the independence and technical rigor that underpin public confidence.

On May 23, 2025, President Donald Trump issued a set of executive orders with the purpose of ushering in a “nuclear renaissance” and increasing the nation’s nuclear energy capacity by 300 gigawatts by 2050. The orders focus on increasing the American nuclear workforce, increasing domestic nuclear fuel production, assessing fuel recycling and reprocessing as well as spent fuel management, and expanding US nuclear exports. 

Executive Order 14300 Accelerates NRC Reform 

Executive Order (EO) 14300, Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, focused on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and directed the agency to reorganize itself “to promote the expeditious processing of license applications and the adoption of innovative technology,” to undertake a wholesale review of its regulations within 18 months, and to establish shortened schedules for new reactor reviews as quick as 12 months. The EO, among other administrative actions, prompted concerns about the NRC’s independence and its continued ability to make sound technical judgments in carrying out its regulatory role. The concern was underscored by the acknowledgment in the EO of the role of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) operatives in the NRC in carrying out these actions.

As part of EO 14300, the NRC was required to revise its environmental regulations and reconsider its reliance on the linear no-threshold (LNT) model for radiation exposure, and to reconsider the “as low as reasonably achievable” (ALARA) standard reflected in existing radiological protection standards. The NRC must create a process for high-volume licensing of microreactors and small modular reactors, revise its Reactor Oversight Process and security requirements to reduce unnecessary burden, and streamline the licensing public hearing process. 

A number of the initiatives directed by EO 14300, particularly those related to improving licensing timeframes and adapting to new technologies, reflect legislative mandates in recent bipartisan legislation, such as the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act in 2024 or the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA) in 2019. Notwithstanding EO 14300’s reference to “maintain[ing] the United States’ leading reputation for nuclear safety,” the primary focus appears to be on reducing regulation and accelerating licensing. While ordering NRC to undertake this high volume of work, EO 14300 also suggests downsizing the NRC. 

The NRC was also required to establish an “expedited pathway” for approval of designs tested and approved by the Department of Energy (DOE) or Department of Defense (DOD), which were directed by EO 14299, Deploying Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies for National Security, to reinvigorate programs for deployment of reactors under their auspices, such as at DOE or military sites. Although EO 14299 takes advantage of existing authority under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, as amended, 42 U.S.C. §§ 2121 and 2130, questions have been raised regarding the extent to which it is intended to bypass NRC’s role in civil nuclear deployment or to require the agency to merely “rubberstamp” the DOE and DOD approvals.

In addition to the nuclear energy EOs, EO 14215, Ensuring Accountability for All Agencies (February 2025), also garnered attention given its impact on the NRC. It required all independent agencies to “submit for review all proposed and final significant regulatory actions........

© The National Interest