Federal Register #2026-08024

NRC Regulatory Update: Licensing Criteria for Research and Development Utilization Facilities

This announcement details a regulatory update from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regarding licensing criteria for research and development utilization facilities: - The NRC has amended its regulations to clarify financial criteria for licensing utilization facilities used in research and development - The rule aligns NRC regulations with the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act and the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2024 - Amendments specify cost expenditure thresholds for determining whether a facility is licensed as a commercial facility (section 103) or as a research and development facility (section 104c) under the Atomic Energy Act - No products, OEMs, or vendors are requested or mentioned, as this is a regulatory change, not a procurement opportunity - The rule aims to provide regulatory clarity and efficiency for licensees and the NRC, impacting entities that own or operate research and development utilization facilities

Description

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations to clarify the financial criteria used to determine whether a utilization facility used for research and development activities is licensed as a commercial facility or as a research and development facility. This final rule aligns NRC regulations with the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act and the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2024. The amendments specify cost expenditure thresholds for licensing under sections 103 and 104c of the Atomic Energy Act. The rule is effective April 24, 2026, and aims to provide regulatory clarity and efficiency for licensees and the NRC.

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