U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission - NRC

🎤 Our Chairman Nieh delivered the keynote address yesterday at the American Nuclear Society's Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado. He highlighted the NRC’s commitment and significant reform efforts to enable the rapid and safe deployment of advanced nuclear technologies through credible, predictable, and timely regulation. He also received an ANS Presidential Citation for his lifetime contributions to the nuclear industry.

🎤 Vic Cusumano from our Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation was at U.S. Department of Energy’s inaugural UPRISE event at LSU, which brought together federal and state energy agencies, national labs, manufacturers, fuel vendors, and operators to collaborate on increasing reactor capacity. He described our efforts to enable rapid deployment of additional nuclear power through license renewals and power uprates.

💡 Thirty years ago this month, Watts Bar Nuclear Plant Unit 1 started commercial operations. Two decades later, Unit 2 became both the first power reactor to resume construction after a lengthy pause and the first to come online since Watts Bar 1. The two units, located near Spring City, Tennessee, provide power to about 1.3 million homes.

✅ We’ve accepted Orano's application to build a new uranium enrichment facility, Project IKE, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. It’s a step toward strengthening America’s nuclear fuel supply and we’re aiming to complete our review within 12 months.

📍Staff from our Headquarters and Region II recently met with General Matter leadership to discuss their plans for a proposed uranium enrichment facility at the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant site in Kentucky. Early engagement like this can support efficient, safety-focused licensing reviews. Through ongoing pre-licensing engagement, we can strengthen our understanding of facility development plans, and help identify opportunities for continued regulatory coordination, reflecting our commitment to meeting the moment and delivering the mission.

Replacing a 58-ton reactor vessel head is no small feat! Our Region IV inspectors were on hand to observe the operation during Arkansas Nuclear One Unit 2’s recent refueling outage. Plant staff cut into the concrete equipment hatch to swap out old and new heads and restore it to ensure safe containment. Our inspection team has closely monitored the planning of this project for more than a year and inspected throughout the process, and its completion is a win for nuclear reactor maintenance and safety.

✅ We've named Victor Hall as our Director of International Programs.https://www.nrc.gov/sites/default/files/cdn/doc-collection-news/2026/26-058.pdf

🎤 Our Chairman Ho Nieh joined Gov. Spencer J. Cox today at the Operation Gigawatt Summit to discuss the future of nuclear energy. He highlighted the NRC’s efforts to modernize licensing frameworks across the entire nuclear life cycle to accelerate safe deployment of nuclear technologies to support America’s energy needs.

Our greatest asset is our people, and we couldn’t reach these milestones without the hard work of our dedicated staff. We’re continuing to implement and align with the nation’s energy needs. Stay tuned for updates on our ongoing efforts at: https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/governing-laws/advance-act/wholesale-revision-regs