House subcommittee debates faster licensing for small and micro modular reactors while experts warn on safety and independence of NRC

At a hearing of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform’s Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy and Regulatory Affairs, lawmakers and three witnesses debated whether and how to speed deployment of advanced nuclear technologies while protecting public health and safety. Chair Burlinson opened the hearing by saying, "A new age for nuclear power has started." (Chair Burlinson, opening statement.)

The hearing centered on competing views of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s role: witnesses pushing aggressive licensing reforms and supporters of the NRC’s current, more deliberate approach who warned that rapid deregulation could undermine safety and public confidence. Alex Epstein, president and founder of the Center for Industrial Progress, urged sweeping changes at the NRC to remove what he called unnecessary delays and costs. "The NRC has been 1 of the greatest failures in policy history," Epstein said, and he recommended four immediate steps including (1) mapping and trimming licensing steps, (2) making general environmental impact statements (GEIS) the default for standardized reactor designs, (3) reexamining the linear no-threshold (LNT) radiation model and ALARA (as…