43 - Jeff Merrifield - The Nuclear Rules Are Changing and What Comes Next

What does the future of American nuclear energy look like through the eyes of someone who has spent decades shaping, regulating, and advising the industry? In this episode of Advanced Nuclear, host Dominic Cooper sits down with The Honorable Jeffrey S. Merrifield, former Commissioner of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear energy attorney, and Chair of the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council. Drawing on decades of experience in nuclear policy and regulation, Merrifield discusses how the NRC has evolved, why a more risk-informed regulatory approach matters for the next generation of reactors, and what recent regulatory changes could mean for advanced nuclear deployment. The conversation goes well beyond traditional nuclear power. Merrifield explores the different regulatory path being developed for fusion energy, the growing potential for nuclear power and propulsion in space, new approaches to used nuclear fuel and recycling, and the expanding market for large reactors, small modular reactors, advanced non-light-water reactors, and microreactors. Looking ahead, Merrifield sees an opportunity for the United States to significantly expand nuclear generation while rebuilding domestic capabilities across the nuclear fuel cycle, from uranium and enrichment to advanced fuel use and recycling. www.ucanpower.org