US nuclear regulators are moving to overhaul how reactors get licensed even as the existing fleet holds its place on the grid. On July 1, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission unveiled two proposed rules that would reform reactor licensing, safety oversight, and siting practices, changes the agency described as its most significant in years. The proposals aim to streamline reviews that developers have long said add time and cost to new projects.
Nuclear generation remains a steady contributor to national supply. The technology is projected to hold about 18 percent of US electricity generation in 2026, similar to 2025 levels, providing baseload power that runs around the clock regardless of weather. That consistency has drawn renewed interest from utilities and large power buyers facing rising demand from data centers and electrification.
Advanced reactor work is reaching milestones. Deployable Energy's Unity demonstration reactor achieved initial criticality at the National Reactor Innovation Center at Idaho National Laboratory, part of a federal push that reached its goal of three microreactors under Department of Energy authorization achieving initial criticality by July 4, 2026. The United States now counts 28 small modular reactor siting announcements, more than the next four countries combined.
Industry partnerships are expanding the pipeline. GE Vernova formed a collaboration with Blue Energy to advance a gas-plus-nuclear power plant, with the first site planned in Texas to power a nearby data center campus. Together, the regulatory reforms, steady grid share, and new project announcements point to a sector working to accelerate deployment while its current reactors continue to supply a large share of the country's electricity.
Source: American Nuclear Society - https://www.ans.org/news/2026-07-09/article-8165/industry-updatejuly-2026/