Media Coverage
Source: Politico Pro
Media Coverage
Press Contacts: Erik Cummins, Matt Hyams, Taina Rosa, Olivia Meyer
03.02.26
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is advancing sweeping reforms under the ADVANCE Act of 2024 and a May executive order from President Donald Trump to help reach 400 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2050. As new rules move toward finalization in November, nuclear expansion is gaining political momentum, with governors like Kathy Hochul and JB Pritzker backing efforts to revive the sector to power AI-driven data centers.
“A lot of it is going to come out by the end of March, but then there will be a second wave of things that will come out in April and in May,” Nuclear Energy practice leader Jeff Merrifield said in an interview with Politico Pro. “It is a broad set of changes.”
These reforms are expected to accelerate review timelines, including shortening subsequent license renewals to one year under the ADVANCE Act and streamlining environmental reviews.
“There will likely be some categories of reactors where an environmental impact statement won’t be required, and a fairly simple environmental assessment will suffice,” he added. “This may apply to the microreactors, where the consequences of potential releases are generally lower.”
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