26-071.pdf - https://www.nrc.gov/sites/default/files/cdn/doc-collection-news/2026/26-071.pdf

26-071.pdf No: 26-071 July 1, 2026 CONTACT: Office of Public Affairs, 301-415-8200 EO14300 Rulemaking NRC Proposes Most Comprehensive Modernization of Reactor Licensing in Decades ROCKVILLE, Md. — The Nuclear Regulatory Commission today proposed a sweeping package of regulatory reforms aimed at modernizing reactor licensing, safety oversight, and siting practices for nuclear power plants. The proposed rule would update requirements across virtually every stage of a plant’s lifecycle—from initial design approvals and construction through operation, license renewal, and decommissioning—by introducing more flexible, risk-informed, and performance-based approaches tailored to both today’s technologies and the next generation of reactors.