NECX 2026 kicks off with a look to the future
The second annual Nuclear Energy Conference & Expo (NECX 2026), hosted in Dallas, Texas, kicked off this morning with an exciting opening plenary that saw leaders from government, regulation, and industry discussing the unprecedented opportunities now open to the nuclear sector.
NECX, the premier nuclear industry conference cohosted by the American Nuclear Society and the Nuclear Energy Institute, is all about leveraging those opportunities.
Starting off: The 1,800-plus people in attendance at the opening plenary first watched brief, prerecorded remarks from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, after which Entergy CEO and NEI chair Drew Marsh welcomed live to the stage Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chair Ho Nieh.
Nieh opened by saying a new NRC has emerged, “one that's enabling and accelerating the safe and secure deployment of new nuclear technologies and expanding existing capacity.”
“The changes we're making at the agency are advancing safety-focused, enabling regulation by aligning our requirements with actual risks and operational needs, by adapting our regulatory frameworks for new technologies, and adding regulatory flexibility where safety is maintained,” he added.
Nieh then highlighted how these changes internal to the NRC are being complemented by external changes across the industry and the country. “America's electricity demand continues to grow. New nuclear projects are moving forward. Additional capital is flowing. Supply chain deals are being signed. Advanced reactors are moving through Department of Energy pilots toward commercialization,” he said. “Across the board, the question is shifting from whether nuclear has a future to how quickly and successfully can America deploy it at scale.”
He added that the NRC is keeping pace with that broader shift, and that “a message I've been hearing consistently over the last several months is the NRC is no longer seen as the problem.”
Running through many recent milestones at the NRC, Nieh cited the publication of draft rules in the Federal Register; the issuance of two subsequent license renewals on an accelerated timetable; and ongoing progress on X-energy’s and TVA’s construction permit applications, the reviews for which are on track for completion by the end of the year.
Nieh closed out his remarks by reminding the audience that the NRC’s new rules and licensing frameworks are just the beginning. While these changes help remove friction and reduce regulatory risk, it remains up to the industry to leverage the rules for real projects. “When America is ready to move forward with more commercial applications, we're ready to deliver,” he concluded.
Following up: After Nieh left the stage, Marsh returned to welcome the first panel of the day, which looked at projects aimed at getting the most out of the existing nuclear fleet. That discussion featured Ken Peters of Vistra, Bob Coffey of NextEra Energy, Chuck Kharrl of STP, Kelly Ferneau of American Electric Power, and Chris Mudrick of Constellation.
At the second panel of the morning, attention turned to the advanced reactor market, with insights offered by Maria Korsnick of NEI, Nicole Holmes of GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Jeff Waksman of the U.S. Army, James Wyble of Westinghouse, and Jeffrey Miller of TerraPower.
Throughout the week, a packed schedule includes educational sessions and panels broken into eight tracks:
- Advanced Nuclear
- Innovation
- Regulatory Affairs
- Project Integration
- Supply Chain
- Workforce Development
- Plant Reliability and Engineering
- Emergency Preparedness
Discussions on Wednesday promise to be just as engaging as today, with sessions focusing on recent criticalities, workforce and supply chain development, technology exports, NRC licensing pathways, and much more. Stay tuned on Newswire for more coverage of NECX 2026 in the coming days.
