Podcast - Hot Topics in Nuclear Waste
Hogan Lovells' Mary Anne Sullivan on the floor of Hogan Lovells Global Energy Summit
As the United States faces escalating energy demands amid advancing resource-intensive technology and aging infrastructure, nuclear power has rematerialized as a central pillar of national and state-level energy strategies....more
In just over one year since its passing, the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act has begun to unlock new opportunities for advanced nuclear energy projects, streamline...more
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC or Commission) issued a Staff Requirements Memorandum (SRM) on July 28, 2025, directing NRC staff to proceed with rulemaking to implement the National Environmental Policy Act...more
The Commission recently issued a Staff Requirements Memorandum (SRM) directing NRC Staff to revise the NRC’s National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) regulations at 10 CFR Part 51 and update related NRC guidance and...more
On July 23, 2025, the White House unveiled Winning the Race: America's AI Action Plan. The Plan outlines a sweeping federal policy for boosting domestic AI development across three pillars: (1) Accelerate AI Innovation,...more
Volume 9, Issue 7 Welcome to our seventh issue of Currents 2025. In this issue, we look at the changing tides for coal, the new NEPA procedures, West Virginians desire for lower cost energy, southwestern Virginia's newest...more
The US Supreme Court continues to reshape administrative law. In its recent decision, Seven County Infrastructure Coalition v. Eagle County, Colorado, the Court unanimously (8-0) instructed federal courts to defer to...more
President Donald Trump signed four executive orders (EOs) on May 23, 2025, related to nuclear energy—three of which seek to expedite approval processes for permitting new nuclear reactors. The EOs collectively aim to harness...more
On Friday, May 23, 2025, President Trump signed four executive orders related to nuclear energy, three of which seek to expedite approval processes for permitting new nuclear reactors. The orders, which build upon...more
On May 23, 2025, President Donald Trump signed four executive orders aimed at revitalizing and accelerating the growth of nuclear energy in the United States. The executive orders direct actions by the Department of Defense...more
Idaho National Laboratory (INL), a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratory, has published an updated set of recommendations to reform and streamline nuclear energy licensing. The INL/RPT-25-84292, “Recommendations...more
The US has a massive disparity between domestic uranium production and demand, highlighting a critical dependency on foreign sources, particularly as nuclear energy development is expected to increase. Recent federal public...more
The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) requires federal agencies, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of their proposed actions. That statute also...more
The landmark nuclear legislation will help drive development, innovation, investment and deployment of advanced nuclear technologies. The ADVANCE Act takes substantial steps to help expedite the development and deployment...more
The guidance will provide clarity and a compliance path to companies seeking permission to launch or reenter space-based nuclear technologies. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s newly released Advisory Circular AC...more
In April 2023, Idaho National Laboratory (“INL”), a U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”) National Laboratory, published a report entitled “Recommendations to Improve the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Reactor Licensing and...more
Now, more than ever, energy industry participants are seeking creative pathways to minimize the cost and schedule for deployments of carbon-free electric generation facilities. Enter the latest trend: coal-to-nuclear...more
First, the Commission voted to not conduct a formal rulemaking on the NRC’s current environmental review process under 10 CFR Part 51. Separately, the staff proposed alternative timelines for a rulemaking to revise the...more
The NRC staff recently released its long-awaited policy paper on Environmental Justice (EJ) reform at the agency (SECY-22-0025, “Systematic Review of How Agency Programs, Policies, and Activities Address Environmental...more
Several NRC Staff recommendations emphasize increased communication with stakeholders, including creating an NRC Federal Advisory Committee on Environmental Justice issues. However, it is unclear how this committee or other...more
The Commission recently approved the NRC Staff’s recommendation to pursue a 24-month schedule for updating the agency’s Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants (LR GEIS). The Commission’s...more
On February 24, 2022, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued three unusual decisions pertaining to the agency’s review of subsequent license renewal (SLR) applications. The Commission orders reversed a previous...more
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approved publication in the Federal Register of a proposed rule, “Regulatory Improvements for Production and Utilization Facilities Transitioning to Decommissioning” on November 3,...more
On September 27, the NRC held a public meeting where it invited speakers to present on their experience with environmental justice (EJ) issues and also to hear recommendations on the agency’s approach when reevaluating how to...more