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Fact gov-005

newrecordconfirmed The order behind Ward 250 tells DOE to assign a team to help each applicant, and to work with DOGE to implement it
2025-05-23 · gov-005 · Executive Office of the President, U.S. Department of Energy, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Office of Management and Budget, Office of Science and Technology Policy

Executive Order 14301 (23 May 2025, 90 FR 22591), read in full on govinfo: section 3 finds that reactors under DOE's 'sufficient control' that do not produce commercial electric power are for research and fall within DOE's jurisdiction, rather than needing an NRC license; section 4 has DOE rewrite its rules to 'significantly expedite' approvals and, once an application is substantially complete, form a team from the Secretary's office, a national laboratory, DOE's General Counsel and any office able to 'deconflict, oppose, or approve' it, which 'shall provide assistance to the applicant to ensure expeditious processing', each member reporting to the Secretary; section 5 creates the pilot program 'outside the National Laboratories', orders the Secretary to approve at least three reactors with the goal of criticality in each by 4 July 2026, and assigns each approved applicant such an assistance team; section 6 orders NEPA reform, including new categorical exclusions (the one used for Ward 250, csite-020); section 7 has the Secretary implement the order with 'the DOGE Team Lead at the Department', OMB and OSTP. The order sets no public-hearing or comment step for reactor approvals.

In plain termsThe presidential order that made Ward 250 possible tells the Energy Department to speed up approvals and to put together a team, including officials who have power to approve or object, whose job is to help each company get through the process quickly. It also tells DOE to work with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) on carrying it out. That is a different model from an independent regulator that reviews an application at arm's length and in public. The order does not provide for public hearings.
verified 2026-09-29: Re-read EO 14301 on govinfo 2026-09-29: sections 3-7 as described; the word 'public' appears only in the publication line, so no hearing or comment step. Holds; one phrase made closer to the text.

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