The Federal Authority to License Small Modular Reactors

The report argues that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) possesses the legal authority to license small modular reactors (SMRs) as "utilization facilities" under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954. It contends that the NRC's classification is reasonable, supported by the 2024 ADVANCE Act, and justified by the quantities of special nuclear material used in most SMRs. The author suggests that regulatory improvements should be pursued through collaboration between developers and the NRC rather than through litigation, which risks allowing non-expert judges to decide licensing requirements.

• The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is legally authorized to license small modular reactors (SMRs) as "utilization facilities" under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, a position supported by the 2024 ADVANCE Act and the amount of special nuclear material used in most of these reactors.

APA

Hobohm, K. W. A. S. (2026). The Federal Authority to License Small Modular Reactors. Institute for Policy Integrity. https://policyintegrity.org/publications/detail/the-federal-authority-to-license-small-modular-reactors

Chicago

Hobohm, Kate Welty and Shelby. The Federal Authority to License Small Modular Reactors. Institute for Policy Integrity, 2026. https://policyintegrity.org/publications/detail/the-federal-authority-to-license-small-modular-reactors.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hobohm |first1=Kate Welty and Shelby |title=The Federal Authority to License Small Modular Reactors |publisher=Institute for Policy Integrity |date=25 March 2026 |url=https://policyintegrity.org/publications/detail/the-federal-authority-to-license-small-modular-reactors |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hobohm2026federal, author = {Hobohm, Kate Welty and Shelby}, title = {{The Federal Authority to License Small Modular Reactors}}, institution = {Institute for Policy Integrity}, year = {2026}, month = mar, url = {https://policyintegrity.org/publications/detail/the-federal-authority-to-license-small-modular-reactors}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }