In 2025, President Trump signed a series of executive orders aimed at accelerating the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies. Among the directives was Executive Order 14300, which instructed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to develop a high-volume licensing process structured around standardized approvals, risk-informed regulation, and repeatable deployment models.

Consistent with that direction, the NRC published its proposed 10 CFR 57 rulemaking in May 2026 with the goal of quickly deploying next-generation reactor technologies without compromising the safety or security the industry is built on. Part 57 complements the NRC’s broader licensing modernization efforts, including the recent development of Part 53. Both frameworks reflect a shift toward risk-informed, performance-based regulation for advanced reactors, but they target different deployment types. Where Part 53 provides a technology-inclusive licensing pathway, Part 57 focuses on the operational characteristics of microreactors, including factory fabrication, transportability, standardized designs, and repeat deployments across multiple sites.

When finalized, Part 57 will transform how microreactors are licensed and delivered across commercial markets, industrial facilities, and federal installations. For organizations like ENERCON that support advanced reactor developers through licensing, safety analysis, and regulatory strategy, the proposed framework represents an important evolution in how these projects may be brought to market.

The Need for an Alternative Regulatory Framework

Microreactors are designed for scale. Their modular design enables manufacturers to produce fleets of identical reactors that can be shipped by truck, ship, rail, or air as demand arises. But under the NRC’s existing licensing framework, each microreactor would largely be treated as a unique facility. Even if every reactor shared the same design, developers could face repeated regulatory reviews for engineering, safety analyses, and construction activities.

Part 57 aims to address two primary roadblocks to advanced nuclear deployment. First, the agency’s existing licensing frameworks (primarily Parts 50 and 52) were developed around the licensing and construction of stationary, large light water reactors. The operating characteristics, construction methods, and risk profiles of these designs differ significantly from today’s advanced reactor technologies. Second, those frameworks require lengthy, resource-intensive licensing processes that are difficult to reconcile with the industry’s goal of deploying standardized reactors at scale. While existing licensing pathways remain available, the NRC has recognized that they were not designed to support the efficient, repeatable deployment models envisioned for advanced reactors.

Rather than modifying legacy regulations, the proposed rule creates an optional, risk-informed and performance-based licensing framework specifically for microreactors and other reactors with comparable risk profiles. The framework introduces new licensing pathways, including manufacturing licenses, standard design approvals, and joint applications for construction permits and operating licenses. The proposal is being developed within a broader policy framework directing final decisions on new reactor applications within no more than 18 months, with potentially shorter review periods for qualifying Part 57 applications.

Beyond the licensing process itself, the proposed rule recognizes how advanced reactors are expected to operate. It includes provisions for remote monitoring, operator-independent facilities, graded emergency preparedness, and security requirements scaled to the lower potential hazards of eligible reactor designs. Collectively, these changes represent a regulatory framework designed to improve licensing predictability and repeatable deployment models. Developers could potentially leverage previous approvals for subsequent deployments, reducing repetitive engineering reviews and allowing the NRC to focus on site-specific differences rather than revisiting the same design issues for every application.

Considerations for Next Generation Federal Nuclear Projects

At the same time, federal nuclear initiatives such as Project Pele, Advanced Nuclear Power for Instillations (ANPI) and the Janus Program are advancing in parallel with the development of Part 57. These programs are intended to support to the commercial deployment under the Part 57 framework. Together, they demonstrate an emerging partnership between government and industry: federal agencies provide mission demand, test infrastructure, regulatory leadership, and early risk reduction, while commercial developers contribute product innovation, manufacturing capability, private investment, and a pathway to repeatable deployment. This model has the potential to accelerate national security applications while strengthening the technical and commercial foundation for a broader advanced nuclear market.

The teams that can successfully coordinate federal acquisition, military and DOE authorization, NRC licensing, nuclear safety, site infrastructure, security, environmental planning, construction, and operations will be best positioned to capitalize on this monumental opportunity. Part 57 could provide a subsequent civilian licensing pathway for the same or related commercial designs, including the ability to reference prior DOE or military approval when demonstrating compliance with NRC requirements. Converting federal experience into a scalable commercial advantage, however, will require teams to preserve quality assurance, configuration control, and traceable technical evidence from the earliest stages of testing and demonstration through licensing and deployment.

That challenge is where ENERCON’s decades of nuclear expertise in licensing strategy, safety analysis, regulatory compliance, engineering, and technical advisory services across the reactor lifecycle are an advantage. Our merger with Pond adds extensive experience delivering complex programs for federal and defense clients. Pond’s understanding of federal acquisition, installation requirements, stakeholder coordination, and delivery within secure operating environments helps translate advanced reactor concepts into projects that can function within the realities of a military installation. Together, ENERCON and Pond connect reactor licensing and nuclear safety with the broader federal mission, guiding projects from early strategy and site selection through permitting, design, construction, and deployment.

Looking Ahead

The proposed Part 57 rule reflects the NRC’s recognition that advanced nuclear technologies require a modern regulatory approach. By structuring the framework around standardized designs, manufacturing, risk-informed oversight, and repeatable deployment, the rule has the potential to fundamentally change how nuclear projects are delivered.

However, a more efficient licensing framework will not eliminate the underlying technical and regulatory work required for deployment. Applicants will still need to demonstrate eligibility for Part 57 and address matters such as fuel qualification, source-term analysis, factory testing and fuel loading, transportation of fueled or irradiated modules, safeguards, cybersecurity, emergency planning, environmental reviews, and state and local permitting. In practice, Part 57 may not remove these challenges, but offers the potential to standardize how they are addressed and shift more of the work toward the design, manufacturing, and program level.

As advanced nuclear projects continue to develop across commercial and federal markets, organizations that keep pace with the evolving regulatory landscape will be well positioned to help clients navigate an increasingly complex project environment. ENERCON and Pond combine nuclear engineering and licensing, federal delivery experience, and disciplined execution to move advanced reactors from concept to deployment. Learn more about ENERCON’s decades of licensing experience and our full list of nuclear services at enercon.com.