Trump boosts nuclear power, regulators seek to eliminate a longstanding radiation safety rule

Trump boosts nuclear power as regulators seek to eliminate a long-standing radiation safety rule tied to how radiation exposure is managed in the United States. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) proposes abandoning the ALARA principle—requiring exposures be kept “as low as reasonably achievable”—while keeping unchanged the separate dose limits that cap maximum radiation for the public and radiation workers. Under the new approach, the NRC would use a “graded approach” requiring different radiation-protection actions depending on potential worker doses, with stricter measures when nearing dose limits to prevent exceedances. This update follows a push to quadruple domestic nuclear energy production amid surging electricity demand driven by data centers and artificial intelligence growth. The NRC is expected to finalize its radiation protection regulations in the coming months. NRC Chairman Ho Nieh says the proposal does not lower the safety bar but removes “ambiguity.” The Energy Department has already stopped using ALARA, and the NRC expects minimal changes for existing large reactor fleets, though designs for smaller reactors could move faster with clearer requirements.