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The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a new rule creating a unique regulatory path for advanced nuclear reactors (POLITICO’s E&E News, subscription).

What’s going on: The NRC on Wednesday unveiled the “Part 53” rule, which “aims to slash the time for approval of projects through various means, including by reducing unnecessary duplication in reviews and allowing developers to complete licensing in stages.”

• The final rule also makes a new licensing category just for advanced reactors.
• Part 53 would be the first rule in more than 30 years to address U.S. reactor licensing.
• Its approval comes seven years after Congress passed the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, which gave the NRC an end-of-2027 deadline to come up with a new regulatory approach to reactor licensing.

Why it’s important: Current reactors, generations II and III, use water for cooling, but advanced, or generation IV, reactors would use metal or molten salt, making them less resource intensive.

• Just one nuclear plant—Southern Company’s Plant Vogtle in Georgia—has come online in the U.S. in the past few years, and the administration has made boosting nuclear-power development a core plank of its energy platform.

Our view: “The final approval of ‘Part 53’ hits two manufacturer priorities in one: It responsibly speeds up permitting for crucial projects and it advances nuclear power in the United States, all while maintaining safety standards in the review process,” said NAM Senior Director of Energy and Resources Policy Michael Davin.

• “Nuclear is a safe, reliable energy source that is a crucial part of America’s energy mix that is needed to address increases in power demand over the coming years.”