New nuclear projects can now bypass some environmental reviews

US nuclear regulators want to simplify how they review environmental impacts for new projects. This means some nuclear facilities will no longer need full environmental assessments, potentially speeding up their approval.

Environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act have been a major bottleneck for new infrastructure, including nuclear power. These rules narrow the scope of what US nuclear regulators must consider. This could significantly reduce the time and cost to license new nuclear reactors or other nuclear facilities. It also signals a broader push to accelerate nuclear energy development in the US.