The first half of 2024 has been a dynamic period for the nuclear energy industry, marked by significant legislative and regulatory developments, evolving enforcement trends, and a continued focus on innovation and public...more
Artificial intelligence (AI) not only provides new technological advantages to the energy industry, but also the industry is itself responsible for providing the vast (and growing) amount of energy consumption driven by the...more
In the race to mitigate climate change and achieve net-zero emissions, the industrial sector currently faces immense challenges. One promising solution is the integration of nuclear energy into industrial operations. Here, we...more
With the change of a single number, Congress has provided continued support for the nuclear power industry by renewing the Price-Anderson Act. Congress amended Section 170 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (commonly known as...more
Leaders from 34 countries met in Brussels, Belgium on March 21 for the first Nuclear Energy Summit. The purpose of the summit was to provide participating governments the opportunity to share their vision and plans for using...more
Morgan Lewis’s energy lawyers regularly track developments impacting the nuclear industry on the firm’s Up & Atom blog. Throughout 2023, the team provided updates on new rules and guidance from the US Nuclear Regulatory...more
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has published a final rule increasing civil monetary penalties (CMPs) for unintentional violations of 10 CFR Part 810 (Part 810). The rule, which took effect on January 9, 2024, increases the...more
The US Department of Energy (DOE) recently published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NOPR) and request for comments in the Federal Register proposing a comprehensive revision of the Department of Energy Acquisition...more
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a final rule and associated regulatory guide providing an alternative avenue for small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced reactors to satisfy emergency preparedness...more
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has announced that it intends to issue, by the end of 2023, the final rule and associated regulatory guide that sets emergency preparedness requirements for new reactors. The rulemaking...more
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requires nuclear power reactor licensees to maintain decommissioning cost estimates and to adjust those estimates periodically to account for inflation and other matters, pursuant to...more
The US Department of Energy (DOE) published on January 31 two secretarial determinations in the Federal Register that change the countries that are eligible for general authorizations under 10 CFR Part 810 (Part 810). The...more
The US Department of Energy (DOE) published a final rule imposing financial penalties for unintentional violations of 10 CFR Part 810 (Part 810). Up to this point, DOE could impose monetary penalties for willful violations...more
On December 8, the NRC issued Regulatory Issue Summary (RIS) 2022-03 detailing its plans regarding the use of “Information-Sharing Agreements” to share controlled unclassified information (CUI) with non-executive branch...more
Good news for Mexico—and a potential farewell to Egypt and South Africa: It’s time to look out for the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) changes to the list of generally authorized...more
In a 2-1 vote, NRC Commissioners have approved a new approach for evaluating where reactors can be sited in the United States, opening the door to siting advanced reactors in more densely populated areas than has been allowed...more
A group of four US senators introduced a bill on March 16 to ban imports of uranium products from the Russian Federation. If enacted, such a ban could complicate the refueling of existing commercial reactors in the United...more
The global impact of our planet’s changing climate garnered significant attention in 2021. The United States rejoined the Paris Agreement at the beginning of the year, and in November, during the United Nations Climate Change...more
On December 10, the NRC staff issued SECY-21-0105 seeking approval from the NRC commissioners to publish a notice of final rule that would officially replace the NRC's sensitive unclassified non-safeguards information (SUNSI)...more
On December 17, the NRC published a report to Congress on the continuing need for and any potential modifications to the Price-Anderson Act (PAA). The NRC was required to submit the report, “Public Liability Insurance and...more
Despite the global attention being paid to combatting climate change, nuclear energy is often ignored in the discussion about how to reduce carbon emissions, but as a reliable, low-carbon energy source, nuclear power is...more
President Joseph Biden signed the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (the Act) on November 15, 2021, which allocates $550 billion in new spending over the next five years to improve US infrastructure,...more
11/16/2021
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The NRC held a public meeting on October 21 to discuss the status of its evaluation of environmental justice (EJ) in its programs, policies, and activities. During the meeting, the NRC reviewed recent EJ efforts and feedback...more
The NRC released a draft white paper discussing options to streamline its regulatory licensing process for microreactors. Specifically, the NRC Staff is “considering strategies to streamline the license review process by...more
An NRC working group released a report on July 23 after conducting a “fundamental” review of 10 CFR Part 110 (Part 110) and the NRC’s readiness to license exports of advanced reactors and their associated nuclear material....more