Why Nuclear Energy Developers Are Suing Federal Regulators
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)—the federal body that regulates America’s nuclear power plants—has long been criticized for stunting domestic nuclear power production with stringent regulations. Nuclear energy developers and states are pushing back.
In December, Utah, Texas, and microreactor company Last Energy sued the NRC, challenging the agency’s regulatory authority. Last week, underground nuclear energy developer Deep Fission joined the suit.
The lawsuit challenges the NRC’s Utilization Facility Rule, which requires all nuclear power–producing entities—even those that generate only enough electricity to turn on a lightbulb—to obtain a costly operating license before powering on.
While Deep Fission “feels good about our ability to be regulated under the current regime,” the company is concerned “about the impact on the world if nuclear is unable to move forward faster – to meet the current anticipated energy demand,” Liz Muller, co-founder and CEO of Deep Fission, tells Reason. “We plan to meet the highest nuclear safety standards, and we believe that it can be done with a streamlined and more modern regulatory process that takes into account the small size and inherent safety of our reactors.”
The NRC’s archaic, one-size-fits-all regulations have added undue costs and delays to the nuclear en
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