New nuclear reactor designs can now skip some environmental reviews

US nuclear regulators have updated their rules for environmental reviews of new reactor applications. This means many new reactor designs will no longer need to conduct unique environmental impact studies for common issues.

For decades, every new nuclear reactor design, even those using established technologies, had to go through a full environmental review process. This rule change means that common environmental impacts, like those from construction or operation, are now pre-approved. This could significantly speed up the licensing process for new reactor types, especially smaller, advanced designs that have struggled with the old, slow system.