The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)—the federal body that regulates America's nuclear power plants—has long been criticized for stunting domestic nuclear power production with stringent regulations. Nuclear energy developers and states are pushing back.
In December, Utah, Texas, and microreactor company Last Energy sued the NRC, challenging the agency's regulatory authority. Last week, underground nuclear energy developer Deep Fission joined the suit.
The lawsuit challenges the NRC's Utilization Facility Rule, which requires all nuclear power–producing entities—even those that generate only enough electricity to turn on a lightbulb—to obtain a costly operating license before powering on.
