NRC issues final rule streamlining contested nuclear licensing hearings
- Adjudications generally completed within 11 to 13.5 months, NRC says
- Evidentiary hearings to begin as soon as practicable after contentions are admitted
- Projected undiscounted net savings of $67.4 million over five years, agency says
Photo: Unsplash - jason huWhat changed The rule cuts the time to file a petition for Commission review of a presiding officer's initial decision from 25 days to 20 days.
WASHINGTON, Oct 30 — The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a final rule revising its procedures for contested licensing hearings, which the agency said will generally let it complete adjudications within 11 to 13.5 months, or faster for expedited proceedings.
The rule, in Docket ID NRC-2025-1501 (RIN 3150-AL58), responds to the ADVANCE Act of 2024 and Executive Order 14300, which directs the NRC to streamline its public hearing process, according to the document.
The rule requires evidentiary hearings to begin as soon as practicable after contentions are admitted. Under the existing rules, such hearings generally do not begin until NRC staff complete their review of an application, the agency said.
Hearing requests are due within 60 days of the Federal Register notice in Standard Proceedings, 45 days in Focused Proceedings, 30 days in Expedited Proceedings and 20 days for license transfers.
Initial decisions in Standard Proceedings on contentions submitted by the Standard Hearing Completion Date must be issued within 135 days of the contention's admission, when the presiding officer proceeds immediately to the evidentiary hearing, except where extraordinary circumstances necessitate a delay, according to the rule. The rule also eliminates the NRC staff's hearing file obligations and excludes internal text, instant and voice messages from mandatory disclosure absent a showing of exceptional circumstances.
The NRC projects cumulative undiscounted net savings of $67.4 million over 2026-2030 for the public, the industry and government.
The rule takes effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register and applies to contested proceedings noticed on or after that date.
The NRC published the proposed rule on March 3, 2026, and received 33 unique comment submissions. The final rule drops proposed limits on non-attorney representation, the agency said.