Britain plots atomic reboot as datacentre demand surges

Summary

The UK government’s Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce, led by John Fingleton, has published a report saying Britain is now the most expensive place in the world to deliver nuclear projects and calls for a “radical reset” of nuclear regulation. The taskforce offers 47 recommendations to speed delivery and cut costs while asserting safety can be maintained. Key proposals include creating a Commission for Nuclear Regulation as a single decision-maker, streamlining approvals and planning regimes, limiting legal challenges for Nationally Strategic Infrastructure Projects, modifying habitats and radiation rules, and reducing regulatory risk aversion.

The push is driven in part by soaring demand for electricity from new datacentre construction to support the UK’s AI ambitions and wider electrification. The report points to similar reform efforts in the US and France. However, new nuclear—including planned small modular reactors—won’t deliver substantial power until the 2030s, meaning the near-term supply gap will be met largely by gas and renewables.

Key Points

The taskforce declares the UK the most expensive country to build nuclear projects and blames regulatory complexity and risk aversion.
It makes 47 recommendations across five areas: leadership, regulatory simplification, reduced risk aversion, incentive reform, and industry collaboration to speed delivery and innovation.
Proposal to create a Commission for Nuclear Regulation to act as a unified decision-maker across multiple regulators and planning bodies.
Calls to streamline environmental and planning approvals, amend Habitats Regulations and limit judicial reviews for Nationally Strategic Infrastructure Projects.
Recommendation to adjust radiation limits for workers on the basis they are overly conservative compared with everyday exposures.
Report is motivated by rising electricity needs from datacentres (to support AI) and electrification of transport and industry, but nuclear timelines remain long.
Near-term datacentre power is likely to come from gas turbines plus wind and solar until new nuclear capacity—including SMRs—comes online in the mid-2030s.
References international moves: US NRC reform and France’s Nuclear Acceleration Act as comparable efforts to speed up nuclear deployment.

Context and relevance

This report sits at the intersection of energy policy, industrial strategy and the rapid expansion of datacentres to serve AI and cloud demand. For policymakers and industry, it frames regulatory overhaul as the main lever to bring down costs and accelerate projects. For datacentre operators and energy planners, it signals a long-term government intent to bolster baseload, but also highlights a likely interim reliance on gas plus renewables. For environmental groups and local communities, suggested relaxations to habitats protections and limits on legal challenges will be contentious.

Author style

Punchy: This is a heavyweight, policy-focused report that matter-of-factly lays blame for the UK’s nuclear decline at the door of regulation and process. If you follow energy, infrastructure or AI infrastructure strategy, the details matter — the recommendations, if taken, would reshape consenting, liability and environmental rules and change how big projects are delivered.

Why should I read this?

Short version: the UK wants to speed up nuclear so datacentres and AI projects don’t run out of power — but it means loosening rules and taking political risks. If you care about where the UK’s electricity for AI comes from, or how infrastructure projects get approved (and fought), this is where the debate is heading. We’ve read the 47 recommendations so you don’t have to — and they matter.

Source

Source: https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/11/25/uk_nuclear_power_reform/