U.S. NRC Proposes Fusion Licensing Framework

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission proposed on Feb. 26 a federal licensing framework that treats commercial fusion machines under 10 CFR Part 30 byproduct material rules rather than reactor licensing. The rule clarifies licensing for tritium, activation products, and environmental reporting, aligns cross-references with the 2024 ADVANCE Act, and delegates primary licensing to Agreement States for most facilities.