Utility Dive

06/30/2025

For now, Wright’s renomination ends speculation that President Trump, emboldened by court rulings that have upheld his ability to remove the leadership of other independent agencies, will fire all the remaining commissioners and replace them with a single administrator with sole decision-making authority. But even if the NRC retains a full complement of commissioners, they may risk the same fate as Commissioner Hanson should they continue to make independent decisions. While some might think that forcing all the commissioners to be on the same page would make the agency more efficient, in practice it would complete the takeover of the NRC as an arm of the president’s patronage machine, doling out licenses to his most favored supporters regardless of technical merit.

Millions of Americans live within 50 miles of the 94 nuclear reactors now operating in the U.S. and this number may increase dramatically in the coming years if the predicted onslaught of new reactor applications is realized. Without rigorous safety reviews, untested reactor designs lacking features such as strong containments to inhibit radioactive releases may be freely deployed near densely populated areas. There is simply too much at stake to allow the White House to follow its already well-worn playbook and gut science-based oversight at the NRC.