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OPINION:
America stands at a critical energy crossroads. Our growing economy, expanding artificial intelligence infrastructure and national security priorities demand reliable, abundant power. Nuclear energy is uniquely positioned to meet these challenges, but outdated regulatory frameworks threaten to keep this vital resource on the sidelines when we need it most.
The Trump administration’s recent declaration of a national energy emergency underscores what many industry leaders already know: America’s energy generation capacity is inadequate to power our future. As global competition intensifies and digital infrastructure demands skyrocket, we cannot afford regulatory delays that prevent nuclear deployment at the pace our nation requires.
We are encouraged by the bipartisan passage of the ADVANCE Act in 2024, which marked a significant step forward in addressing these challenges, and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s updating of its mission statement in January to “enabl[e] the safe and secure use and deployment of civilian nuclear energy technologies … through efficient and reliable licensing.” NRC Chairman David Wright acknowledged that the agency “should position itself to be part of the solution,” as America stands at a nuclear crossroads.
Additionally, the recent executive order to reform the NRC, the most comprehensive regulatory reform in decades, will accelerate the types of reforms identified in the new Idaho National Laboratory report, “Recommendations to Improve Nuclear Licensing.” After reviewing decades of safety data and licensing experience, Idaho National Laboratory identified targeted changes to dramatically reduce time, cost and uncertainty while maintaining America’s gold standard for safety. The most impactful recommendations include:
• Eliminating the unnecessary “mandatory hearing” requirement that adds months to the licensing timeline without improving safety outcomes. Both chambers of Congress have pending legislation addressing this issue, which deserves immediate passage.
• Extending initial reactor licenses from 40 to 60 years, matching the design lifetime of modern reactors and providing the certainty needed for investment.
• Mandating expedited three-month reviews for microreactors using previously approved designs, as re-reviewing settled matters creates unnecessary delays.
• Implementing a general licensing approach for reactors meeting pre-established safety criteria, similar to processes used successfully for other nuclear technologies.
• Streamlining environmental reviews for new nuclear projects that have consistently demonstrated minimal impact.
The evidence is clear: Recent environmental assessments for new reactors consistently show, at most, “small” or “moderate” impacts, while numerous other environmental laws already provide robust protection. As Columbia University researchers recently found, “in no case did the NRC find that a new reactor project would create large adverse impacts.”
These reforms are not about cutting corners, but rather about the red tape that needlessly delays nuclear energy deployment under continued rigorous safety standards. Today’s new reactors feature enhanced safety systems, making outdated regulatory approaches increasingly misaligned with actual risk profiles.
We face a simple choice: Reform our nuclear regulatory process to match today’s urgency, or watch as other nations capture the economic and security benefits of advanced nuclear leadership. China is already constructing more than 20 reactors. By ceding leadership in this critical technology, we risk losing economic benefits, high-paying jobs and the ability to set global safety and nonproliferation standards.
In its history, Idaho National Laboratory has designed, developed and operated 52 reactors, and it stands ready to support America’s nuclear renaissance. Our nuclear potential requires public and private collaboration to modernize a regulatory framework designed for a different era.
Each month of unnecessary regulatory delay costs millions of dollars in foregone clean energy production. The reforms outlined in Idaho National Laboratory’s report provide a blueprint for sensible nuclear regulation that serves our national interests.
The time for action is now. America’s energy future and our global technological leadership depend on it.
• John C. Wagner is the director of Idaho National Laboratory, and Mike Crapo is the senior U.S. senator from Idaho.
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