For decades, the United States has benefited from maintaining the gold standard of nuclear safety through oversight by an independent nuclear regulatory commission (NRC).   

Today, however, the NRC is under attack by the Trump administration:

• In May, the President issued an executive order that upends the NRC’s independence by prioritizing political decision-making over expertise 
• In June, Trump fired bipartisan NRC Commissioner Christopher Hanson for no reason  
• Hundreds of staff with technical expertise have left the NRC since the start of the year, with no qualified specialists to replace them  

Both the IBEW and nuclear industry benefit from an independent NRC. The NRC provides the regulatory certainty necessary to ensure that IBEW members can uphold the safety principles that define the nuclear industry. IBEW members are highly trained nuclear professionals with unmatched experience operating nuclear facilities. This expertise is why the IBEW represents two-thirds of all nuclear reactors in the United States. 

Nuclear power is at a pivotal moment. The nation is confronting rapidly growing demand for carbon-free baseload energy which has renewed interest in both advanced and new large-scale nuclear generation. Thanks to the IBEW-supported ADVANCE Act of 2024, the NRC has even more tools to accelerate nuclear energy deployment, approve power-uprate licenses, and safeguard the safety of the existing reactor fleet. 

A highly politicized nuclear industry with eroded regulatory standards will jeopardize IBEW members, compromise public safety, and undermine the global credibility of the NRC licensing process. All while introducing unnecessary risk and instability. 

Tell your members of Congress to keep the NRC independent by using the toolkit below:

• Letter Campaign: Visit https://bit.ly/3Y42v7U to send a letter to your members of Congress. Enter your mailing address, click “Start Writing,” and a sample letter will populate, telling your members of Congress to keep the NRC independent. 
• Social Media Post with Graphics: Share this post and one of the graphics on your social media to inform fellow IBEW members about this issue: 
  • I’m a proud IBEW member who supports the independence of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The NRC has kept America’s nuclear industry the gold standard for safety, but political interference is now threatening the expert oversight, worker safety, and stability the industry depends on. Stand with the IBEW and defend a strong, independent NRC by writing to your members of Congress today. https://bit.ly/3Y42v7U” [Insert SM graphic 1, graphic 2, or graphic 3]