With the NRC totally and completely whiffing on their advanced reactor regulations so that industry players said they would prefer the current ones to that, I think the time has come for the US to put out a tender for bids from third parties to craft new regulations
At the very least the NRC would realize that if they don't adapt the making of the new regulations could be yanked from under them
Prescriptive regulation can work well for things where the design space is very well known, and the regulations are covering that part of the design space.
The ASME boiler and pressure vessel code is a prime example of this. The fired boilers section is EXTREMELY prescriptive, but so detailed that designing to it is not that hard.
But it has a less detailed process vessel section, with more onus on proving that your design meets the broader requirements.
With the NRC totally and completely whiffing on their advanced reactor regulations so that industry players said they would prefer the current ones to that, I think the time has come for the US to put out a tender for bids from third parties to craft new regulations
At the very least the NRC would realize that if they don't adapt the making of the new regulations could be yanked from under them
Prescriptive regulation can work well for things where the design space is very well known, and the regulations are covering that part of the design space.
The ASME boiler and pressure vessel code is a prime example of this. The fired boilers section is EXTREMELY prescriptive, but so detailed that designing to it is not that hard.
But it has a less detailed process vessel section, with more onus on proving that your design meets the broader requirements.
This is the balance we need.