Here are curated AG and federal regulatory news stories highlighting key areas in which state and federal regulators’ decisions are having an impact across the US: • FL AG Energized About Reducing Regulatory Burdens on...more
Florida AG James Uthmeier and Last Energy, Inc. filed a petition with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) seeking a declaratory order stating that the licensing requirements under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 are...more
Tennessee has been one of the centers of nuclear innovation in the United States since the first days of the Manhattan Project. Today, Tennessee remains a leader in the nuclear industry and is home to the Oak Ridge National...more
After a busy 2025 for the nuclear power industry and its federal regulators, the opening days of 2026 have made clear that this trend is only accelerating in the year ahead. With data centers, cloud computing, and AI driving...more
The Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials (“ASTSWMO”) published a January 2026 report titled: Solid Waste Landfills and Radioactive Material Survey Report (“Report”)....more
The NRC has issued a Federal Register notice confirming the January 8, 2026 effective date of its direct final rule implementing the requirements of Executive Order 14270, Zero-Based Regulatory Budgeting to Unleash American...more
The NRC saw major staffing transitions in 2025, including an unprecedented number of vacancies at the senior staff level. As 2026 kicks off, the Commission has returned to a full slate of five, and the agency has filled...more
President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order directing the reclassification of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). This reclassification, along with the growing number of states that allow...more
Fusion energy, the same process that powers our sun and stars, is rapidly moving from scientific theory to commercial reality. In a fusion reaction, two light atoms—typically deuterium and tritium—combine to form a helium...more
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently released Draft Interim Staff Guidance (ISG) DSS-ISG-2025-XX, Treatment of Certain Loss-of-Coolant Accident Locations as Beyond-Design-Basis Accidents. The draft guidance, if...more
On November 18, 2025, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued its Staff Requirements Memorandum for SECY-24-0009, which proposed changes to the NRC Enforcement Policy governing regulated materials and civil penalties. The...more
The nuclear power industry in 2025 is undergoing a renaissance, fueled by the urgent need for reliable energy to meet growing demands from sectors like AI and data centers....more
Under the auspices of Section 5 of Executive Order 14300, Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published on November 26, 2025 an immediately effective final rule,...more
This is the tenth article in Womble Bond Dickinson’s Energy & Natural Resources thought leadership series titled “Going Nuclear: A Sustainable Solution to Rising Energy Demand.” The series will explore the changing landscape...more
As part of the response to four executive orders focused on expanding and accelerating the development and use of nuclear energy, the US Department of Energy and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission have signed Addendum 9 to...more
After the longest shutdown in American history, both the House and Senate return this week with a heavy workload before funding for most government agencies expires on January 30. In addition to appropriations, Congress...more
The federal government's recent momentum toward deploying advanced nuclear technologies has brought renewed attention to a long-standing but often overlooked question: which agencies actually have the authority to build and...more
Key Takeaways - New Circuit Split on Tort Liability for Nuclear Incidents: Before last year, federal appellate courts consistently looked to federal safety regulations to define the standard of care in tort suits related...more
The new Technology Prosperity Deal (TPD), formalized earlier in September through a memorandum of understanding between the United States (U.S.) and the United Kingdom (UK), aims to foster collaboration on strategic science...more
On June 18, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a 6–3 decision in Nuclear Regulatory Commission v. Texas, 605 U.S. ___ (2025), authored by Justice Kavanaugh with Justices Gorsuch, Thomas, and Alito dissenting....more
The federal government shut down at 12:01 am on October 1, 2025 in the absence of legislation to appropriate funds for government operations. In the event of a temporary lapse of appropriations, agencies including the US...more
For companies subject to regulatory oversight of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), Tuesday could mark the beginning of a critical chapter in the agency’s history. ...more
In connection with President Donald Trump’s recent state visit to the United Kingdom, the United States and the United Kingdom unveiled a slate of new and expanded agreements designed to accelerate cooperation in nuclear...more
The Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy ushers in new regulatory and commercial collaboration between the UK and US aimed at rapidly accelerating nuclear energy deployment - The partnership, announced on 15...more
On September 4, 2025, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee convened a hearing to consider the nominations of Laura Swett and David LaCerte to serve as commissioners at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission...more