The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is an agency of the United States government tasked with protecting public health and safety related to nuclear energy. Established by the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974, the NRC began operations on January 19, 1975, as one of two successor agencies to the United States Atomic Energy Commission. Its functions include overseeing reactor safety and security, administering reactor licensing and renewal, licensing and oversight for fuel cycle facilities, licensing radioactive materials, radionuclide safety, and managing the storage, security, recycling, and disposal of spent fuel.

History

Prior to 1975 the Atomic Energy Commission was in charge of matters regarding radionuclides. The AEC was dissolved, because it was perceived as unduly favoring the industry it was charged with regulating.John Byrne and Steven M. Hoffman (1996). Governing the Atom: The Politics of Risk, Transaction Publishers, p. 163. The NRC was formed as an independent commission to oversee nuclear energy matters, oversight of nuclear medicine, and nuclear safety and security.

The U.S. AEC became the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) in 1975, responsible for development and oversight of nuclear weapons. Research and promotion of civil uses of radioactive materials, such as for nuclear non-destructive testing, nuclear medicine, and nuclear power, was split into the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science & Technology within ERDA by the same act. In 1977, ERDA became the United States Department of Energy (DOE). In 2000, the National Nuclear Security Administration was created as a subcomponent of DOE, responsible for nuclear weapons.

Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, the NRC developed a guidance strategy known as "Diverse and Flexible Coping Strategies (FLEX)" which requires licensee nuclear power plants to account for beyond-design-basis external events (seismic, flooding, high-winds, etc.) that are most impactful to reactor safety through loss of power and loss of ultimate heat sink. FLEX Strategies have been implemented at all operating nuclear power plants in the United States.

The origins and development of NRC regulatory processes and policies are explained in five volumes of history published by the University of California Press. These are: Controlling the Atom: The Beginnings of Nuclear Regulation 1946–1962 (1984). Containing the Atom: Nuclear Regulation in a Changing Environment, 1963–1971 (1992). Permissible Dose: A History of Radiation Protection in the Twentieth Century (2000) Three Mile Island: A Nuclear Crisis in Historical Perspective (2004) The Road to Yucca Mountain: The Development of Radioactive Waste Policy in the United States (2009).

The NRC has produced a booklet, A Short History of Nuclear Regulation 1946–2009, which outlines key issues in NRC history. Thomas Wellock, a former academic, is the NRC historian. Before joining the NRC, Wellock wrote Critical Masses: Opposition to Nuclear Power in California, 1958–1978.

Executive Order 14300 Executive Order 14300, titled Ordering the Reform of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, is an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on May 23, 2025 that directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reduce regulatory requirements and issue decisions on new reactor licences within 18 months. The order directed the NRC to reorganise its structure and establish updated regulatory frameworks. It required the introduction of fixed timelines for licensing decisions, including deadlines for new reactor applications and continued operation of existing reactors. The order called for a "wholesale revision" of the agency’s safety regulations and included reconsidering some radiation safety standards. The executive orders directed the commission to establish a process for high-volume licensing of microreactors and modular reactors, including allowing for standardised applications.

Following its signing, the NRC launched in February 2026 a reorganisation to streamline decision making, and to provide more efficient licensing and deployment of nuclear technology. The NRC had already issued internal guidance to staff for faster approval of reactor designs that have been tested under Department of Energy or Department of Defense programmes.

Mission and commissioners The NRC protects public health and safety and advances the nation's common defense and security by enabling the safe and secure use and deployment of civilian nuclear energy technologies and radioactive materials through efficient and reliable licensing, oversight, and regulation for the benefit of society and the environment. The NRC's regulatory mission covers three main areas: Reactors – Commercial reactors for generating electric power and research and test reactors used for research, testing, and training Materials – Uses of nuclear materials in medical, industrial, and academic settings and facilities that produce nuclear fuel Waste – Transportation, storage, and disposal of nuclear materials and waste, and decommissioning of nuclear facilities from service.

The NRC is headed by five commissioners appointed by the president of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate for five-year terms. One of them is designated by the president to be the chairman and official spokesperson of the commission. The chairman is the principal executive officer of the NRC, who exercise all of the executive and administrative functions of the commission.

The current chairman is Ho Nieh. President Trump designated Nieh as chairman of the NRC effective January 8, 2026.

Current commissioners The current commissioners : Position Name Party Took office Term expires Chair Republican December 4, 2025 Member Democratic Member DemocraticJanuary 8, 2025 Member David A. Wright Republican Member Republican December 22, 2025

List of chairpersons

No.Name (chair)PhotoTerm of officeNotesAppointed by1Bill AndersJanuary 19, 1975April 20, 1976Gerald Ford2Marcus A. RowdenJanuary 19, 1975January 15, 19773Joseph M. HendrieMarch 3, 1977December 7, 1979Jimmy Carter4John F. AhearneDecember 7, 1979March 2, 19815Nunzio J. PalladinoJuly 1, 1981June 30, 1986Ronald Reagan6Lando W. Zech Jr.July 1, 1986 June 3, 19897Kenneth Monroe CarrJuly 1, 1989June 30, 1991George H.W Bush8Ivan SelinJuly 1, 1991June 30, 19959Shirley Ann JacksonJuly 1, 1995June 30, 1999Bill Clinton10Greta Joy DicusJuly 1, 1999October 29, 199911Richard MeserveOctober 29, 1999March 31, 200312Nils J. DiazApril 1, 2003 June 30, 2006George W. Bush13Dale E. KleinJuly 1, 2006May 13, 200914Gregory JaczkoMay 13, 2009July 9, 2012Barack Obama15Allison MacfarlaneJuly 9, 2012December 31, 201416Stephen G. BurnsJanuary 1, 2015January 23, 201717Kristine SvinickiJanuary 23, 2017January 20, 2021Donald Trump18Christopher T. HansonJanuary 20, 2021January 20, 2025Joe Biden19David A. WrightJanuary 20, 2025June 30, 2025Donald TrumpAugust 1, 2025January 8, 202620Ho NiehJanuary 8, 2026Present

List of commissioners

PortraitCommissionerTook officeLeft officeMarcus A. RowdenJanuary 19, 1975April 20, 1977Edward A. MasonJanuary 19, 1975January 15, 1977Victor GilinskyJanuary 19, 1975June 30, 1984Richard T. KennedyJanuary 19, 1975June 30, 1980Joseph HendrieAugust 9, 1977June 30, 1981Peter A. BradfordAugust 15, 1977March 12, 1982John F. AhearneJuly 31, 1978June 30, 1983Nunzio J. PalladionoJuly 1, 1981June 30, 1986Thomas M. RobertsAugust 3, 1981June 30, 1990James K. AsselstineMay 17, 1982June 30, 1987Frederick M. BernthalAugust 4, 1983June 30, 1988Lando W. Zech Jr.July 3, 1984June 30, 1989Kenneth Monroe CarrAugust 14, 1986June 30, 1991Kenneth C. RogersAugust 7, 1987June 30, 1997James R. CurtissOctober 20, 1988June 30, 1993Forrest J. RemickDecember 1, 1989June 30, 1994Ivan SelinJuly 1, 1991June 30, 1995E. Gail de PlanqueDecember 16, 1991June 30, 1995Shirley Ann JacksonMay 2, 1995June 30, 1999Greta J. DicusFebruary 15, 1996June 30, 2003Nils J. DiazAugust 23, 1996June 30, 2006Edward McGaffigan Jr.August 28, 1996September 2, 2007Jeffrey S. MerrifieldOctober 23, 1998June 30, 2007Richard MeserveOctober 29, 1999March 31, 2003Gregory JaczkoJanuary 21, 2005July 9, 2012Peter B. LyonsJanuary 25, 2005June 30, 2009Dale E. KleinJuly 1, 2006March 29, 2010Kristine SvinickiMarch 28, 2008January 20, 2021George ApostolakisMarch 29, 2010June 30, 2014William D. Magwood IVMarch 29, 2010August 31, 2014William C. OstendorffMarch 29, 2010June 30, 2016Allison MacfarlaneJuly 9, 2012December 31, 2014Jeff BaranOctober 14, 2014June 30, 2023Stephen G. BurnsNovember 4, 2014April 30, 2019Annie CaputoMay 29, 2018June 30, 2021David A. WrightMay 30, 2018June 30, 2025Christopher T. HansonJune 8, 2020June 13, 2025Annie CaputoAugust 9, 2022August 1, 2025Bradley CrowellAugust 26, 2022PresentMatthew MarzanoJanuary 8, 2025PresentDavid A. WrightAugust 1, 2025PresentHo NiehDecember 4, 2025PresentDoug W. WeaverDecember 22, 2025Present

Organization

The NRC consists of the commission on the one hand and offices of the executive director for Operations on the other. The commission is divided into two committees (Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards and Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes) and one Board, the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board Panel, as well as eight commission staff offices (Office of Commission Appellate Adjudication, Office of Congressional Affairs, Office of the General Counsel, Office of International Programs, Office of Public Affairs, Office of the Secretary, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of the Executive Director for Operations).

Christopher T. Hanson is the chairman of the NRC. There are 14 Executive Director for Operations offices: Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation, Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research, Office of Enforcement, which investigates reports by nuclear power whistleblowers, specifically the Allegations Program, Office of Investigations, Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response, Region I, Region II, Region III, Region IV, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of Administration, Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer, and Office of Small Business and Civil Rights.

Of these operations offices, NRC's major program components are the first two offices mentioned above.

NRC's proposed FY 2024 budget is $9.949 million, with 2897.9 full-time equivalents (FTE), 90 percent of which is recovered by fees. This is an increase of $5.1million, compared to FY 2023.

NRC headquarters offices are located in unincorporated North Bethesda, Maryland (although the mailing address for two of the three main buildings in the complex list the city as Rockville, MD), and there are four regional offices.

Regions

The NRC territory is broken down into four geographical regions; until the late 1990s, there was a Region V office in Walnut Creek, California which was absorbed into Region IV, and Region V was dissolved.

Region I, located in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, oversees the northeastern states. Region II, located in Atlanta, Georgia, oversees most of the southeastern states. Region III, located in Naperville, Illinois, oversees the Midwest. Region IV, located in Arlington, Texas, oversees the western and south central states.

In these four regions NRC oversees the operation of US nuclear reactors, namely 94 power-producing reactors, and 31 non-power-producing, or research and test reactors. Oversight is done on several levels. For example:

Each power-producing reactor site has resident inspectors, who monitor day-to-day operations. Numerous special inspection teams, with many different specialties, routinely conduct inspections at each site.

Agreement States