"Nuclear Regulators To Downsize Agency"

"The agency regulating nuclear power is planning to cut employees in an effort to better meet the new needs of the industry and regulators.

The five-member Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said Monday that it approved various plans under its Project Aim 2020 program to streamline the agency, improve the timeframes for permit approvals and better prepare for the future.

The plan comes as the NRC is under increasing pressure from Republicans that now control both chambers of Congress as well as the nuclear power sector to reduce its staff level and budget and improve efficiency. The NRC has grown in recent years despite the fact that no new nuclear reactor has come into service this century and very few are planned."

Timothy Cama reports for The Hill June 8, 2015.