Thursday, July 10, 2025

Why the US must protect the independence of its nuclear regulator

Why the US must protect the independence of its nuclear regulator

By Stephen BurnsAllison MacfarlaneRichard Meserve | July 7, 2025

Credit: US NRC, modified by François Diaz-Maurin

The White House has introduced radical changes that threaten to disrupt the effectiveness of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The agency was formed in 1975 to be an independent regulator, separating it from the promotional role pursued by its predecessor, the Atomic Energy Commission. The NRC has set safety requirements that have become the global gold standard for nuclear regulation. The White House actions threaten to undermine this record.

Conversations with fellow former NRC chairs and retired NRC experts reveal a shared concern that the changes will have unintended, dangerous consequences. In February, the White House issued an executive order that intruded on the traditional autonomy of independent agencies, thereby giving the White House the capacity to control NRC regulatory actions and allow politics to infect regulatory decision-making. A series of executive orders on nuclear matters issued in late May compounded the challenge. One of the executive orders focuses on the reform of the NRC. It would establish arbitrary deadlines for decisions on construction permits and operating licenses, regardless of whether the design offers new and previously unevaluated safety challenges. Other provisions demand the review of all the extensive NRC regulations within 18 months. The other executive orders allow the construction of nuclear power reactors on federal lands—sites belonging to the Energy Department and the Defense Department—without any review by the NRC.

Then, on June 13, the Trump administration fired Christopher Hanson, an NRC commissioner and former chair, without any stated justification. These actions all serve to weaken protections for those who work in or live near reactors. Given the anticipated expansion of reliance on nuclear power, the drastic staff reductions contemplated by the White House come at the wrong time.

There is always room to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the regulatory process and adapt it to the evolution of nuclear technologies and their implementation. Recognizing that, past and current NRC commissioners and technical staff have set in motion changes to reduce the regulatory burden and speed the deployment of reactors at a lower cost. The changes are prudent and reasonable and support the promise of expanded reliance on nuclear energy. Congress has also encouraged those efforts and further instructed the NRC to make more improvements to the process through the bipartisan ADVANCE Act signed into law in 2024. All of this was underway before the White House interference.


The NRC has protected the health and safety of Americans for 50 years without a single civilian reactor radiation-related death. The lessons of the 1979 Three Mile Island accident have long been woven into the safety regime, and every commercial reactor in the United States is safer today because of major safety steps taken after the destruction of reactors in Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi plant by a massive earthquake and tsunami in 2011.

Since Three Mile Island, the agency has licensed approximately 50 power reactors to operate. It has recently issued construction permits for advanced reactors ahead of schedule. And the NRC has cleared utilities to boost the power of many existing reactors and has licensed them to run longer than originally planned.

We are concerned about the unintended safety consequences that a reduced NRC independence and a schedule-driven regulatory paradigm threaten to bring.

We fear the loss of public confidence that can befall a safety agency when expediency is seen to be given priority. Reducing the NRC’s independence while mixing promotion of nuclear energy and responsibility for safeguarding the public and environment is a recipe for corner-cutting at best and catastrophe at worst.

We are also concerned that such steps could damage the reputation of US reactor vendors worldwide. A design licensed in the United States now carries a stamp of approval that can facilitate licensing elsewhere, including the many countries that plan to embark on a nuclear power program. If it becomes clear that the NRC has been forced to cut corners on safety and operate less transparently, US reactor vendors will be hurt.


The US nuclear industry is helped by the fact that it has a strong independent regulator behind it. The White House’s executive orders may produce the opposite effect from their stated purpose.

Editor’s note: The authors are former chairs of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Thursday, July 3, 2025

NRC Accelerates Review of Kemmerer Power Station Construction Permit.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release
No: 25-040 July 2, 2025
CONTACT: Scott Burnell, 301-415-8200

NRC Accelerates Review of Kemmerer Power Station Construction Permit


The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has set a more aggressive schedule and aims to complete its review by the end of 2025 on TerraPower’s construction permit application for Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1 in Kemmerer, Wyoming.

Frequent and productive engagements with TerraPower, along with other efficiency gains, mean the NRC could complete reviews by Dec. 31, 2025, 6 months ahead of the current schedule. The accelerated timeline depends on a continued commitment from TerraPower to resolve the remaining issues in a timely manner.

TerraPower, through its subsidiary US SFR Owner, filed the application in March 2024, requesting a permit to build the sodium-cooled, advanced reactor design on a site near an existing coal-fired power plant. The 345-megawatt electric Natrium plant includes an energy storage system to temporarily boost output up to 500 MWe, when needed. If the NRC issues the construction permit, TerraPower would need to submit a separate operating license application.

A copy of the TerraPower construction permit application, is available at the Lincoln County Library, 519 Emerald St. in Kemmerer. More information about new reactor licensing is available on the NRC website.

Saturday, June 28, 2025

[decomm_wkg] TX nuclear announcement by Perry & Texas is betting on a 'nuclear renaissance' | KUT Radio, Austin's NPR Station

https://www.kut.org/energy-environment/2025-06-27/texas-nuclear-energy-reactors-ai-data-centers-aalo-atomics-microreactors-electricity


Lots of really strange news out of TX with Rick Perry's bizarre announcement - some links below:

-Rick Perry’s AI plan: A colossal nuclear campus in Trump’s image https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/rick-perry-s-ai-plan-a-colossal-nuclear-campus-in-trump-s-image/ar-AA1HtN7Z?ocid=socialshare

-Texas Firm Aims to Build World's Largest Data Energy Complex With Nuclear, Gas, Solar https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2025-06-26/texas-firm-aims-to-build-worlds-largest-data-energy-complex-with-nuclear-gas-solar

France: National Assembly rejects »nonsensical« plan to halt expansion of solar and wind energy

 


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France: National Assembly rejects »nonsensical« plan to halt expansion of solar and wind energy

On Tuesday, the French National Assembly rejected a proposal to stop expanding renewable energy sources. The corresponding bill was rejected by a vote of 377 to 142, with 47 members abstaining. Surprisingly, on Thursday, the National Assembly passed a moratorium on the construction of new solar and wind farms as part of an amendment to the energy bill with the support of Les Républicains (LR) and the right-wing populists of Rassemblement National (RN). The moratorium was to remain in force »until an objective, independent study ...
... more

source: 
video recording
press release Enerplan


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GridParity launches new AgriPV initiative – economically viable even without solar package bonus


With a completely revamped product line and a clear strategic realignment, GridParity is launching a new AgriPV initiative that is economically viable even without the controversial bonus scheme included in the solar package. In view of the political uncertainties surrounding Solar Package II, GridParity is focusing on independence, transparency, and cost-efficient system solutions – with success: AgriPV systems close to farms are economically viable starting at just €350,000 per megawatt peak (MWp).

Solar package or not – GridParity lowers barriers to entry

“We wanted to create a system that doesn't depend on political favors,” explains project manager Eva Muhle. “Our customers need planning security and functioning business models – now, not sometime in the future.”

The revised pricing structure allows electricity production costs of just 3 to 4 cents per kWh, even with full feed-in to the grid. This means that investments can be solidly financed even below the regular EEG remuneration of 6.89 cents/kWh – without any additional bonuses.

Eight system variants – optimized for agriculture: 

More...
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Denmark: Logistics company commissions 35 MW rooftop system


The new logistics center of the Danish logistics company DSV is home to what is currently probably the world's largest PV rooftop system. This was announced by Ernst Schweizer AG, which supplied the mounting system for it. The ballasted mounting system, »MSP-FR east-west,« was used. It is an aerodynamically optimized solution that does not require roof penetration.

The Danish contractor SolarFuture ApS installed a total of 78,000 solar modules on an area of over 300,000 square meters. The plant in ...
... more

source: 
Ernst Schweizer AG


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German battery market to decline significantly in 2024


The German battery market reached a volume of €20.5 billion in 2024, according to the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (ZVEI). However, with a decline of €3.8 billion (minus 16 percent) compared to 2023, it was unable to continue the strong growth of the previous five years. The decline is almost entirely attributable to lithium batteries, which recorded losses of just under €3 billion. According to ZVEI, this is due to the recent weak development of electromobility in Germany, which is attributable, among other things, to ...
... more

source: 
fact sheet
press release

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Germany: Trianel plans large-scale battery storage facility with 900 MW capacity


Trianel GmbH, based in Aachen, is planning a large-scale battery storage facility on the outskirts of the Ruhr region in Waltrop, North Rhine-Westphalia. The first phase of expansion will achieve an output of 900 megawatts (MW) and a storage capacity of 1,800 megawatt hours (MWh). This has been announced by the company. The project will be built on a plot of unused land originally intended as a construction site for the neighboring Trianel coal-fired power plant in Lünen.

Trianel is implementing the project in cooperation with BKW AG, an ...
... more

source: 
Trianel
press release


 

Wednesday, June 25, 2025

NRC Reduces Hourly Rate for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Applicants and Pre-Applicants

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release
No: 25-037 June 24, 2025
CONTACT: Christine Saah Nazer, 301-415-8200

NRC Reduces Hourly Rate for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Applicants and Pre-Applicants


The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has amended its regulations for the licensing, inspection, special projects, and annual fees it will charge applicants and licensees for fiscal year 2025. The fiscal year 2025 final fee rule was published today in the Federal Register.

In this rule, the NRC is making amendments to implement a reduced hourly rate for advanced nuclear reactor applicants and pre-applicants for certain activities as required by the ADVANCE Act of 2024. The reduced hourly rate is $148 per hour and represents an over 50% reduction from the full-cost professional hourly rate of $318 per hour. The reduced hourly rate will take effect on Oct. 1, 2025, consistent with the statutory effective date.

The FY 2025 final fee rule reflects a total budget authority of $944.1 million, the same as FY 2024. Under the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, the NRC is required to recover, to the maximum extent practicable, approximately 100% of the NRC’s total budget authority for FY 2025, less the budget authority for excluded activities. A proposed fee rule was published for public comment on Feb. 19, 2025.

After accounting for the exclusions from the fee-recovery requirement and net billing adjustments, the NRC must recover approximately $808.8 million in fees in FY 2025. The NRC assesses two types of fees: service fees, established in 10 CFR part 170, recovering the NRC’s costs of providing specific benefits to identifiable recipients (such as licensing work, inspections, and special projects); and annual fees, established in 10 CFR part 171, recovering generic and other regulatory costs not otherwise recovered. For FY 2025, approximately $205.4 million will be recovered through service fees under 10 CFR Part 170 and $603.4 million will be recovered through annual fees under 10 CFR Part 171.

Compared to FY 2024, annual fees are decreasing for the operating power reactors fee class, fuel facilities fee class, non-power production or utilization facilities fee class, the uranium recovery facilities fee class, and five materials users fee categories. Annual fees are increasing for most materials users’ fee categories and annual fees remain stable for the spent fuel storage/reactor decommissioning fee class.