Image courtesy of Radiant Industries Kaleidos nuclear microreactor is being developed by Radiant Industries Seeking to expedite construction of advanced nuclear power facilities, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has created a new licensing framework for microreactors that are 100 MWe or smaller, eyeing them as fast-deploying energy sources for AI data centers and other users that can be mocular, factory built and deployed without grid dependence.  Published May 1 in the Federal Register with a 42-day comment period, the proposed Part 57 rule outlines a “streamlined, risk-informed and flexible licensing pathway” that NRC claims could save up to $11.8 billion and shorten construction permit and operating license timelines to one year or less. The rule is the latest to emerge from the agency’s overhaul of regulations, prompted by the Biden-era ADVANCE Act to boost U.S. nuclear energy and by more recent presidential executive orders.…