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Federal Oversight of Commercial Nuclear Power

In 2014, U.S. commercial nuclear power plants generated about 19.5 percent of the nation’s electricity. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licenses these plants and regulates and oversees their safe operation and security.

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NRC faces a number of new and ongoing challenges in fulfilling its mission, including:

  • Addressing concerns about the safety of U.S. nuclear power plants and the adequacy of its processes and regulations in the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi disaster.
  • Providing oversight of the decommissioning of nuclear power plants and reviewing advanced reactor designs.
  • Deciding whether to renew the operating licenses of existing nuclear power plants while continuing to provide effective oversight of those plants as they age.
  • Taking steps to right-size the agency in light of fewer new nuclear power plants being built and some existing plants being decommissioned earlier than expected.

Figure 1: NRC Regions and Operating Nuclear Power Plants in the United States as of September 2013

Figure 1: NRC Regions and Operating Nuclear Power Plants in the United States

Excerpted from GAO-13-743

Looking for our recommendations? Click on any report to find each associated recommendation and its current implementation status.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission: NRC Needs to Improve Its Cost Estimates by Incorporating More Best Practices
http://gao.gov/products/GAO-15-98

GAO-15-98: Published: Dec 12, 2014. Publicly Released: Dec 16, 2014.
Nuclear Power: Analysis of Regional Differences and Improved Access to Information Could Strengthen NRC Oversight
http://gao.gov/products/GAO-13-743

GAO-13-743: Published: Sep 27, 2013. Publicly Released: Oct 17, 2013.
Emergency Preparedness: NRC Needs to Better Understand Likely Public Response to Radiological Incidents at Nuclear Power Plants
http://gao.gov/products/GAO-13-243

GAO-13-243: Published: Mar 11, 2013. Publicly Released: Apr 10, 2013.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Natural Hazard Assessments Could Be More Risk-Informed
http://gao.gov/products/GAO-12-465

GAO-12-465: Published: Apr 26, 2012. Publicly Released: May 29, 2012.
Nuclear Regulation: NRC's Oversight of Nuclear Power Reactors' Decommissioning Funds Could Be Further Strengthened
http://gao.gov/products/GAO-12-258

GAO-12-258: Published: Apr 5, 2012. Publicly Released: May 7, 2012.

More Reports

Nuclear Nonproliferation: DOE Made Progress to Secure Vulnerable Nuclear Materials Worldwide, but Opportunities Exist to Improve Its Efforts
http://gao.gov/products/GAO-15-799

GAO-15-799: Published: Sep 23, 2015. Publicly Released: Sep 23, 2015.
Technology Assessment: Nuclear Reactors: Status and Challenges in Development and Deployment of New Commercial Concepts
http://gao.gov/products/GAO-15-652

GAO-15-652: Published: Jul 28, 2015. Publicly Released: Jul 28, 2015.
Nuclear Safety: Countries' Regulatory Bodies Have Made Changes in Response to the Fukushima Daiichi Accident
http://gao.gov/products/GAO-14-109

GAO-14-109: Published: Mar 6, 2014. Publicly Released: Mar 11, 2014.
Nuclear Reactor License Renewal: NRC Generally Follows Documented Procedures, but Its Revisions to Environmental Review Guidance Have Not Been Timely
http://gao.gov/products/GAO-13-493

GAO-13-493: Published: May 30, 2013. Publicly Released: Jul 10, 2013.
Commercial Spent Nuclear Fuel: Observations on the Key Attributes and Challenges of Storage and Disposal Options
http://gao.gov/products/GAO-13-532T

GAO-13-532T: Published: Apr 11, 2013. Publicly Released: Apr 11, 2013.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Oversight and Status of Implementing a Risk-Informed Approach to Fire Safety
http://gao.gov/products/GAO-13-8

GAO-13-8: Published: Oct 22, 2012. Publicly Released: Nov 26, 2012.
Spent Nuclear Fuel: Accumulating Quantities at Commercial Reactors Present Storage and Other Challenges
http://gao.gov/products/GAO-12-797

GAO-12-797: Published: Aug 15, 2012. Publicly Released: Sep 14, 2012.
Nuclear Nonproliferation: U.S. Agencies Have Limited Ability to Account for, Monitor, and Evaluate the Security of U.S. Nuclear Material Overseas
http://gao.gov/products/GAO-11-920

GAO-11-920: Published: Sep 8, 2011. Publicly Released: Sep 8, 2011.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Oversight of Underground Piping Systems Commensurate with Risk, but Proactive Measures Could Help Address Future Leaks
http://gao.gov/products/GAO-11-563

GAO-11-563: Published: Jun 3, 2011. Publicly Released: Jun 21, 2011.
Commercial Nuclear Waste: Effects of a Termination of the Yucca Mountain Repository Program and Lessons Learned
http://gao.gov/products/GAO-11-229

GAO-11-229: Published: Apr 8, 2011. Publicly Released: May 10, 2011.
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