US nuclear regulators cut fees for advanced reactor designs

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is changing the fees it charges for licensing and inspecting nuclear power plants. It will now charge less for advanced reactor designs, as required by a new law.

For decades, the US nuclear industry has been dominated by one type of reactor, the light-water reactor, which has been in use since the 1960s. New designs have struggled to get through the regulatory process. This change makes it cheaper for companies to get new, advanced reactor designs approved, which could speed up their deployment.