The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Energy Subcommittee recently held a hearing titled "Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Oversight of Activities, Priorities, and Fiscal Year 2027 Budget.”
Witnesses were: Ho Nieh, Chair, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and the following NRC commissioners: David Wright, Bradley Crowell, Matthew Marzano, Douglas Weaver.
The subcommittee reviewed the NRC’s activities, priorities, and budget, focusing on the agency's transformation in response to growing energy demand and recent legislative and executive directives.
Republican members expressed optimism about the NRC's progress in implementing the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act of 2023 (Pub. L. 118–67) and Executive Order 14300, "Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission."
They highlighted efficiency gains in licensing and the finalization of the Part 53 rule for advanced reactors, framing these as critical for meeting load growth from artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers, restarting shuttered plants, and deploying new technologies like small modular reactors (SMRs).
Democratic members reiterated bipartisan support for nuclear energy but raised concerns about the NRC's independence, citing the firing of a commissioner, political pressure from the White House and Department of Energy (DOE), and a lack of transparency in rulemaking. They warned that these actions, coupled with significant staff attrition of over 400 people, could erode public trust, undermine safety, and ultimately slow nuclear deployment.
Witnesses affirmed their commitment to the NRC's safety mission and independence while detailing progress on regulatory modernization, reactor restarts, and advanced reactor licensing.
Topics covered during the Q&A portion of the hearing included:
• NRC’s Mission/SMRs
• NRC Independence and Staffing
• NRC and the Nuclear Industry
• Vogtle Electric Generating Plant (Vogtle)/ADVANCE Act
• Spent Nuclear Fuel/Fuel Supply
• Power Uprates/Brownfields
• Reactor Oversight Process
• Public Confidence in Nuclear
• Mandatory Hearings for Uncontested Licenses
• Executive Order 14300
