The Nuclear Regulatory Commission finalized a rule on October 30 that overhauls contested hearings on reactor and other licensing applications, setting schedules intended to complete most cases in about a year and the simplest in roughly six months. Previous hearings often took years.

The rule creates three hearing tracks — Standard, Focused and Expedited — assigned by the complexity of the application. Hearing notices must include a "Standard Hearing Completion Date," giving applicants and the public an expectation of when the NRC intends to complete the proceeding.

Hearings will start as soon as practicable after a contested issue, or contention, is admitted, rather than waiting for NRC staff to finish their technical review. The NRC said the shift is intended to shave months off proceedings that previously ran step by step instead of side by side.

The rule does not change the standards applicants must meet to obtain a license or the agency's responsibility to independently evaluate safety and security, the NRC said.

"This rule preserves public participation while making the hearing process more efficient," NRC Chairman Ho K. Nieh said.

The rule takes effect 30 days after publication in the Federal Register, expected next week, and applies to contested hearing opportunities that open on or after that date. It carries out direction from Congress in the 2024 ADVANCE Act and from Executive Order 14300.