Policy and licensing / United States (federal)
Generic environmental impact statement rule for licensing new nuclear reactors
Final NRC rule effective 26 May 2026 that lets environmental reviews of new reactor applications rely on generic findings. It is not an environmental decision on any project.
- Category
- Laws, rules and executive directives
- Status
- In effect
- Instrument
- final rule · 91 FR 22394 (final rule, 24 April 2026); docket NRC-2020-0101
- Issued by
- U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- Jurisdiction
- United States (federal)
- Affects
- Environmental review
- In effect from
- 2026-05-26
- Expiry or completion
- None recorded
- Operative text
- Federal Register 91 FR 22394 (24 Apr 2026): Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors (final rule) (Final rule)
- Last checked · next review
- 2026-10-03 · 2027-01-15
Legal and geographic scope
NRC regulation codifying the generic findings of its Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors in the environmental reviews of new reactor applications under NEPA.
Not approved or still pending
Each application still needs its own site-specific environmental review and decision.
Dated lifecycle
- 2024-10-04 · Proposed — Proposed rule 89 FR 80797. (Federal Register 91 FR 22394 (24 Apr 2026): Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors (final rule))
- 2026-04-24 · Published (Federal Register 91 FR 22394 (24 Apr 2026): Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors (final rule))
- 2026-05-26 · Took effect (Federal Register 91 FR 22394 (24 Apr 2026): Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors (final rule))
Projects or designs named by the source
- None. Location in this jurisdiction does not make a project eligible for, or approved under, this measure.
Sources
- Federal Register 91 FR 22394 (24 Apr 2026): Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors (final rule) (regulator_primary, accessed 2026-10-03)