Nuclear power plants can now count on local police to defend against attacks
What happened
US nuclear regulators are changing how power plants plan for security. Plants can now include local law enforcement response times in their official security plans.
Why it matters
For decades, nuclear power plants had to assume they were on their own for a certain amount of time during an attack. This meant they had to build expensive, self-sufficient security forces. Now, they can factor in how quickly local police or other agencies can arrive. This could make it cheaper to meet security requirements for existing plants and new designs.
The signal
Watch for whether this change leads to a measurable reduction in security staffing or capital expenditures at nuclear power plants, or if it primarily benefits new reactor designs seeking licenses.