U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, led an oversight hearing on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) with participation from the current Chairman and Commissioners. This was the first such hearing since March 2023.
During her opening statement, Capito discussed recent developments in the nuclear industry and emphasized changes in policy, licensing, and management at the NRC. She pointed to a need for more affordable and reliable energy for American homes and businesses.
Capito addressed past criticisms of the NRC, noting that "for decades, the NRC took too long, cost too much, and did not have a predictable and efficient process to approve new licenses or modernize outdated regulations." She referenced bipartisan work with Ranking Member Whitehouse to pass the ADVANCE Act into law last year. According to Capito, "The ADVANCE Act was passed to spur the Commission, to give the Commissions tools to take urgent, bold steps to set the agency on the right course for the next generation of nuclear energy."
She noted that since implementation of this law began, both NRC staff and Commissioners have worked on updates including revising their Mission Statement for the first time in 35 years. Capito stated that "this Mission Statement must now guide both the staff and the Commission in their daily work," stressing that success will be measured by results such as establishing clear safety regulations and timely approval processes.
President Trump’s Executive Order 14300 issued in May was highlighted as complementary to these efforts. The order aims to reform NRC operations by setting licensing deadlines, reconsidering agency organization, and updating regulations.
Capito described a visit to TerraPower’s construction site in Wyoming where she learned about efforts by NRC staff to expedite advanced reactor projects. She said that "since initially accepting TerraPower’s license application, the NRC has considerably shortened their review time... In a novel approach, the NRC approved TerraPower’s request to separate nuclear and non-nuclear energy systems..." allowing parts of projects to move forward under state authority while federal safety reviews continue.
She cautioned against rapid changes that could create instability or uncertainty for future project financing but reiterated that maintaining nuclear safety is central.
Capito concluded: “To be successful in this effort, the NRC must work with us, with Congress, the regulated community, and other stakeholders. That is why we’re here this morning... I’m optimistic the information that we gather today will be useful in my ongoing bipartisan efforts with Ranking Member Whitehouse to enable the use of nuclear energy.”
