Each application for a license hereunder shall be in writing and shall specifically state such information as the Commission, by rule or regulation, may determine to be necessary to decide such of the technical and financial qualifications of the applicant, the character of the applicant, the citizenship of the applicant, or any other qualifications of the applicant as the Commission may deem appropriate for the license. In connection with applications for licenses to operate production or utilization facilities, the applicant shall state such technical specifications, including information of the amount, kind, and source of special nuclear material required, the place of the use, the specific characteristics of the facility, and such other information as the Commission may, by rule or regulation, deem necessary in order to enable it to find that the utilization or production of special nuclear material will be in accord with the common defense and security and will provide adequate protection to the health and safety of the public. Such technical specifications shall be a part of any license issued. The Commission may at any time after the filing of the original application, and before the expiration of the license, require further written statements in order to enable the Commission to determine whether the application should be granted or denied or whether a license should be modified or revoked. All applications and statements shall be signed by the applicant or licensee. Applications for, and statements made in connection with, licenses under sections 2133 and 2134 of this title shall be made under oath or affirmation. The Commission may require any other applications or statements to be made under oath or affirmation.

The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards shall review each application under section 2133 or section 2134(b) of this title for a construction permit or an operating license for a facility, any application under section 2134(c) of this title for a construction permit or an operating license for a testing facility, any application under subsection (a) or (c) of section 2134 of this title specifically referred to it by the Commission, and any application for an amendment to a construction permit or an amendment to an operating license under section 2133 or 2134(a), (b), or (c) of this title specifically referred to it by the Commission, and shall submit a report thereon which shall be made part of the record of the application and available to the public except to the extent that security classification prevents disclosure.

The Commission shall not issue any license under section 2133 of this title for a utilization or production facility for the generation of commercial power until it has given notice in writing to such regulatory agency as may have jurisdiction over the rates and services incident to the proposed activity; until it has published notice of the application in such trade or news publications as the Commission deems appropriate to give reasonable notice to municipalities, private utilities, public bodies, and cooperatives which might have a potential interest in such utilization or production facility; and until it has published notice of such application once each week for four consecutive weeks in the Federal Register, and until four weeks after the last notice.

The Commission, in issuing any license for a utilization or production facility for the generation of commercial power under section 2133 of this title, shall give preferred consideration to applications for such facilities which will be located in high cost power areas in the United States if there are conflicting applications for a limited opportunity for such license. Where such conflicting applications resulting from limited opportunity for such license include those submitted by public or cooperative bodies such applications shall be given preferred consideration.

(Aug. 1, 1946, ch. 724, title I, § 182, as added Aug. 30, 1954, ch. 1073, § 1, 68 Stat. 953; amended Aug. 6, 1956, ch. 1015, § 5, 70 Stat. 1069; Pub. L. 85–256, § 6, Sept. 2, 1957, 71 Stat. 579; Pub. L. 87–615, § 3, Aug. 29, 1962, 76 Stat. 409; Pub. L. 91–560, § 9, Dec. 19, 1970, 84 Stat. 1474; renumbered title I, Pub. L. 102–486, title IX, § 902(a)(8), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 2944.)