Expedite NRC review of license extensions for existing reactors

What has happened

1. Mar 30, 2026 Partially done

   The NEPA-streamlining half began to land: the NRC's final rule on categorical exclusions from environmental review removes the need for environmental assessments for a class of licensing, regulatory and administrative actions, and it followed with the generic environmental impact statement rule on 24 April 2026 and a proposed wholesale revision of its NEPA regulations on 7 July 2026 that would narrow reviews to effects within the NRC's substantive authority. Partial rather than done: the one-year renewal deadline and the license-period extension are in the proposed licensing rule of 16 July 2026, not yet final.

   • NRC final rule: Categorical Exclusions From Environmental Review

     Primary Executive branch Mar 30, 2026

   • NRC final rule: Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors

     Primary Executive branch Apr 24, 2026

   • NRC proposed rule: Implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act

     Primary Executive branch Jul 7, 2026

   • NRC proposed rule: Modernizing Reactor Licensing, Safety Oversight, and Siting Practices

     Primary Executive branch Jul 16, 2026

2. May 23, 2025 Attempted

   EO 14300 section 5(a) sets a deadline of no more than one year for a final decision on an application to continue operating an existing reactor, and section 5(c) directs the NRC to revise its NEPA regulations to reflect the 2023 amendments to that statute and the policies of EO 14154. Section 5(i) separately directs the NRC to reconsider and extend the period for which a renewed license remains effective.

   • Executive Order 14300, Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

     Primary Executive branch May 23, 2025