Reformed and reforming: Adapting the licensing process to meet new challenges

The NRC has engaged in a steady, albeit modest, examination of its preparedness for advanced designs over the past few years. These efforts have included examination of its own guidance and processes as well as co-operation with the US Department of Energy (US DOE) in identifying key issues and potential strategies. But the NRC is constrained in some respects from devoting substantial resources to the development of new or revised regulatory approaches due to statutory requirements that the NRC recover most of its appropriated funds through user fees imposed on the industry. Unless designers are prepared to put up the funds necessary to cover the fees for review of the new designs, the NRC is not able to review them, and licensees of operating facilities paying annual fees may not all be supportive of the NRC expending resources to develop infrastructure for the review of advanced reactor designs. Given the current context, this article will attempt to reflect on the NRC's current framework for licensing, the lessons from NRC's regulations in 10 CFR Part 52 and strategies for adapting to the new demands that may be made on the agency