The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has recently issued several landmark regulations and updates, primarily aimed at modernising the licensing of new nuclear technologies and streamlining oversight for existing plants.
On 25 March 2026, NRC unveiled the final Part 53 rule, a historic milestone described as the first new reactor licensing framework since 1989. It is scheduled to be published in the Federal Register on 3 April 2026 and will take effect 30 days later.
Unlike previous rules designed for light-water reactors (LWRs), Part 53 is “technology-neutral” allowing it to be used for any reactor type, including molten salt or gas-cooled designs, without requiring numerous exemptions. It allows designers to use risk analyses to determine safety and security requirements, providing more flexibility in how plants are built and operated. NRC officials expect this framework to reduce review times to 18 months or less and potentially cut application costs by half.
“This final rule is a major NRC action that provides a clear risk-informed, technology inclusive licensing framework to enable new nuclear to safely move faster from concept to construction,” said NRC Chairman Ho K Nieh. “It is another example of how the NRC is delivering on its mission by keeping safety at the forefront while aligning to the evolving nuclear energy landscape.”
On 30 March 2026, NRC adopted significant updates to its Reactor Oversight Process (ROP), fulfilling mandates from the 2024 ADVANCE Act (Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act), which requires NRC to complete public licensing hearings within two years of docketing an application, and President Trump’s May 2025 Executive Order (EO) 14300, Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission aimed at increasing US nuclear capacity and re-establishing the US as the global leader in nuclear energy.
The changes are expected to reduce the number of hours spent on direct baseline inspections at operating plants by 38%. The update eliminates certain redundant baseline procedures while focusing resources on risk-significant safety attributes. It revises how “more than minor” findings are evaluated to reduce the number of reported issues that have very low safety significance.
“These changes right-size our oversight programme, reflect the high levels of industry safety performance and will allow the NRC and industry to focus on what matters most today,” said Nieh. “The ROP is designed to evolve, and we will continue refining it based on staff insights and performance trends of licensees.”
Earlier, NRC’s March 2026 report, SECY-26-0034, outlined strategies to leverage existing frameworks for accelerating the deployment of large-scale light-water reactors (LWRs). The initiative aims to streamline licensing for sites with existing or suspended combined licences, including designs such as the Westinghouse AP1000 and GE-Hitachi ABWR.
The new framework sets the stage for several upcoming rules in the next few months under Executive Order 14300, which aim to revolutionise reactor licensing.
