The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, an agency tasked with implementing safety policies and oversight of nuclear reactors, has introduced a new logo while marking one year since President Donald Trump signed an order pushing for reforms.
The logo was unveiled on Wednesday during a meeting led by Nuclear Regulatory Commission chairman Ho K Nieh.
“In 12 months, the NRC is delivering an unprecedented suite of new rules around the entire nuclear lifecycle," Mr Nieh said, referring to Mr Trump's executive order 14300, which directed the commission to "cut red tape" and "enable nuclear energy deployment in America".
NRC spokesman Scott Burnell spoke to The National about some of the goals of the new design.
"The new logo conveys forward motion as we evolve and adapt with new nuclear technologies and we incorporated the five stars from our seal to represent our five commissioners," he said.
"A new NRC has emerged and the new logo reflects that," he said, adding that the logo design bolster's the agency's purpose of "enabling the safe use of nuclear technology and reestablishing America’s global nuclear leadership".
Since returning to the White House, Mr Trump has signed several executive orders designed to speed up the construction of reactors and prioritise nuclear energy in the US.
That push resulted in the NRC reorganising, with hopes of "streamlining decision making" and "consolidating functions".
The private sector, particularly Big Tech, has celebrated the move as artificial intelligence energy needs put a strain on the US grid. This has led to what some have described as a nuclear renaissance, a push to build more reactors and even bring shuttered reactors back online.
Others, however have criticised the NRC's move amid concerns that "cutting red tape" and "consolidation" might translate into giving reduced priority to safety in the nuclear energy sector.
Although polls indicate that Americans are more open to the idea of nuclear energy, there's still tremendous reticence about reactors being constructed near residential areas.
Meanwhile, while marking the anniversary since Mr Trump's executive order on nuclear energy, the NRC highlighted new policies related to what some have described as "microreactors" and "small-modular reactors", which have been the source of tremendous investments from both Big Tech and startups.
The small-modular reactors are viewed as safer and less aesthetically disruptive than conventional nuclear reactor designs.
The NRC highlighted "a proposed framework designed for high-volume, streamlined licensing of smaller, lower-risk reactors that have different safety profiles than traditional plants".
Despite ample investments and tentative design approvals, there are currently no small-modular reactors operating in the US.
Also on Wednesday, the NRC celebrated plans to restart a previously shuttered nuclear reactor, what some have called a zombie reactor, in Michigan.
"[The NRC] approved the restart of the Palisades nuclear plant — the first time in US history the NRC has approved a decommissioning plant to be returned to operational status."
