The US regulatory system has been slow to adjust to advancements in nuclear power leaving the industry to face “burdensome and expensive” bureaucratic hurdles, the chairman of the House Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs said.

Pat Fallon, a Republican congressman who represents a district in Texas, told a committee hearing on next generation nuclear energy that the future of nuclear power can take many forms.

He said small modular reactors and microreactors could provide energy to isolated communities, military installations, and critical infrastructure.