NRC sets exceptions to foreign ownership rules for nuclear facilities — implementing the 2024 ADVANCE (advanced nuclear) Act

The NRC published a notice confirming the effective date of July 7, 2026 for a direct final rule amending its foreign ownership rules for nuclear facilities.

The direct final rule, published in the Federal Register on April 23, 2026, amends NRC regulations on foreign ownership, control, or domination (FOCD) of utilization facilities (i.e., reactors). The amendment brings the rules into compliance with section 301 of the 2024 Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act (commonly, the ADVANCE Act).

Background: U.S. atomic-energy law has traditionally restricted foreign ownership or control of nuclear facility licenses for national-security reasons. The 2024 ADVANCE Act — part of a policy push to accelerate deployment of next-generation and small modular reactors (SMRs) — called for certain exceptions to those foreign-ownership restrictions. This rule implements them and confirms the effective date.

For readers interested in advanced nuclear, clean energy, or investment and international partnerships in the sector, it illustrates how the U.S. is balancing national security with investment promotion.