FANCO Files for NRC Review of Lead-Bismuth Fast Reactor
First American Nuclear submitted its EAGL-1 small modular reactor design to the NRC on April 15, marking the first lead-bismuth-cooled reactor in the U.S. pre-application pipeline and a direct challenge to sodium-cooled designs.
Air Force names first microreactor bases, targets 2030 deployment
The U.S. Air Force selected Buckley SFB and Malmstrom AFB to host nuclear microreactors by 2030, marking the first permanent on-site reactors at operational military installations and signaling a strategic pivot away from grid dependence.
NRC Part 53 Takes Effect April 29—First New Nuclear Licensing Framework in 37 Years
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's Part 53 rule—the first new reactor licensing framework since 1989—goes live April 29, 2026, enabling advanced reactor developers to file applications without legacy light-water reactor exemptions for the first time.
NRC Grants TerraPower First Advanced Reactor Construction Permit in a Decade
TerraPower's Natrium sodium-cooled reactor at Kemmerer, Wyoming received an NRC construction permit on March 4, 2026 — the first for a commercial non-light-water reactor in more than 40 years.
NRC Finalizes Part 53: First New U.S. Reactor Licensing Framework Since 1989
The NRC's March 26, 2026 finalization of 10 CFR Part 53 ends a 37-year regulatory gap, offering advanced reactor developers $53.6–$68.2 million in per-applicant savings and a technology-neutral licensing path.