Nuclear Regulatory Commission highlights internal changes at Regulatory Information Conference

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) Regulatory Information Conference this year highlighted efforts to modernize the agency’s processes and culture, NRC said recently.

“Many of the NRC’s processes and much of our regulatory framework were developed to serve mid-20th century nuclear technologies and needs. … We recognize that the changes occurring in the nuclear industry will challenge this framework and additional regulatory change is needed,” NRC Executive Director for Operations Victor McCree said. “Such proactive innovation is important and we remain committed to advancing change in this very meaningful way.”

The NRC staff has formed a “transformation team” that is currently engaging stakeholders to produce a paper later this year. The results of the research effort will inform the agency’s transformation strategy and vision.

The NRC transformation initiative will focus on issues including the use of digital instrumentation and control (I&C) in nuclear power plant control rooms, using insights from data analysis to make regulations and plant operations more efficient and using risk assessments to inform advanced reactor licensing and other regulatory changes.

The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) has also formed a transformation team and will submit a report to the NRC this week entitled “A Framework for Regulatory Transformation,” which will suggest steps NRC can take to increase its effectiveness, improve accountability and increase safety.

“There is an urgent need for change and adaptation in the U.S. nuclear power industry,” NEI Director of Life Extension and New Technology Jason Remer said. “However, this change cannot happen without first transforming the regulatory framework and initiating the necessary changes in NRC and industry behavior.”