Enabling High Volume Licensing of Advanced Nuclear Energy

This report reviews the current licensing process for new nuclear power plants at the NRC and concludes that it is unlikely the agency could reasonably scale existing licensing processes as they are currently implemented to meet the potential future high volume licensing demand (tens to hundreds of new reactors per year) to meet mid-century climate goals. It also identifies major licensing processes that most significantly constrain NRC licensing capacity limitations relevant to future high volume licensing. Finally, it presents three specific proposals that aim to enable high volume licensing of advanced nuclear energy by the NRC in the long term.

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