A House Energy and Commerce subcommittee is set to hold an oversight hearing on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as concerns grow that the decadeslong separation between the nuclear industry and its regulator could be eroding.
The Subcommittee on Energy hearing marks the latest step in a long-running, bipartisan effort on Capitol Hill to scrutinize and potentially reform the nation’s top nuclear safety agency. Lawmakers and industry groups have for years argued that the NRC’s regulations are overly burdensome and its processes too slow, holding back new nuclear deployment.
“This hearing will provide our members the opportunity to hear firsthand … the steps the Commission is taking to ensure its regulatory processes are efficient, predictable, and supportive of American energy dominance,” full committee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and subcommittee Chair Bob Latta (R-Ohio) said in a joint statement.
But despite growing bipartisan support for expanding nuclear power, Democrats warn that efforts by the Trump administration to exert greater control over the agency risk undermining the “gold standard” of safety the NRC is known for.
