The Department of Energy has quietly rewritten its nuclear safety rules, removing over 750 pages of requirements—including the decades-old ALARA standard that kept radiation exposure 'as low as reasonably achievable.' The changes, shared only with regulated companies and not the public, aim to clear the path for experimental reactors to achieve criticality by July 4, 2026—a timeline nuclear experts call 'a pretty big understatement' in terms of its aggressiveness. In August 2025, Aalo Atomics broke ground on the nation's first experimental reactor under the new rules at Idaho National Laboratory, though DOE Secretary Chris Wright later acknowledged only one or two reactors might meet the July deadline.
The overhaul consolidates seven security directives totaling 500+ pages into a single 23-page order, changes environmental prohibitions on radioactive discharges to 'should be avoided,' and eliminates requirements for dedicated safety engineers on critical systems. When NPR revealed the secret rulemaking in January 2026, House Energy and Commerce Democrats condemned the 'dangerous sabotage' and demanded transparency, while the Union of Concerned Scientists warned the administration is 'taking a wrecking ball to the system that has kept the U.S. from having another Three Mile Island accident.' DOE said it intends to make the rules public 'later this year.'
Fictional content for perspective - not real quotes.
Cecil Rhodes
(1853-1902) ·Victorian Era · industry
Fictional AI pastiche — not real quote.
"Ah, what magnificent audacity! To sweep away 750 pages of bureaucratic timidity in pursuit of harnessing the very power of the atom—this is the spirit that built empires. Though I confess, in my day we at least published our mining regulations before the shafts collapsed; secrecy may serve diplomacy, but it makes poor bedfellows with public confidence when one is quite literally splitting atoms."
0% found this insightful
Ever wondered what historical figures would say about today's headlines?
Sign up to generate historical perspectives on this story.
Images from Openverse under Creative Commons licenses.
Videos from YouTube.
Key Indicators
750+
Pages Removed
Pages of safety requirements eliminated from DOE orders, leaving roughly one-third of original content
11
Reactor Designs
Advanced reactor projects from 10 companies selected for the Reactor Pilot Program
July 4, 2026
Target Date
Deadline for reactors to achieve criticality—Wright says only 1-2 may meet goal
23
New Security Pages
Seven security directives totaling 500+ pages consolidated into a single 23-page order
$136M
First Project Cost
Aalo Atomics' Aalo-X reactor budget, aiming for 11-month construction timeline
People Involved
Chris Wright
Secretary of Energy (Leading nuclear energy expansion)
Christopher T. Hanson
Former Chair, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (2021-2025) (Fired by Trump in June 2025)
Edwin Lyman
Director of Nuclear Power Safety, Union of Concerned Scientists (Vocal critic of regulatory changes)
Kathryn Huff
Former Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy (2022-2024) (Now associate professor at University of Illinois)
FJ
Frank Pallone Jr.
Ranking Member, House Energy and Commerce Committee (Leading Democratic opposition to rule changes)
Organizations Involved
U.
U.S. Department of Energy
Federal Agency
Status: Primary regulator for Reactor Pilot Program
The federal agency overseeing nuclear weapons, energy research, and—for reactors on its own sites—nuclear safety regulation.
NU
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Independent Federal Agency
Status: Loaned staff to DOE; independence questioned after Hanson firing
The independent agency created after the Atomic Energy Commission was split, specifically to separate nuclear promotion from safety regulation.
ID
Idaho National Laboratory
National Laboratory
Status: Primary site for reactor construction and rule development
The DOE laboratory that has hosted 52 nuclear reactors—more than any other site in the world—and where safety personnel rewrote the new orders.
UN
Union of Concerned Scientists
Nonprofit Advocacy Organization
Status: Leading critic of safety rule changes
A science advocacy organization that has monitored nuclear safety and security since the 1970s.
AA
Aalo Atomics
Private Company
Status: First to break ground under Reactor Pilot Program
A Texas-based nuclear startup developing sodium-cooled 'extra modular reactors' (XMR) purpose-built for powering AI data centers.
AN
Antares Nuclear Inc.
Private Company
Status: Pilot program participant in fuel fabrication phase
A nuclear technology company developing reactors using TRISO fuel from HALEU feedstock.
Timeline
NPR Reveals Secret Safety Rule Rewrites
Investigation
NPR publishes investigation revealing DOE has overhauled nuclear safety orders without public notice, removing 750+ pages of requirements and sharing new rules only with regulated companies.
Congressional Democrats Condemn Secret Rulemaking
Political Response
House Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. states he has 'zero confidence' the administration can promote nuclear energy while maintaining public safety, calling the changes 'dangerous sabotage.' Democrats demand full transparency before considering nuclear legislation.
Union of Concerned Scientists Issues Formal Statement
Advocacy Response
Edwin Lyman releases statement calling the secret rulemaking 'deeply troubling' and confirming 'worst fears about the dire state of nuclear power safety and security oversight,' stating DOE 'has taken a sledgehammer to the basic principles that underlie effective nuclear regulation.'
DOE Commits to Publishing Rules 'Later This Year'
Agency Response
In response to NPR investigation, Department of Energy says it intends to make the rewritten rules public 'later this year,' while defending changes as removing 'administrative burdens' while still requiring reactors to be 'safe and secure.'
DOE Publishes Proposed Worker Safety Exclusions
Regulatory
Department of Energy publishes proposed rule changes excluding respiratory protection and welding standards from requirements.
DOE Formally Ends ALARA Standard
Regulatory
Secretary Chris Wright gives final approval to end the 'As Low As Reasonably Achievable' radiation exposure principle in place since 1954, citing need to 'reduce the economic and operational burden on nuclear energy while aligning with available scientific evidence.'
Wright Acknowledges Deadline May Slip
Policy
Energy Secretary Chris Wright tells American Nuclear Society Winter Conference that only one or two reactors might meet the July 4, 2026 deadline, though others are 'close behind,' backing away from original goal of three reactors.
Antares Nuclear Begins Fuel Fabrication
Program
Antares Nuclear starts fabrication of TRISO fuel from HALEU feedstock, declaring 'We will achieve k=1 before July 4, 2026!'—one of the most confident timelines among pilot program participants.
Aalo Atomics Breaks Ground on First Pilot Reactor
Construction
Aalo Atomics becomes first company to break ground under the Reactor Pilot Program, starting construction on Aalo-X—a $136 million, 10-megawatt sodium-cooled reactor at Idaho National Laboratory targeting 11-month construction timeline to July 4, 2026 criticality.
DOE Selects 11 Reactor Designs for Pilot Program
Program
The Office of Nuclear Energy announces 11 advanced reactor projects from 10 companies have been selected for the Reactor Pilot Program.
DOE Begins Removing ALARA Requirements
Regulatory
Department of Energy starts eliminating the 'as low as reasonably achievable' radiation exposure standard from new rules.
NRC Chair Christopher Hanson Fired
Leadership
Trump fires NRC Commissioner Christopher Hanson—the first such removal in the agency's 50-year history—without stated cause.
DOE Briefs Industry on New Approval Pathway
Policy
Department of Energy officials meet with Nuclear Energy Institute executives to present the accelerated regulatory pathway.
Trump Signs Four Nuclear Executive Orders
Policy
Executive orders establish the Reactor Pilot Program with a goal of three reactors achieving criticality by July 4, 2026, and target quadrupling U.S. nuclear capacity to 400 gigawatts by 2050.
Chris Wright Confirmed as Energy Secretary
Leadership
The Senate confirms Liberty Energy founder Chris Wright as Secretary of Energy by 59-38 vote.
NuScale's First SMR Project Cancelled
Industry Setback
NuScale and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems terminate the Carbon Free Power Project after costs balloon from $5 billion to $9 billion and subscriptions fall short.
Three Mile Island Partial Meltdown
Accident
The worst accident in U.S. commercial nuclear history triggers sweeping safety reforms and decades of regulatory caution.
NRC Created as Independent Regulator
Institutional
Congress splits the Atomic Energy Commission, creating the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to separate safety regulation from nuclear promotion.
ALARA Principle Established
Regulatory Precedent
The National Committee on Radiation Protection establishes that radiation exposures should 'be kept at the lowest practical level'—the foundation of what becomes the ALARA standard.
Scenarios
1
Reactors Achieve Criticality by July 4 Deadline
Discussed by: Department of Energy officials, nuclear industry executives
At least three experimental reactors reach criticality by the July 4, 2026 deadline, validating the accelerated approval pathway and encouraging further deregulation. Success would require construction timelines far faster than any comparable project—research reactors typically take at least two years to build once construction begins. Industry representatives argue the streamlined rules will enable this, though no company has publicly committed to the timeline.
2
Legal Challenge Blocks or Delays Program
Discussed by: Environmental groups, former NRC officials, legal analysts
Environmental organizations or state attorneys general file suit challenging either the process (secret rulemaking without public comment) or substance (relaxed discharge rules potentially violating the Clean Water Act). Former NRC counsel Tison Campbell warned loosened radiological discharge rules could cause companies to 'inadvertently violate' environmental statutes. Court injunctions could pause or substantially modify the program.
3
Safety Incident Triggers Regulatory Reversal
Discussed by: Union of Concerned Scientists, former DOE officials
A worker exposure incident, environmental release, or equipment failure at one of the pilot reactors forces a reassessment of the relaxed standards. Historical precedent—Three Mile Island prompted decades of tightened oversight—suggests even minor incidents could generate political pressure to restore safety requirements. The condensed security and safety protocols would face intense scrutiny.
4
Program Continues with Delayed Timeline
Discussed by: Nuclear industry analysts, former DOE Office of Nuclear Energy head Kathryn Huff
Reactors proceed under the new regulatory framework but miss the July 4 deadline—as Huff predicted—with first criticality achieved in 2027 or later. The precedent of DOE self-regulation for private reactors becomes established, potentially affecting how future advanced reactors are approved regardless of the specific timeline outcome.
Historical Context
Three Mile Island Partial Meltdown (1979)
March 1979
What Happened
A combination of equipment malfunctions, design flaws, and operator errors caused Unit 2 at Pennsylvania's Three Mile Island plant to partially melt down. While radioactive releases were minimal and no deaths resulted, the accident exposed regulatory gaps and inadequate operator training. President Carter commissioned an investigation; the NRC imposed an emergency licensing moratorium.
Outcome
Short Term
No new reactor orders for years. Seven similar reactors temporarily shut down. Sweeping requirements imposed on operating plants and those under construction.
Long Term
The industry created INPO for self-policing; NRC expanded resident inspector programs, tightened training requirements, and fundamentally restructured oversight. The accident became the defining reference point for U.S. nuclear safety culture.
Why It's Relevant Today
TMI established the regulatory framework now being overhauled. The Union of Concerned Scientists explicitly warns the new rules could lead to 'another Three Mile Island accident'—the first time in 47 years that comparison has been invoked by safety advocates for pending rule changes.
Japan's Fukushima Disaster and Regulatory Capture (2011)
March 2011
What Happened
A tsunami overwhelmed the Fukushima Daiichi plant, causing three reactor meltdowns. Official investigations found TEPCO had 'manipulated the cozy relationship with regulators to take the teeth out of regulations.' The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency, housed within the ministry promoting nuclear power, had allowed operators to apply safety rules 'on a voluntary basis.'
Outcome
Short Term
Japan shut down all 54 commercial reactors for safety reviews. Three reactors melted down, contaminating a wide area.
Long Term
Japan created an independent Nuclear Regulation Authority, though critics say reforms amount to 'cosmetic changes' and 'regulatory capture structures are still firmly maintained.'
Why It's Relevant Today
Fukushima demonstrated how combining promotion and regulation within one agency—and conducting safety oversight in secret collaboration with industry—can produce catastrophic results. The DOE's Reactor Pilot Program places both promotion and regulation of these reactors under the same department, with rules shared only with regulated companies.
NuScale SMR Project Cancellation (2023)
November 2023
What Happened
NuScale Power and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems cancelled the Carbon Free Power Project—planned for six small modular reactors at Idaho National Laboratory—after costs rose from $5 billion to over $9 billion and the per-megawatt-hour price climbed 53% in two years. Only 116 megawatts of the 462-megawatt plant's capacity had been subscribed.
Outcome
Short Term
NuScale's stock dropped 33% in one day. Only $232.8 million of a $1.355 billion federal commitment had been spent.
Long Term
The cancellation raised questions about SMR economic viability but did not halt industry momentum; NuScale announced new partnerships by late 2025.
Why It's Relevant Today
The failed project highlights the gap between SMR timelines on paper and reality. It took NuScale over a decade to get NRC design certification—and even then, construction never began before cancellation. The Reactor Pilot Program's 14-month timeline from executive order to criticality represents an order-of-magnitude compression.
