Unleashing Nuclear Energy: Key Recommendations for Advancing America's Energy Future

The House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy and Regulatory Affairs held a hearing on July 22, 2025, to discuss the future of nuclear energy in the United States. Alex Epstein, president and founder of the Center for Industrial Progress, presented written testimony to the subcommittee, outlining four key recommendations for advancing America's energy future through nuclear power. These recommendations aim to address regulatory hurdles and inefficiencies that have hindered the growth of nuclear energy in the country.

Key Takeaways:

• The NRC should strip out inefficiencies in its licensing process, including unnecessary hearings and excessive review times, to speed up the licensing process for nuclear reactors. Within 6 months, the NRC should publish a step-by-step licensing map and create an online dashboard to track progress.
• The NRC should use General Environmental Impact Statements (GEISs) by default for standardized reactor designs, eliminating duplicative review and costs. Within 90 days, the NRC could issue a proposed rule amending regulatory code Parts 50 and 52, and within 1 year, finalize a GEIS for standardized SMR designs.
• The NRC should replace the Linear No Threshold (LNT) model and the As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) standard with science-based radiation limits. Within 3 months, the NRC could request a National Academies study on LNT low-dose radiation science, and within 18 months, publish proposed rules stripping LNT and ALARA from its regulations.
• The NRC should establish "nuclear innovation zones" on federal lands to allow for the testing and iteration of nuclear reactor designs. Within 6 months, DOE and DOD could designate multiple zones on federal land and publish plug-and-play lease templates for developers to apply for the opportunity.
• SMR developers could break ground on the first private prototype as early as 2026 and feed real-world operating data into commercial license applications by 2028.

Statistics:

• 20% of American electrical power was generated by nuclear power in the 1970s, with the potential to get much more affordable and plentiful (Source: Our World in Data - Electricity production by source, United States)
• Interest can account for over 30% of a nuclear plant's capital cost due to excessive regulatory review (Source: Breakthrough Institute - Environmental Reviews Should Empower Nuclear Energy, Not Stall It)
• The NRC should save tens of millions of dollars on each unit by abolishing LNT and ALARA regulations (Source: The White House - Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission)
• SMR developers could have the opportunity to deliver abundant, reliable, and affordable nuclear power to Americans by the end of this decade (Source: Alex Epstein's written testimony)

Sources:

• Our World in Data - Electricity production by source, United States
• Ted Nordhaus - It's the Regulation, Stupid
• U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission - About the ADVANCE Act
• U.S. Department of Energy - 9 Key Takeaways from President Trump's Executive Orders on Nuclear Energy
• U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Mission Statement Implementation Guidance
• Breakthrough Institute - Environmental Reviews Should Empower Nuclear Energy, Not Stall It
• The White House - Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• U.S. Nuclear Regulatory commission - Part 53 - Risk Informed, Technology-Inclusive Regulatory Framework for Advanced Reactors
• The White House - President Trump Signs Executive Orders to Usher in a Nuclear Renaissance, Restore Gold Standard Science

Note: Original text available at: https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Epstein-Written-Testimony.pdf