Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has established teams to carry out the big changes that Congress required in the ADVANCE Act, Chair Christopher Hanson told reporters this week.
Why it matters: The bipartisan legislation passed in June sets in motion a major rewrite of the commission's procedures to expedite licensing of advanced reactors and hire new staff.
The bill's direct-hire provisions will help the NRC overcome longstanding staffing challenges as interest in nuclear power soars as a zero-carbon way to meet rising energy demand.
- "Smart people are in really, really high demand," Hanson told Axios.
- He said he's looking forward to showing lawmakers that "we've been able to go and find these smart folks who want to come serve the country and pay them competitively relative to the rest of the sector."
Between the lines: The commission is not only preparing for advanced reactor license applications but also now working through requests to bring nukes back online.
- The deal between Constellation and Microsoft to restart Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania is "a huge vote of confidence in the NRC's ability to be rigorous, flexible and efficient in doing something that's really never been done before in regulatory space," Hanson said.
- The NRC will learn from the Palisades restart in Michigan and apply lessons to Three Mile Island, he said.
What's next: Hanson said it could take a "couple of years" to fully implement the law, given the variety of deadlines and reporting requirements.
