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The DOE was uniquely positioned to offer a speedy pathway to approval. The nation's commercial nuclear reactors are typically under the regulatory oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Hanson says the NRC is independent and known for its rigor and public process. ... But since the NRC began its work in 1975, the Energy Department has retained the ability to regulate its own reactors, which have historically been used for research and nuclear weapons-related activities.

The rules governing DOE reactors are a mix of federal regulations and directives known as "orders." Changes to federal regulations require public notice and comment, but DOE's orders can be legally changed internally with no public comment period. The orders have historically been made public via a DOE database.

Until now, the DOE's rules have typically applied to just a handful of reactors located on government property. The Reactor Pilot Program expands that regulatory authority to all reactors built as part of the program. Officials explained to the crowd in the June meeting that this includes DOE-contracted reactors built outside of the department's national laboratories.

And while broadening its oversight, officials said, safety personnel located primarily at Idaho National Laboratory would also rewrite the DOE's orders for these reactors.