US President Donald Trump’s newly appointed head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), David Wright, says the future of nuclear energy and radioactive materials in the US is “at a crossroads”, and “the NRC should position itself to be a part of the solution”.

Wright has been an NRC Commissioner since May 2018 and is currently serving a term ending 30 June 2025 and was formerly a South Carolina utility regulator. Wright is optimistic about the potential for a nuclear resurgence as small modular reactors (SMRs) gain recognition among US tech companies as power suppliers to data centres driving artificial intelligence. “A lot of people thought … the renaissance was coming a few years back and didn’t quite materialise,” he said at a 2023 meeting of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners. “But I believe this one’s going to be real.”

In July 2024, Congress passed the bipartisan ADVANCE Act, which directed NRC to streamline the permitting process for advanced reactors, reduce regulatory fees for companies looking to license advanced reactors and update outdated rules that limit international investment.

In line with this direction, NRC has now approved an updated mission statement, which says: “The NRC protects public health and safety and advances the nation’s common defence and security by enabling the safe and secure use and deployment of civilian nuclear energy technologies and radioactive materials through efficient and reliable licensing, oversight, and regulation for the benefit of society and the environment.”

In contrast, the previous mission statement simply emphasised safety with no obligation to enable the use of nuclear technologies. It simply said NRC “licenses and regulates the nation’s civilian use of radioactive materials to provide reasonable assurance of adequate protection of public health and safety and to promote the common defence and security and to protect the environment”.

Commenting on the new mission statement, Wright emphasised this new approach. “The future of nuclear energy and radioactive materials in this country is at a crossroads, and the NRC should position itself to be a part of the solution,” he said. “Congress has directed the NRC to be an enabler to nuclear technologies while staying true to the core principles laid out in the Atomic Energy Act. This updated mission statement meets that intent.”

An article in E&E News (Politico) said Wright will face pressure to bolster industry growth without compromising safety. It cited Stephen Burns, a former NRC chair under then-President Barack Obama, who had worked with Wright for two years, as saying: “This wave of interest and different developers is really different, and I think that’s something he will pay attention to.”

Noting that President Donald Trump has pointed to overregulation as a factor holding back nuclear power, the article said Wright will face pressure to bolster industry growth without compromising safety.

“While Wright’s chairmanship begins with the promise of innovation, regulatory challenges loom large,”, it noted. In 2022, NRC ruled that licences for three plants seeking life extension required updated environmental studies. Wright dissented from this decision and criticised the move for undermining transparency and consistency in regulation. “For the NRC to function as an effective and credible regulator, our stakeholders must be able to rely on our statements and positions,” he said.

Burns said this reflects Wright’s broader commitment to balancing regulatory integrity with practical industry needs. “He will take a very measured view towards some of the policy initiatives that are up for it now.” According to E&E, Burns noted that Wright is likely to temper the ambitions of agency staff more than most.

Burns noted Wright’s work simplifying the proposal for the “Part 53” rule, designed to provide a new regulatory framework for advanced reactors such as SMRs. The initial proposal was over 1,200 pages long, Burns said, but Wright guided staff to streamline the rule by revising risk metrics, delegating specifics to guidance documents, simplifying the rule’s structure and exploring the use of applicant safety cases. Wright said NRC must be prepared to “get [reactors] through the licensing part so that they can get to market”.