NRC Information Collection Renewal: Scheduling Data for Accident Tolerant, Higher Burnup, and Increased Enrichment Nuclear Fuels Licensing

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has submitted a renewal request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an existing information collection program titled 'Scheduling Information for the Licensing of Accident Tolerant, Higher Burnup, and Increased Enrichment Fuels.' This renewal is part of the NRC's ongoing regulatory oversight of next-generation nuclear fuel technologies that aim to improve reactor safety and efficiency. The information collection targets nuclear fuel vendors and reactor operators who are developing or deploying advanced fuel types, including accident tolerant fuels (ATF), fuels designed for higher burnup rates (extracting more energy per fuel assembly), and fuels with increased uranium enrichment levels above the traditional 5% U-235 threshold. These fuel categories represent significant departures from conventional light water reactor fuel and require distinct licensing pathways. By collecting scheduling data from industry stakeholders, the NRC can anticipate licensing workloads, allocate review resources efficiently, and establish timelines for safety evaluations. This proactive coordination is intended to avoid regulatory bottlenecks as commercial deployment of advanced fuels accelerates in the coming years. This is a routine administrative renewal under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), meaning the NRC is seeking OMB's continued authorization to collect this information. No new regulatory requirements are being introduced; the notice primarily signals continuation of an existing data-gathering mechanism.

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