Seeking to accelerate the construction of advanced nuclear power facilities, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has created a new licensing framework for microreactors of 100 MWe or less, envisioning them as rapidly deployable power sources for AI data centers and other users that can be mobile, factory-built and deployed off-grid.
Published May 1 in the Federal Register with a 42-day comment period, the proposed Part 57 rule describes a “streamlined, risk-informed and flexible licensing pathway” that the NRC says could save up to $11.8 billion and shorten construction permit and operating license timelines to a year or less. The rule is the latest to emerge from the agency’s review of regulations, spurred by the Biden-era ADVANCE Act to boost US nuclear power and more recent presidential executive orders. It is also the latest framework developed for advanced reactor designs that represent a shift in light water technology.
“We are developing new licensing frameworks designed for security, scale and speed,” said NRC Chairman Ho K. Nieh. US microreactor startups have raised more than $1.2 billion in private capital, with a global market expected to reach $6.8 billion by 2030, a market report said.
The proposed rule focuses on the approval of fleets of identical reactors, the use of alternative design standards, streamlined environmental reviews of projects with “limited impacts” and pathways for limited construction prior to the Commission’s permit. It sets criteria based on a “consequence limit” and a “fuel mass limit”, allowing a design that meets these thresholds to use the framework.
“It’s not up to us to choose which technology society … deploys,” Nieh said. “But if there is a need … and a design that is viable for licensing, we will have a framework ready to produce a safety decision.”
The commission’s newly created Office of Advanced Reactors will license and oversee new and advanced reactors, and lead the team that issues permits and licenses for new facilities and inspects construction.
The US Department of Energy said last month that three of the four companies selected for its new federal nuclear launch program are developing microreactors. It allows them to start discussions with the commission on “enhanced technical, regulatory and deployment support”.
Looking for quick answers on construction and engineering topics?
Try Ask ENR, our new intelligent AI search tool.
Ask ENR →
These include the The Kaleidos microreactor is developed by Radiant Industries Inc., which is designed to deliver reliable power in mission-critical environments. The company plans to test the 1 MW reactor this year at the DOE Idaho National Laboratory and begin deployment in 2028, it announced. He said he will build “the world’s first” factory to mass-produce portable nuclear reactors in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
The Union of Concerned Scientists argues that the rule, among others, risks loosening the proven mandates of nuclear energy safety. At a House Energy subcommittee hearing on April 22, commissioners were asked about radiation safety measures, as well as agency transparency and workforce supply. “Any potential nuclear renaissance will be stalled if the NRC cannot guarantee its independence,” said Rep. Frank Pallone (DN.J.).
