Overview
- The Marine Minerals Administration and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday that creates a coordinated process for future commercial reactors on the Outer Continental Shelf.
- The MOU clarifies that the MMA would manage leases and rights-of-way on the nearly 3.2 billion-acre federal shelf while the NRC would carry out environmental analyses and issue licenses and permits.
- Officials stressed no commercial offshore reactor projects are planned or approved now, and the agreement is framed as preparatory work to give potential applicants regulatory clarity.
- Conservation groups voiced strong opposition, saying offshore reactors would threaten ocean life, while the administration views marine reactors as a way to expand U.S. nuclear capacity in coming decades.
- The move follows global interest in marine small modular reactors — with several countries developing designs and Russia operating the only current floating plant — and signals U.S. agencies are building technical and permitting pathways if industry seeks to deploy them.