Nuclear Regulatory Commission Announces New Developments in the Nuclear Energy Industry

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has made several recent announcements regarding new developments in the nuclear energy industry. The first announcement concerns the possible reopening of Constellation's Crane Clean Energy Center, formerly known as the Three Mile Island-1 nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. Two public meetings will be held to discuss the possibility of reopening the plant. The second announcement involves the Tennessee Valley Authority's construction permit application for a GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactor at the Clinch River Nuclear Site in Tennessee. The NRC is offering opportunities to intervene in an adjudicatory hearing on the application. The third announcement pertains to a new targeted approach for risk-informed inspections at the Honeywell Metropolis Works, a uranium hexafluoride processing facility in Illinois.

Key Takeaways:

• The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is holding two public meetings to discuss the possible reopening of Constellation's Crane Clean Energy Center in Pennsylvania.
• The meetings will take place on July 31 (in-person) and August 6 (virtual), with NRC presentations and question-and-comment sessions.
• The NRC is offering opportunities to intervene in an adjudicatory hearing on the Tennessee Valley Authority's construction permit application for a BWRX-300 small modular reactor at the Clinch River Nuclear Site.
• The NRC is piloting a new targeted approach for risk-informed inspections at the Honeywell Metropolis Works facility in Illinois, with a proposed 25% savings in inspection resources in 2026.
• The new approach could yield as much as a 40% savings overall for the three-year inspection cycle.
• The NRC is assessing the pilot program at the end of 2026 to inform future allocation of inspection resources at Honeywell and potentially at other facilities.

Statistics:

• 25% potential savings in inspection resources in 2026 (pilot facility)
• 40% potential overall savings for the three-year inspection cycle (assuming pilot extension)
• 2 public meetings held to discuss the possible reopening of Constellation's Crane Clean Energy Center
• 1 adjudicatory hearing offered on the Tennessee Valley Authority's construction permit application for a BWRX-300 SMR
• 1 new targeted approach for risk-informed inspections piloted at the Honeywell Metropolis Works facility
• 45 hours proposed inspection time annually for the Honeywell Metropolis Works facility

Sources:

• The Federal Register notice regarding the TVA's construction permit application for the Clinch River SMR on July 15
• The NRC memo titled "Calendar year 2026 principal inspection plan program adjustment for Honeywell Metropolis Works" on July 15
• The American Nuclear Society (ANS) press release on the NRC announcements