ML25076A148
| ML25076A148 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 04/07/2025 |
| From: | David Wright NRC/OCM/DAW |
| To: | Capito S US HR, Comm on Energy & Commerce, US HR, Subcomm on Environment, US Recovery Accountability & Transparency Board, US SEN, Comm on Environment & Public Works, US SEN, Subcomm on Clean Air, Climate Change & Nuclear Safety |
| Shared Package | |
| ML25076A123 | List: |
| References | |
| SRM-LTR-19-0383-1, CORR-25-0023 | |
| Download: ML25076A148 (1) | |
Text
STATUS REPORT ON THE LICENSING ACTIVITIES AND REGULATORY DUTIES OF THE U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION For the Reporting Period of October 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024 Table of Contents
- High Level Summary...................................................................................................... 3 1-1 Average Timeliness Percentage for Licensing Actions Categorized Under the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act............................................................................................ 3 1-2 Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Inspection Hours and Percent Complete............................. 4 1-3 Full-time Equivalent (FTE) at the End of Q1 FY 2025 vs. Budgeted FTE................................... 5 1-4 Budget Authority, FTE Utilization, and Fees.............................................................................. 6 - Status of Specific Items of Interest................................................................................. 8 2-1 Workforce Development and Management............................................................................... 8 2-2 Accident Tolerant Fuel.............................................................................................................. 9 2-3 Digital Instrumentation and Control......................................................................................... 10 2-4 Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies............................................................................... 11 2-5 Advanced Reactor Pre-application and Licensing Reviews..................................................... 13 2-6 Reactor Oversight Process..................................................................................................... 15 2-7 Backfit.................................................................................................................................... 16 2-8 Risk-informed Activities........................................................................................................... 17 - Summary of Activities................................................................................................... 19 3-1 Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Findings........................................................................... 19 3-2 Licensing Actions.................................................................................................................... 20 3-3 License Amendment Request (LAR) Reviews......................................................................... 22 3-4 Research Activities................................................................................................................. 23 3-5 Fees Billed.............................................................................................................................. 27 3-6 Requests for Additional Information (RAIs)............................................................................. 30 3-7 Workforce Development and Management............................................................................. 30 3-8 Inspection Activities................................................................................................................ 32 3-9 Backfit.................................................................................................................................... 32
- High Level Summary 1-1 Average Timeliness Percentage for Licensing Actions Categorized Under the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act1 1 No licensing actions categorized under the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA) were completed in Quarter (Q) 2 FY 2021 for the new reactor business line. One activity was completed in Q3 FY 2022 for the new reactor business line significantly ahead of the established schedule. The activity was completed in 28 percent of the established schedule, resulting in the Q3 FY 2022 average timeliness percentage for the new reactor business line of 28 percent. Three activities were completed in Q3 FY 2023 for the new reactor business line, all significantly ahead of the established schedules. The three activities were completed in 50 percent of the established schedules, resulting in the Q3 FY 2023 average timeliness percentage for the new reactor business line of 50 percent.
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
110%
Operating Reactors Established Schedule New Reactors Established Schedule Fuel Facilities Established Schedule Average Timeliness Percentage
(<100% = Completed Before Schedule Date) 1-2 Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Inspection Hours and Percent Complete2 2 Planned ROP direct inspection hours refers to the number of hours associated with completion of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissions nominal number of inspection samples established for the baseline inspection program, which is a conservative target. This contrasts with the minimum number of hours that would be necessary to complete the set of inspection activities that constitutes completion of the ROP baseline inspection program for the calendar year.
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
0 50000 100000 150000 200000 Quarter 1 Quarter 2 Quarter 3 Quarter 4 Cumulative Percent of Planned ROP Direct Inspection Hours Complete ROP Direct Inspection Hours Reactor Oversight Process Inspection Hours and Percent Complete CY 2023 Total ROP Direct Inspection Hours CY 2024 Total ROP Direct Inspection Hours Percent Complete of Total CY 2024 Planned ROP Direct Inspection Hours Percent Complete of Total CY 2023 Planned ROP Direct Inspection Hours 1-3 Full-time Equivalent (FTE) at the End of Q1 FY 2025 vs. Budgeted FTE 1-4 Budget Authority, FTE Utilization, and Fees NRC FY 2025 Budget Authority December 31, 2024 (Dollars in Thousands)
Fund Sources FY 2025 Budget3 Percent Obligated Percent Expended Advanced Reactors
$25,681 13%
13%
Commission Funds
$12,560 15%
14%
Fee-Based Funds
$875,127 19%
18%
General Funds4
$996 14%
14%
International Activities
$17,888 19%
18%
University Nuclear Leadership Program
$7,500 53%
0%
Official Representation
$30 3%
3%
Total5
$939,781 19%
17%
NRC Control Points FY 2025 Budget Percent Obligated Percent Expended Nuclear Reactor Safety
$486,594 22%
20%
Nuclear Materials and Waste Safety
$117,235 19%
18%
Decommissioning and Low-Level Waste
$24,688 18%
17%
Corporate Support
$303,765 15%
13%
University Nuclear Leadership Program6
$7,500 53%
0%
Total7
$939,781 19%
17%
FTE Utilization, Hiring, and Attrition Total Year-to-Date (YTD) FTE Utilization Projected End of Year FTE Total Utilization Q1 Hiring Q1 Attrition YTD Hiring YTD Attrition 704 2,941 50 62 50 62 3 The agency was operating under the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (as amended) during the reporting period; therefore, this table reflects the FY 2024 total annualized rate (i.e., the FY 2024 enacted levels). This table also includes the carryover allocated during Q1 FY 2025.
4 Consistent with previous reports, this row represents waste incidental to reprocessing activities excluded from the fee-recovery requirement.
5 Numbers might not add correctly due to rounding.
6 The FY 2024 Explanatory Statement identified this control point as the Integrated University Program. Division Z of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 replaced the Integrated University Program with the University Nuclear Leadership Program.
7 Numbers might not add correctly due to rounding.
FY 2025 Fees Estimated, Fees Billed, and Fees Collected Through Q1 Total for Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 170, Fees for Facilities, Materials, Import and Export Licenses, and Other Regulatory Services Under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, As Amended, Fees Billed (Dollars in Millions)
FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 Q1
$186.4
$204.08
$50.6 8 Total Part 170 Fees Billed ($M) reflects an update. Specifically, FY 2024 is reported as $204.0M instead of $203.8M in the previous report.
- Status of Specific Items of Interest provides the status of specific items of interest, including, for each, a summary of the item, the activities planned and accomplished under each item within the reporting period, and projected activities under each item for the next two reporting periods.
2-1 Workforce Development and Management The NRC is in the process of re-designing its Strategic Workforce Planning (SWP) program.
The goal of this initiative is to improve workforce development to meet its near-term and long-term work demands. During the reporting period, the NRC completed significant steps in connection with Section 502 of the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2024 (ADVANCE Act). Section 502 of the ADVANCE Act provided the NRC with additional hiring and compensation flexibilities that will further inform actions the agency takes in its SWP efforts.
Activities Planned and Completed for this Reporting Period (Q1 FY 2025)
Workforce Development and Management Activities Projected Completion Date Completion Date Develop draft implementation plan for special hiring and compensation authorities provided by the ADVANCE Act.
11/22/24 11/09/24 Submit report on implementation plan for special hiring and compensation authorities to Congress (ML24304B071).
01/05/25 12/17/24 Projected Activities for the Next Two Reporting Periods (Q2 FY 2025 and Q3 FY 2025)
Projected Workforce Development and Management Activities Projected Completion Date Complete an assessment of the NRCs hiring process.
02/28/25 Implement the revised Strategic Workforce Planning process with results from offices.
06/30/25 2-2 Accident Tolerant Fuel During this reporting period, the NRC staff completed its review of one fuel vendor topical report related to Accident Tolerant Fuel (ATF). On October 9, 2024, the NRC staff completed the verification review for Westinghouse Electric Companys topical report on Incremental Extension of Burnup Limit (ML24276A092). On November 26, 2024, Framatome submitted a topical report on Increased Burnup for Pressurized Water Reactors (ML24331A085); the NRC staffs review is ongoing. The NRC staff is currently on track to complete its review of seven fuel vendor topical reports related to ATF by the end of FY 2026, which, if approved, could be referenced in ATF license amendment requests (LARs) for operating reactors. No LARs were submitted during this reporting period.
The NRC staff continues to develop the draft proposed rule associated with the use of light-water reactor fuel containing uranium enriched to greater than 5 weight-percent uranium-235, titled Increased Enrichment of Conventional and Accident Tolerant Fuel Designs for Light-Water Reactors (referred to as the Increased Enrichment rulemaking) and implementing guidance.
Activities Planned and Completed for this Reporting Period (Q1 FY 2025)
ATF Activities Projected Completion Date Completion Date Established a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE),
focused on advanced nuclear fuel per Section 404 of the ADVANCE Act (ML24351A069).
01/05/25 12/12/24 Provided a presentation to the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) Fuels, Materials, and Structures Subcommittee on the Increased Enrichment rulemaking.
01/17/25 12/18/24 Provided a presentation to the ACRS Fuels, Materials, and Structures Subcommittee on Draft Regulatory Guide 1.183, Revision 2, Alternative Radiological Source Terms for Evaluating Design Basis Accidents at Nuclear Power Reactors.
01/17/259 12/19/24 9 This activity was not identified as a separate projected activity in the previous report; it was included as part of the related activity for a presentation to the ACRS Fuels, Materials, and Structures Subcommittee on the Increased Enrichment rulemaking.
Projected Activities for the Next Two Reporting Periods (Q2 FY 2025 and Q3 FY 2025)
Projected ATF Activities Projected Completion Date Provide a presentation to the ACRS Full Committee on the proposed rule for the Increased Enrichment rulemaking.
02/07/25 Participate in the NRC Regulatory Information Conference (RIC) to provide stakeholders an opportunity to learn about the progress of ATF licensing activities and technologies to date and activities related to efficient licensing reviews of applications for ATF concepts. Through participation in the RIC, the NRC staff will communicate about ATF readiness activities, planned stakeholder engagements, the NRCs projected licensing review timelines, and any potential challenges for meeting proposed ATF deployment timelines.
03/13/25 Provide the draft proposed rule for the Increased Enrichment rulemaking to the Commission.
03/14/25 2-3 Digital Instrumentation and Control On April 23, 2024, Constellation Energy Generation (CEG) submitted a letter (ML24114A322) to the NRC stating that it is delaying the digital modification initial installation at Limerick.
Originally, CEG submitted LARs on September 26, 2022, in which it requested approval of installation of a digital instrumentation and control (I&C) system to replace the current system at Limerick Generating Stations. Units 1 and 2 (Limerick). The 24-month generic milestone schedule for completion of the Limerick review was December 9, 2024. The licensee stated that the delay is due to identification of additional new design considerations/issues that had to be addressed/resolved, and current final design and manufacturing schedules that do not meet the CEG internal 2025 Refueling Outage readiness requirements for installation.
Because of the design issues, CEG changed its planned installation for Unit 1 to CY 2026, and Unit 2 installation to CY 2027. In September 2024, the NRC staff sent CEG a letter (ML24243A048) informing the licensee that the review of the Limerick digital I&C LARs will not be completed by December 9, 2024, because of CEGs delays in providing the equipment qualification information needed to complete the review and an emergent review challenge involving the component interface module, an important element of the proposed digital modification. After CEG submits the information needed to address equipment qualification and the emergent challenge with the component interface module, the NRC staff will provide CEG with an updated estimated review completion date.
Activities Planned and Completed for this Reporting Period (Q1 FY 2025)
Digital Instrumentation and Control Activities Projected Completion Date Completion Date There are no activities planned or completed for the reporting period.
N/A N/A Projected Activities for the Next Two Reporting Periods (Q2 FY 2025 and Q3 FY 2025)
Projected Digital Instrumentation and Control Activities Projected Completion Date There are no activities projected for the reporting period.
N/A 2-4 Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies During this reporting period, the NRC staff held several public meetings regarding advanced reactor topics, such as licensing and deployment considerations for nth-of-a-kind microreactors (ML24310A038) and the Part 53 risk-informed, technology-inclusive regulatory framework proposed rule (ML24311A084).
On December 11, 2024, the staff submitted SECY-24-0085, Proposed Rule: Regulatory Framework for Fusion Machines (3150-AL00; NRC-2023-0071 (ML24019A064), to the Commission for its consideration.
The NRC staff is also conducting a study directed by Section 205 of the ADVANCE Act to evaluate potential regulatory options for licensing mass-manufactured fusion machines. The NRC established a project team that is actively reviewing design certification processes that may be used as potential models for mass fusion machine production. Consistent with Section 205 of the ADVANCE Act, this study is being conducted in consultation with the Agreement States, fusion industry, the public, and other Federal agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration. The NRC is required to provide a report to Congress on the results of this study by July 9, 2025.
In addition, the NRC staff is currently focusing on developing strategies to streamline the licensing timelines for nth-of-a-kind microreactor deployment, some of which were identified as future actions in the enclosure to SECY-24-0008, Micro-Reactor Licensing and Deployment Considerations: Fuel Loading and Operational Testing at a Factory (ML23207A250). These licensing and deployment strategies are further discussed in a draft white paper released to support stakeholder engagement, Nth-of-a-Kind Micro-Reactor Licensing and Deployment Considerations, with enclosures 1 and 3 issued September 27, 2024 (ML24270A206), and enclosure 2 issued October 29, 2024 (ML24302A292). The NRC staff held a public meeting on November 6, 2024, to discuss the topic.
The NRC staff also continues to address Section 208 of the ADVANCE Act, which requires the NRC to develop and implement risk-informed and performance-based strategies and guidance to license and regulate microreactors.
The Proposed Rule: Risk-Informed, Technology-Inclusive Regulatory Framework for Advanced Reactors was published in the Federal Register on October 31, 2024 (89 FR 86918) for public comment with a 60-day public comment period. The NRC extended the public comment period for an additional 60 days on November 22, 2024 (89 FR 92609). On November 19, 20, and 21, 2024, the NRC staff held a multi-day public meeting on the Part 53 proposed rule. During this meeting, the NRC staff provided an overview of the proposed rule, addressed stakeholder questions, and described the methods available to submit public comments. The NRC staff held a second public meeting on the Part-53 proposed rule on January 8, 2025. After the NRC staff receives, considers, and addresses public comments, the draft final rule package, including key guidance, will be submitted to the Commission for consideration. The NRCs rulemaking is currently on target to be completed in advance of the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA) required deadline of December 31, 2027. Further details about the rulemaking schedule can be found on the NRCs public website (https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/advanced/rulemaking-and-guidance/part-53.html).
Activities Planned and Completed for this Reporting Period (Q1 FY 2025)
Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies Activities Projected Completion Date Completion Date Published the Proposed Rule: Generic Environmental Impact Statement for Licensing of New Nuclear Reactors (89 FR 80797).
11/15/24 10/04/24 Published the Proposed Rule: Risk-Informed, Technology-Inclusive Regulatory Framework for Advanced Reactors (89 FR 86918).
10/18/24 10/31/2410 Submitted to the Commission a draft proposed rule, Regulatory Framework for Fusion Machines (ML24019A060).
11/29/24 12/11/24 Projected Activities for the Next Two Reporting Periods (Q2 FY 2025 and Q3 FY 2025)
Projected Advanced Nuclear Reactor Technologies Activities Projected Completion Date Submit a SECY paper to the Commission with the status of advanced reactor activities.
02/28/25 Conduct a public workshop on the SCALE/MELCOR non-light-water-reactor source term and fuel cycle demonstration project for a TRISO-compact-fueled microreactor.
03/26/25 Issue Draft Regulatory Guide on Technology-Inclusive Risk-Informed Change Evaluation Process for public comment.
03/31/2511 Submit a SECY paper on Microreactor Licensing and Deployment Considerations for Nth-of-a-Kind Licensing to the Commission.
03/31/2512 Submit a SECY paper on Update on Development of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commissions Advanced Reactor Construction Oversight Program to the Commission.
04/01/25 Submit a SECY paper on Alternative Risk-Informed Technology-Inclusive Approaches to Advanced Reactor Regulation. To the Commission 05/01/25 10 The staff NRC sent the proposed rule to the Office of the Federal Register and released a pre-publication version on October 7, 2024. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register for public comment on October 31, 2024.
11 The projected completion date for this activity was extended from December 31, 2024, to March 31, 2025, to support completion of internal review and approval.
12 The projected completion date for this activity was extended from December 31, 2024, to March 31, 2025, to incorporate additional stakeholder feedback.
2-5 Advanced Reactor Pre-application and Licensing Reviews Information on the reactor designers that formally notified the NRC of their intent to engage in pre-application regulatory interactions can be found on the NRCs public website (https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/advanced/ongoing-licensing-activities/pre-application-activities.html).
Kairos Construction Permit Application Reviews for Hermes 2 The Safety Evaluation (SE) for the Hermes 2 construction permit application (ML24200A114) was issued on July 19, 2024. On August 30, 2024, the NRC staff issued the final Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the construction permits and environmental review exemptions for the Kairos Hermes 2 test reactors (ML24240A034). The notice of mandatory hearing for Hermes 2 was issued on September 12, 2024 (89 FR 74303), this was the Commissions first use of its simplified procedure for mandatory hearing to make the hearings more efficient. Mandatory hearings now involve written materials without oral presentations. On November 20, 2024, the Commission authorized issuance of the construction permits in CLI-24-03 (ML24325A378). On November 21, 2024, the NRC staff issued construction permits CPTR-7 (ML24324A021) and CPTR-8 (ML24324A022) authorizing construction of the two Hermes 2 test reactors. Application documents and information on the review are available on the NRCs public website (https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/non-power/new-facility-licensing/hermes2-kairos.html).
TerraPower Natrium Reactor Plant Construction Permit Application Review On March 28, 2024, TerraPower, LLC (TerraPower), on behalf of US SFR Owner, LLC, submitted a construction permit application for Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1 (Kemmerer Unit 1)
(ML24088A059). The NRC staff held a public scoping meeting for the environmental review in Kemmerer, WY on July 16, 2024. On November 22, 2024, the NRC staff issued the Environmental Scoping Summary Report (ML24271A031). Application documents and information regarding the review are available on the NRCs public website (https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/advanced/who-were-working-with/applicant-projects/terrapower.html).
Activities Planned and Completed for this Reporting Period (Q1 FY 2025)
Advanced Reactor Licensing Review Activities Projected Completion Date Completion Date There are no activities planned or completed for the reporting period.
N/A N/A Advanced Reactor Pre-application Review Activities Projected Completion Date Completion Date Issued final SE to TerraPower for its topical report on fuel and control assembly qualification plan (ML24220A156).
10/15/24 10/15/24 Issued final SE to Westinghouse for its topical report on principal design criteria for the eVinci design (ML24283A133).
10/31/24 10/16/24 Issued final SE to X-energy for its topical report on principal design criteria for the Xe-100 design (ML24284A012).
11/29/24 10/24/24 Projected Activities for the Next Two Reporting Periods (Q2 FY 2025 and Q3 FY 2025)
Projected Advanced Reactor Licensing Review Activities Projected Completion Date Complete draft SE with information gaps identified for TerraPower Kemmerer Unit 1.
03/31/25 Projected Advanced Reactor Pre-Application Review Activities Projected Completion Date Issue final SE to TerraPower for its topical report on Plume Exposure Pathway Emergency Planning Zone Methodology.
02/14/2513 Issue final SE to X-energy for its topical report on quality assurance program description for the Xe-100 design.
02/28/2514 Issue final SE to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for its topical report on fuel qualification methodology.
03/18/25 Issue final SE to TerraPower for its topical report on human factors program plan methodology.
04/11/25 Issue final SE to X-energy for its topical report on principal design criteria for the XENITH design.
04/29/25 Issue final SE to TerraPower for its topical report on radiological release methodology.
06/27/25 Issue final SE to TerraPower for its topical report on reactor stability methodology.
06/27/25 Issue final SE to X-energy for its topical report on nuclear design methodology for the XENITH design.
06/30/25 13 The projected completion date for this activity was extended from November 4, 2024, to February 14, 2025, to provide time for consideration of the comments provided by the ACRS on November 26, 2024 (ML24324A305).
14 The projected completion date for this activity was extended from December 31, 2024, to February 28, 2025, to provide additional time to resolve NRC staff comments.
2-6 Reactor Oversight Process The NRC staff is conducting an assessment of the Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) to address the requirements in Section 507 of the ADVANCE Act. for a report to the appropriate committees of Congress that identifies specific improvements to the nuclear reactor and materials oversight and inspection programs that the NRC may implement to maximize the efficiency of such programs through, where appropriate, the use of risk-informed, performance-based procedures, expanded incorporation of information technologies, and staff training. The NRC staff shared ideas under consideration for the ROP as part of this assessment during a public meeting on December 10, 2024 (ML24340A218). The NRC staff will seek Commission approval of changes to the ROP, or provide the Commission with notification of changes, as appropriate, in accordance with Management Directive 8.13, Reactor Oversight Process (ML17347B670).
Consistent with the Commissions direction in SRM-SECY-23-0010 (ML23244A282), which was issued in Q4 FY 2023, the NRC staff is revising procedures and processes to implement an emergency response facility and equipment readiness performance indicator to measure licensee emergency preparedness. The changes to the ROP performance indicators are planned for Q2 FY 2025.
The NRC staff is revising Inspection Manual Chapter 0609, Appendix E, Part I, Baseline Security Significance Determination Process for Power Reactors (ML22178A222), to further risk-inform the process and improve its clarity and consistency. The NRC staff held a public meeting (ML24339A056) on December 18, 2024, to share an update on the Baseline Security Significance Determination Process activities.
In May 2024, the Commission approved the NRC staffs proposed revision to the Force-on-Force (FOF) inspection program in SRM-COMSECY-19-0006, Revised Security Inspection Program Framework (Option 3) in Response to SRM-17-0100 (ML24138A045). The revised framework would include one NRC-conducted FOF exercise and an enhanced NRC inspection of a licensee-conducted annual FOF exercise, among other changes. The NRC staff conducted a public meeting on June 25, 2024, to discuss and seek feedback from external stakeholders on the NRCs proposed implementation plan and timeline. The NRC staff provided an update on the status of the implementation during a public meeting on the FOF program on November 13, 2024 (ML24345A057).
The NRC staff will continue to engage external stakeholders to solicit feedback on anticipated plans and challenges for implementation of the revised inspection process and guidance documents and to assess resultant training needs. Implementation is scheduled to begin at the start of the 8th triennial FOF inspection cycle in CY 2026.
Activities Planned and Completed for this Reporting Period (Q1 FY 2025)
ROP Activities Projected Completion Date Completion Date Completed ROP implementation audit of Region III.
12/31/24 11/05/24 Projected Activities for the Next Two Reporting Periods (Q2 FY 2025 and Q3 FY 2025)
Projected ROP Activities Projected Completion Date Complete annual ROP performance metric report.
03/31/25 Submit a SECY paper to the Commission on proposed revisions to the ROP based on the ROP assessment conducted as part of implementation of Section 507 of the ADVANCE Act.
04/30/25 2-7 Backfit In September 2024, in its affirmation of the final rule for non-power production or utilization facility license renewal, the Commission returned NUREG-1409, Backfitting Guidelines, Revision 1 and directed the NRC staff to clarify the applicability of 10 CFR 50.109 to commercial non-power production or utilization facilities through an interpretive rule process.15 The NRC staff is developing a schedule for this activity that will be reflected in the tables below in a subsequent report.
Activities Planned and Completed for this Reporting Period (Q1 FY 2025)
Backfit Activities Projected Completion Date Completion Date There are no activities planned or completed for the reporting period.
N/A N/A Projected Activities for the Next Two Reporting Periods (Q2 FY 2025 and Q3 FY 2025)
Projected Backfit Activities Projected Completion Date N/A N/A16 15 SRM-M240904, Affirmation Session - SECY-19-0062: Final Rule: Non-power Production or Utilization Facility License Renewal (RIN 3150-AI96, NRC-2011-0087) (ML24248A208).
16 The previous report included the following in the projected activity table: Publication of the Regulatory Improvements for Production and Utilization Facilities Transitioning to Decommissioning final rule. However it has now been removed as the Commissions considers it.
2-8 Risk-informed Activities On December 11, 2024, the NRC staff issued amendments to Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 2 to add a license condition to allow for the implementation of 10 CFR 50.69, Risk-informed categorization and treatment of structures, systems and components for nuclear power reactors (ML24269A083). The provisions in 10 CFR 50.69 allow adjustment of the scope of structures, systems, and components (SSCs) subject to special treatment requirements (e.g.,
quality assurance, testing, inspection, condition monitoring, assessment, and evaluation) based on an integrated, systematic, risk-informed process for categorizing SSCs according to their safety significance.
The NRC staff continues to review Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Report 3002025288, Enhanced Risk-Informed Categorization Methodology for Pressure Boundary Components, which was submitted on August 17, 2023 (ML23234A267), and supplemented on November 30, 2023 (ML23334A212), and June 28, 2024 (ML24180A017). This topical report uses risk insights to present an enhanced methodology for categorizing pressure boundary components in support of 10 CFR 50.69 applications. The NRC staff accepted the EPRI topical report for a detailed technical review in August 2024. In December 2024, the NRC staff completed an audit, which significantly reduced the number and scope of the staffs requests for additional information, which are scheduled to be issued to EPRI in January 2025. The NRC staffs goal is to complete its review of this topical report within 18 months, which would be 6 months earlier than the 24-month generic milestone schedule for the review of topical reports.
The NRC staff is leveraging risk insights in its detailed technical review of the NuScale standard design approval application for the NuScale VOYGR 460 standard design. This use of risk insights in the NuScale VOYGR 460 review is aligned with the implementation of the lessons learned from the NuScale design certification application review (ML22294A144). During this reporting period, information about the tools used to integrate risk insights in the NuScale VOYGR 460 review was shared to other technical staff in the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation to increase awareness of tools that can be used to improve risk-informed decision-making, consistent with the Be riskSMART framework.17 Activities Planned and Completed for this Reporting Period (Q1 FY 2025)
Risk-Informed Activities Projected Completion Date Completion Date There are no activities planned or completed for the reporting period.
N/A N/A 17 The NRC maintains a listing of risk-informed activities that is updated periodically at https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/regulatory/risk-informed/rpp.html.
Projected Activities for the Next Reporting Period (Q2 FY 2025 and Q3 FY 2025)
Projected Risk-Informed Activities Projected Completion Date Host a public risk workshop with external stakeholders to provide for a knowledge management and knowledge transfer session for new and existing NRC staff on 10 CFR 50.69 licensing and oversight activities.
02/28/25 Continue to offer internal workshops to the NRC staff to highlight recent accomplishments in leveraging risk-informed decision-making and to discuss appropriate application of the key principles of risk-informed decision-making; as well as to highlight best practices and tools that have been developed to support risk-informed decision-making.
06/30/2518 18 The projected completion date for this activity was extended from December 31, 2024, to June 30, 2025, to allow for additional opportunities to provide workshops to NRC staff to enhance knowledge management and knowledge transfer on risk-informed decision-making.
- Summary of Activities 3-1 Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) Findings The table below provides the CY ROP findings for the year-to-date and 3-year rolling metrics.19 Location Number of Findings CY 2021 CY 2022 CY 2023 CY 2024 Nationally Total 278 399 466 489 Region I Green 61 83 88 96 White 1
2 1
1 Yellow 0
0 0
0 Red 0
0 0
0 Greater-Than-Green (GTG) Security 0
0 0
1 Total 62 85 89 98 No. of Units Operating During CY 21 20 20 20 20 Region II Green 69 90 135 130 White 0
1 3
3 Yellow 0
0 0
0 Red 0
0 0
0 GTG Security 0
0 5
0 Total 69 91 143 133 No. of Units Operating During CY 33 33 34 21 35 22 Region III Green 65 89 103 105 White 0
2 0
0 Yellow 0
0 0
0 Red 0
0 0
0 GTG Security 1
1 0
0 Total 66 92 103 105 No. of Units Operating During CY 22 22 21 23 21 Region IV Green 81 130 126 149 White 0
1 5
0 Yellow 0
0 0
0 Red 0
0 0
0 GTG Security 0
0 0
0 19 For the purposes of this report, the total number of findings per CY is based on the year in which an inspection report was issued instead of the year in which a finding was identified.
20 The reduction of one unit for CY 2022 reflects the permanent shutdown of Indian Point Nuclear Generating Unit 3 on April 30, 2021.
21 The increase of one unit for CY 2023 reflects Vogtle Unit 3 entering the ROP on August 3, 2022.
22 The increase of one unit for CY 2024 reflects Vogtle Unit 4 entering the ROP on July 28, 2023.
23 The reduction of one unit for CY 2023 reflects the permanent shutdown of Palisades on May 20, 2022.
Location Number of Findings CY 2021 CY 2022 CY 2023 CY 2024 Total 81 131 131 149 No. of Units Operating During CY 18 18 18 18 3-2 Licensing Actions The tables below provide the status of licensing actions organized by licensing program.
Consistent with Section 102(c) of NEIMA, the licensing actions referenced in this section include requested activities of the Commission for which the NRC staff issues a final SE. These totals do not include LARs, as they are addressed separately in Section 3-3 of this report (e.g.,
licensing actions here comprise exemptions, relief requests, license transfers, or plant-specific topical reviews). Total Inventory refers to the total number of licensing actions that are open and accepted by the NRC at the end of the quarter. Licensing Actions Initiated During the Reporting Period are the number of licensing actions (regardless of acceptance) that are received by the NRC during the reporting period.
Operating Reactors Reporting Period Total Inventory Licensing Actions Initiated During the Reporting Period Licensing Actions Completed During the Reporting Period24 Percentage of Licensing Actions Completed Prior to the Generic Milestone Schedule Percentage of Licensing Actions Completed Prior to the Established Schedule25 Q2 FY 2024 149 54 111 100%
99%
Q3 FY 2024 168 64 45 100%
46.7%26 Q4 FY 2024 158 63 73 100%
76.7%
Q1 FY 2025 132 41 67 100%
80.6%
24 Requested activities included in the initiated actions total but subsequently withdrawn are not included in the completed actions total because no final SE was issued.
25 The established schedule is the schedule communicated to the licensee and made publicly available at the completion of the acceptance review.
26 The decrease for Q3 FY 2024 is primarily due to five enhanced weapons exemptions completed in April 2024 that involved 12 licensing actions and two fleet requests for alternatives to implement a risk-informed categorization and treatment for repair or replacement activities that involved 10 licensing actions.
New Reactors Reporting Period Total Inventory Licensing Actions Initiated During the Reporting Period Licensing Actions Completed During the Reporting Period27 Percentage of Licensing Actions Completed Prior to the Generic Milestone Schedule Percentage of Licensing Actions Completed Prior to the Established Schedule Q2 FY 2024 1
0 0
N/A N/A Q3 FY 2024 2
1 0
N/A N/A Q4 FY 2024 2
0 0
N/A N/A Q1 FY 2025 2
0 0
N/A N/A Fuel Facilities Reporting Period Total Inventory Licensing Actions Initiated During the Reporting Period Licensing Actions Completed During the Reporting Period Percentage of Licensing Actions Completed Prior to the Generic Milestone Schedule Percentage of Licensing Actions Completed Prior to the Established Schedule Q2 FY 2024 10 7
4 100%
100%
Q3 FY 2024 6
0 4
100%
25%28 Q4 FY 2024 5
9 10 100%
37%29 Q1 FY 2025 6
2 1
100%
100%
27 Requested activities included in the initiated actions total but subsequently withdrawn are not included in the completed actions total because no final SE was issued.
28 Two of the three fuel cycle licensing actions exceeded the established schedule due to the need to complete environmental assessments and publish Federal Register notices that were not anticipated. The extension was communicated and agreed to by the licensee. The third late fuel cycle licensing action exceeded the established schedule due to an extension requested by the applicant and granted by the NRC to complete requests for additional information.
29 Three of the late fuel cycle licensing actions were completed 62, 71, and 78 days after the established schedule due to the need to complete environmental assessments and publish Federal Register notices for the first two items and additional time needed to resolve requests for additional information for the third item. The remaining five late actions were completed within two weeks of the established schedule and ran long due to the high volume of work and managing work priorities.
3-3 License Amendment Request (LAR) Reviews The tables below provide the status of LARs organized by licensing program. Consistent with Section 102(c) of NEIMA, the LARs referenced in this section include requested activities of the Commission for which the NRC staff issues a final SE. The total inventory is the number of open LARs at the end of the quarter. LARs are included in the total inventory after they have been accepted by the NRC (the acceptance review period is generally 30 days after the application is submitted).
Operating Reactors Reporting Period Total Inventory LARs Submitted During the Reporting Period LAR Reviews Completed During the Reporting Period30 Percentage of LAR Reviews Completed Prior to the Generic Milestone Schedule Percentage of LAR Reviews Completed Prior to the Established Schedule31 Q2 FY 2024 168 36 54 99%
85%
Q3 FY 2024 213 103 58 100%
75.9%
Q4 FY 2024 193 48 68 100%
80.9%
Q1 FY 2025 201 77 68 100%
85.3%
New Reactors Reporting Period Total Inventory LARs Submitted During the Reporting Period LAR Reviews Completed During the Reporting Period Percentage of LAR Reviews Completed Prior to the Generic Milestone Schedule Percentage of LAR Reviews Completed Prior to the Established Schedule Q2 FY 2024 0
0 1
100%
100%
Q3 FY 2024 0
0 0
N/A N/A Q4 FY 2024 0
0 0
N/A N/A Q1 FY 2025 0
0 0
N/A N/A 30 Requested activities included in the submitted LARs total but subsequently withdrawn are not included in the completed LARs total because no final SE was issued.
31 The established schedule is the schedule communicated to the licensee and made publicly available at the completion of the acceptance review.
Fuel Facilities Reporting Period Total Inventory LARs Submitted During the Reporting Period LAR Reviews Completed During the Reporting Period Percentage of LAR Reviews Completed Prior to the Generic Milestone Schedule Percentage of LAR Reviews Completed Prior to the Established Schedule Q2 FY 2024 11 4
2 100%
50%32 Q3 FY 2024 6
1 6
100%
100%
Q4 FY 2024 9
3 0
100%
100%
Q1 FY 2025 9
3 3
100%
66.7%33 3-4 Research Activities34 Summary of New Research Projects During the reporting period, the Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) initiated research on or substantially revised the following projects:
User Need Request for Development of Methods and Tools for Evaluating the Risk of Advanced Reactors (NRR-2025-006)
Importance to the NRC Mission The goal of this project is to employ RESs expertise and contracting resources to continue development of risk tools that are appropriate for advanced reactors. The work will continue to identify risk modeling needs related to advanced reactor designs. The work will address unique aspects of advanced reactor designs such as relevant risk metrics, passive equipment, automation, digital I&C, and long duration accident sequences. The tasks in this project will advance the NRC's capabilities in assessing advanced reactor risk with the goal of providing the NRC with risk-informed tools to support regulatory decision-making in licensing reviews and oversight.
Planned Activities RES will provide technical support for the development of methods and tools for evaluating advanced reactor risk through the following tasks.
- 1) Identifying technology-inclusive risk metrics to support risk-informed and performance-based regulatory decision-making in licensing reviews and oversight for advanced reactors.
- 2) Developing methods, tools, and processes to collect, analyze, and use data to support risk-informed decision-making for advanced reactors.
- 3) Performing a scoping study to evaluate risk associated with a selected advanced reactor design.
- 4) Enhancing risk-informed decision-making guidance and framework for advanced reactors.
32 One out of two LARs exceeded the established schedule by 12 days due to limited staff availability. This extension was communicated and agreed to by the licensee.
33 One of the LARs exceeded the established schedule by 33 days due to additional time needed to resolve requests for additional information. This extension was communicated and agreed to by the licensee.
34 This section provides information about projects that were started or completed during the reporting period that exceeded 300 staff hours or $500K of program support for the total duration of the project. For new research starts, a final reporting of research findings and results will be provided as part of the research project closure within the quarterly reports.
Estimated Completion FY 2030 Estimate of Total Research Resources 13 FTE and $1,600K over a 5-year period Summary of Completed Research Projects35 During the reporting period, RES completed the following research projects:
User Need Request for Regulatory Research in Support of Licensing and Certification Activities for Enrichment, Fabrication, Transportation, and Storage of Advanced Non-Light Water Reactor Fuels (NMSS-2022-002)36 Importance to the NRC Mission This project (1) assisted the NRC in understanding the state-of-knowledge on applicable operating experience, and technical and regulatory considerations for pre-application engagements and reviews for near-term license/certification applications; (2) advanced the NRCs knowledge management efforts to support efficient and effective safety reviews; (3) enhanced NRC readiness to review near-term license/certification applications; and (4) provided clarity regarding potential improvements to make licensing reviews for advanced-reactor-related fuel cycle activities more effective and efficient, such as through regulatory guidance and staff review plans.
Research Results or Findings The following public reports were issued as part of this project:
Technical Letter Report (TLR)-RES/DE/REB-2023-05, Assessment of the Current State of Knowledge on Storage and Transportation of Molten Salt Reactor Waste (ML23188A168);
TLR-RES/DE/REB-2024-17, Assessment of Technical Information Needs and Considerations for Front-End Activities for Molten Salt Fuel Types (ML24267A025);
TLR-RES/DE/REB-2024-15, Storage and Transportation of Molten Salt Reactor Wastes Identification of Technical Info Needs and Safety Implications, September 2024 (ML24256A003); and TLR-RES/DE/REB-2024-12, Technical Information Needs and Regulatory Considerations for Front-End Transportation Activities of HALEU Feed Material (ML24220A147).
Duration of the Project 3 years Estimate of Total Research Resources 2.7 FTE and $800K over the 3-year period 35 The research project resources are estimates of staff hours and program support costs based on inspection of project records, including staffing plans and contract spending plans for the duration of the project.
36 This research project has been completed. The research results reflect activities that were completed in prior reporting quarters over the duration of the 3-year project. These final reports were issued between January 2023 through September 2024 and were not listed in the previous quarterly report, dated May 22, 2023, and December 2, 2024, respectively. No additional reports or findings are expected in future quarterly report.
User Need Request for Technical Support to Develop Operator Licensing for Advanced Reactors (NRR-2021-021)37 Importance to the NRC Mission This project directly supports the 10 CFR Part 53 rulemaking and development of related key regulatory guidance documents, consistent with NEIMA.
Research Results or Findings As a result of this work, RES assisted the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation with the development of draft interim staff guidance DRO-ISG-2023-01, Operator Licensing Programs, dated September 2022 (ML22272A047), which was released to support stakeholder engagement as part of the 10 CFR Part 53 rulemaking. The draft interim staff guidance is focused on tailored programs that would meet the operator licensing requirements of Part 53, Subpart F, and review criteria for proposed programs to provide reasonable assurance that licensed operators will fulfill their role in managing key safety functions at a given facility. Support of this activity continued through December 2024.
Duration of the Project 3 years Estimate of Total Research Resources 1 FTE and $0 over the 3-year period 37 This research project has been completed. The research results reflect activities that were completed in prior reporting quarters over the duration of the 3-year project. The draft interim staff guidance issued in September 2022 was not listed in the quarterly report, dated November 21, 2022. No additional reports or findings are expected in future quarterly report.
User Need Request for Safety Culture Research and Technical Support (NRR-2019-012)38 Importance to the NRC Mission This project included technical support from RES to support NRC inspectors having adequate training and guidance to implement safety culture assessment activities at licensee and vendor facilities as part of the operating reactor inspection program. This work supported maintaining up-to-date guidance in Inspection Manual Chapter 1245, Qualification Program for Reactor Inspectors; Inspection Manual Chapter 0310, Aspects Within the Cross-Cutting Areas; Inspection Manual Chapter 0305, Operating Reactor Assessment Program; Inspection Procedure 71152, Problem Identification and Resolution; Inspection Procedure 95002, Supplemental Inspection Response to Action Matrix Column 3 (Degraded Performance) Inputs; Inspection Procedure 95003, Supplemental Inspection Response to Action Matrix Column 4 (Multiple/Repetitive Degraded Cornerstone) Inputs; Inspection Procedure 93100, Safety-Conscious Work Environment Issue of Concern Followup; and Inspection Procedure 40100, Independent Safety Culture Assessment Followup.
Research Results or Findings RES provided technical support for safety culture training and oversight activities in the operating reactor inspection program. This included (1) developing and delivering safety culture training for inspection staff; (2) developing recommendations for enhancements to the safety culture training, including the individual study activity in Inspection Manual Chapter 1245, Appendix B; (3) developing an internal safety culture assessment desk guide to assist with planning graded safety culture assessments; (4) coordinating biennial safety culture assessor counterpart meetings; and (5) providing safety culture technical expertise and inspection support. Inspection and technical support of this activity continued through December 2024.
Duration of the Project 5 years Estimate of Total Research Resources 1 FTE and $0K over the 5-year period 38 This research project has been completed. The research results reflect activities that were completed in prior reporting quarters over the duration of the 5-year project. No additional reports or findings are expected in future quarterly report.
3-5 Fees Billed The tables below provide information on Part 170 fees billed for each fee class. For each fee class, the NRC staff compared the fees billed to the receipts estimated in the annual fee rule.39 Fee Class FY 2024 Part 170 Receipts Estimated
- Final Fee Rule
($M)
Part 170 Billed in Q1 FY 2025 ($M)
Total Part 170 -
Billed in FY 2025
($M)
Fuel Facilities
$8.7
$2.1
$2.1 Generic Decommissioning
$6.2
$0.4
$0.4 Materials Users40
$0.8
$0.3
$0.3 Operating Power Reactors
$168.3
$43.8
$43.8 Non-Power Production or Utilization Facilities
$3.0
$0.4
$0.4 Spent Fuel Storage/
Reactor Decommissioning
$12.3
$2.4
$2.4 Rare Earth
$0.2
$0.0
$0.0 Transportation
$2.4
$1.0
$1.0 Uranium Recovery
$0.4
$0.2
$0.2 Significant Ongoing Licensing Actions The following table includes a comparison of the fees billed to projected resources for subsequent license renewal application reviews and the Kairos Hermes 2 and Kemmerer Power Station construction permit application reviews.
39 The FY 2024 Final Fee Rule estimated collections are being used until the FY 2025 Proposed Fee Rule is published. The FY 2024 Final Fee Rule was published in the Federal Register on June 20, 2024 (89 FR 51789).
40 Materials Users - Billed as flat fee applications and included in the estimates and billed.
Docket Project Name Projected Resources
($M)41 Fees Billed to Date
($M)42 Point Beach Units 1 and 2 05000266/05000301 Point Beach Units 1 and 2 Subsequent License Renewal Application Safety Review
$5.043
$3.5 Point Beach Units 1 and 2 05000266/05000301 Point Beach Units 1 and 2 Subsequent License Renewal Application Environmental Review
$1.4
$1.5 North Anna Units 1 and 2 05000338/05000339 North Anna Units 1 and 2 Subsequent License Renewal Application Safety Review
$5.044
$3.0 North Anna Units 1 and 2 05000338/05000339 North Anna Units 1 and 2 Subsequent License Renewal Application Environmental Review
$1.4
$2.5 Oconee Units 1, 2, and 3 05000269/05000270/
05000287 Oconee Units 1, 2, and 3 Subsequent License Renewal Application Safety Review
$5.045
$3.8 Oconee Units 1, 2, and 3 05000269/05000270/
05000287 Oconee Units 1, 2, and 3 Subsequent License Renewal Application Environmental Review
$1.4
$1.8 St. Lucie Units 1 and 2 05000335/05000389 St. Lucie Units 1 and 2 Subsequent License Renewal Application Safety Review
$5.046
$4.1 St. Lucie Units 1 and 2 05000335/05000389 St. Lucie Units 1 and 2 Subsequent License Renewal Application Environmental Review
$1.4
$0.4 Kairos Hermes 2 Units 1 and 2 05000611/05000612 Kairos Hermes 2 Units 1 and 2 Construction Permit - Safety and Environmental Reviews
$3.147
$1.9 41 Projected resources are calculated based on the FTE estimates provided to applicants in the acceptance letters. Dollar amounts are obtained by multiplying the hours estimate by the professional hourly rate.
42 The NRC bills its licensees/applicants in the first month of the quarter following the timeframe in which the work was performed. For example, NRC work performed in October, November, and December would be invoiced to the licensee/applicant in January. Therefore, the total billed amounts listed in Table 3-5 reflect costs for NRC work performed through September 2024.
43 When the formal acceptance letter for the Point Beach subsequent license renewal application was sent to the licensee on January 15, 2021 (ML21006A417), the NRC estimated that it would take approximately $6.4M to complete the application review.
44 When the formal acceptance letter for the North Anna subsequent license renewal application was sent to the licensee on October 13, 2020 (ML20258A284), the NRC estimated that it would take approximately $6.4M to complete the application review.
45 When the formal acceptance letter for the Oconee subsequent license renewal application was sent to the licensee on July 22, 2021 (ML21194A245), the NRC estimated that it would take approximately $6.4M to complete the application review.
46 When the formal acceptance letter for the St. Lucie subsequent license renewal application was sent to the licensee on September 24, 2021 (ML21246A091), the NRC estimated that it would take approximately $6.4M to complete the application review.
47 The projected resource estimate was provided to Kairos Power LLC by letter dated October 11, 2023 (ML23269A176).
Kemmerer Unit 1 05000613 Kemmerer Unit 1 Construction Permit Application - Safety and Environmental Reviews
$13.048
$1.3 Docket Project Name Projected Resources
($M)
Fees Billed to Date ($M)
Monticello Unit 1 05000263 Monticello Unit 1 Subsequent License Renewal Application Safety Review
$5.149
$2.4 Monticello Unit 1 05000263 Monticello Unit 1 Subsequent License Renewal Application Environmental Review
$2.1
$1.7 V.C. Summer Unit 1 05000395 V.C. Summer Unit 1 Subsequent License Renewal Application Safety Review
$5.050
$2.1 V.C. Summer Unit 1 05000395 V.C. Summer Unit 1 Subsequent License Renewal Application Environmental Review
$1.4
$0.7 Browns Ferry Units 1, 2, and 3 05000259/
05000260/05000296 Browns Ferry Units 1, 2, and 3 Subsequent License Renewal Application Safety Review
$3.551
$2.8 Browns Ferry Units 1, 2, and 3 05000259/
05000260/05000296 Browns Ferry Units 1, 2, and 3 Subsequent License Renewal Application Environmental Review
$1.9
$0.3 Dresden, Units 2 and 3 05000237/05000249 Dresden, Units 2 and 3 Subsequent License Renewal Application Safety Review
$2.452
$0.2 Dresden, Units 2 and 3 05000237/05000249 Dresden, Units 2 and 3 Subsequent License Renewal Application Environmental Review
$1.8
$0.2 48 A revised projected resource estimate was provided to TerraPower, LLC by letter dated November 25, 2024 (ML24304A977).
49 When the formal acceptance letter for the Monticello subsequent license renewal application was sent to the licensee on February 23, 2023 (ML23047A175), the NRC estimated that it would take approximately $7.2M to complete the application review.
50 When the formal acceptance letter for the V.C. Summer subsequent license renewal application was sent to the licensee on October 11, 2023 (ML23275A014), the NRC estimated that it would take approximately $6.4M to complete the application review.
51 When the formal acceptance letter for the Browns Ferry subsequent license renewal application was sent to the licensee on March 15, 2024 (ML24068A177), the NRC estimated that it would take approximately $5.4M to complete the application review.
52 When the formal acceptance letter for the Dresden subsequent license renewal application was sent to the licensee on August 2, 2024 (ML24184A171), the NRC estimated that it would take approximately $4.2M to complete the application review.
3-6 Requests for Additional Information (RAIs)
The table below provides information on RAIs associated with licensing actions that are considered requested activities of the Commission for which the NRC staff issues a final SE, consistent with Section 102(c) of NEIMA. While Section 102(c) of NEIMA applies to licensing actions accepted after July 13, 2019, the RAI data also include licensing actions accepted prior to July 13, 2019, to provide a complete inventory.
Type of Facility or Activity Type Total Inventory of Open RAIs as of the End of Reporting Period Total Number of RAIs Issued in Reporting Period Total Number of RAIs Responded to in Reporting Period Total Number of RAIs Closed in Reporting Period53 Operating Reactors 186 76 69 154 Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities54 113 0
0 0
Design Certifications for New Reactors55 0
0 0
0 Early Site Permits for New Reactors56 N/A N/A N/A N/A Combined Licenses for New Reactors 0
0 0
0 Construction Permits for New Reactors or Non-Power Production and Utilization Facilities 0
0 0
0 Fuel Facilities 187 7
20 27 Power Reactor Decommissioning 38 1
13 9
Research and Test Reactor Decommissioning 0
0 0
0 Spent Fuel 13457 17 65 98 Materials 0
0 0
25 Pre-Application Activities for Advanced Reactors 22 0
0 0
3-7 Workforce Development and Management 53 RAIs are considered closed once the final SE, environmental assessment, or environmental impact statement is finalized except for RAIs associated with new reactor application reviews. Due to the phased approach taken over several years for new reactor application reviews, RAIs are closed throughout the review process once the staff has determined that no additional information is needed to resolve the issue.
54 For the purposes of RAI reporting, non-power production and utilization facilities include all operating research and test reactors and medical radioisotope facilities licensed under Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations Part 50, Domestic Licensing of Production and Utilization Facilities.
55 No design certification applications are currently under review by the NRC; therefore, there will be no RAI data to report until an application is submitted and accepted by the NRC for review.
56 No early site permit applications are currently under review by the NRC; therefore, there will be no RAI data to report until an application is submitted and accepted by the NRC for review.
57 The total inventory of open RAIs as of the end of Q4 FY 2024 should be corrected to reflect a final total of 215, rather than 206 as reported in the previous report.
FY 2025 Staffing by Office58 FY 2025 Budget FTE Utilization 10/01/24 -
11/02/24 FTE Utilization 11/03/24 -
11/30/24 FTE Utilization 12/01/24 -
12/28/24 FTE Utilization as of 12/28/24 Delta (Q1 FTE Utilization FY 2025 Budget)
End of Year (EOY)
Projection w/
Personnel Actions Delta (EOY Utilization
- FY 2025 Budget)
Totals 2,898 263 220 220 2,859
-39 2,941 43 COMM 42 2
2 2
25
-17 27
-15 OIG 73 5
4 4
53
-20 51
-22 Totals Other Offices 2,783 256 214 214 2,781
-2 2,863 80 OCFO 96 8
7 7
88
-8 91
-5 OGC 92 9
7 7
91
-1 94 2
OCA 10 1
1 1
12 2
13 3
OCAA 7
1 0
0 6
-1 8
1 OPA 14 1
1 1
16 2
17 3
SECY 17 2
1 1
16
-1 15
-2 OIP 37 4
3 3
38 1
40 3
ASLBP 23 2
2 2
21
-2 21
-2 ACRS 29 2
2 2
25
-4 21
-9 OEDO 29 3
2 2
28
-1 27
-2 NRR 541 51 43 43 561 20 577 36 NMSS 310 29 25 25 318 8
326 16 RES 203 18 15 15 197
-5 208 5
NSIR 158 14 12 12 153
-5 159 1
R-I 169 15 13 13 167
-3 172 3
R-II 195 20 17 16 212 18 218 23 R-III 174 15 13 13 166
-8 163
-11 R-IV 164 15 13 13 167 4
169 5
OE 27 3
2 3
31 4
32 5
OI 35 3
3 3
36 1
36 1
OCIO 178 16 13 13 173
-5 176
-1 ADM 119 10 9
8 112
-7 119 0
SBCR 15 1
1 1
13
-2 17 2
OCHCO 59 142 13 10 10 134
-8 145 3
58 Some numbers might not add exactly due to rounding.
59 CSU is included in the OCHCO row. CSU was reported as a separate row in previous reports.
3-8 Inspection Activities The table below shows the average number of hours of direct inspection per plant in CY 2024.
Average ROP Direct Inspection Hours Nationwide Per Plant (unit)
Column 1 of ROP Action Matrix (unit)
Column 2 of ROP Action Matrix (unit)
Column 3 of ROP Action Matrix (unit)
Column 4 of ROP Action Matrix 1594 Hours 1561 Hours 1766 Hours60 No Plants in Column 3 No Plants in Column 4 The table below shows the staff-hours expended for inspection-related effort at operating power reactor sites by CY.
Items Description CY 2023 (Hours)
CY 2024 (Hours)
- i.
Baseline Inspection 213,426 210,254 ii.
Plant-Specific Inspection 8,080 6,512 iii.
Generic Safety Issue Inspections 0
0 iv.
Performance Assessment 2,548 2,225
- v.
Other Activities 101,059 100,374 vi.
Total Staff Effort 325,114 319,365 vii.
Total Staff Effort Per Operating Site61 5,911 5,807 3-9 Backfit Facility-Specific Backfits No facility-specific backfits were issued during the reporting period.
Generic Backfits No generic backfits were issued during the reporting period.
Backfit Appeals Filed by Licensees and Applicants There were no backfit appeals submitted to the NRC during the reporting period.
60 Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 1 moved to Column 2 in Q4 FY 2022 (ML22314A100) and returned to Column 1 in Q2 FY 2024 (ML24101A261). Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 2 moved to Column 2 in Q4 of FY 2024 (ML24309A247). Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station moved to Column 2 in Q1 FY 2024 (ML23342A000) and returned to Column 1 in Q2 FY 2024 (ML24121A017). Columbia Generating Station moved to Column 2 in Q1 FY 2022 (ML23111A237). River Bend Station moved to Column 2 in Q3 FY 2023 (ML23201A132) and returned to Column 1 in Q2 FY 2024 (ML24074A476). Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, Units 1 and 2 moved to Column 2 in Q4 FY 2023 (ML23352A395), with Unit 1 returning to Column 1 in Q1 FY 2025 (ML25013A198) and Unit 2 returning to Column 1 in Q1 FY25 (ML25013A198)..
North Anna Power Station, Unit 2 entered Column 2 in Q1 FY 2025 (ML24330A016) and returned to Column 1 in Q1 FY 2025 (ML25021A004). James A. FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant entered Column 2 in Q4 FY 2024 (ML24299A214).
Millstone Power Station entered Column 2 in Q3 FY 2024 (ML24170A784) and returned to Column 1 in Q4 FY 2024 (ML24219A016). Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Unit 3 entered Column 2 in Q4 FY 2024 (ML24313A063). Waterford Steam Electric Station, Unit 3 entered Column 2 in Q3 FY 2024 (ML24232A254) and returned to Column 1 in Q1 of FY 2025 (ML25023A150). Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant, Unit 2 entered Column 2 in Q4 FY 2024 (ML24310A203). Catawba Nuclear Station, Unit 2 entered Column 2 in Q2 FY 2024 (ML24234A291).
61 Total staff effort is divided by 55 sites for both CY 2023 and CY 2024, due to Palisades permanently ceasing operations in June 2022 and Vogtle Unit 3 transitioning to the ROP in August 2022.