A bipartisan bill meant to reform the regulation of nuclear energy significantly is scheduled to hit the House floor this week for a vote.
The Atomic Energy Advancement Act, introduced by Reps. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) and Diana DeGette (D-CO), would streamline the approval process for nuclear projects and further develop the sector, as many point to the energy source as key to cutting emissions.
The legislation, which combines 11 bills introduced by other members of the Energy and Commerce Committee, is set to be considered as soon as Wednesday for a floor vote after being marked up and voted on in committee in December.
“Nuclear energy is reliable, affordable, and clean,” Duncan said in a written statement in December. “This legislation bolsters American nuclear independence to keep the power on for Americans and safeguards national security through energy security.”
Notably, the bill would aim to speed up the licensing process for nuclear reactors by requiring “timely and predictable” reviews of applications and would bolster new construction by allowing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the body regulating nuclear energy in the U.S., to use information from existing nuclear facilities to license new projects at the same locations.
The bill also would update the NRC’s mission statement to outline that regulatory activities must be done “efficiently” and in a way that wouldn’t inhibit nuclear energy’s progression.
The measure also aims to make it easier for the NRC chairman to address a shortage of employees, a problem documented by the U.S. Government Accountability Office as inhibiting the agency’s ability to license a new wave of advanced nuclear reactors. The provision stems from a bill introduced by DeGette.
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The bill also would incentivize the development of nuclear energy by reducing the hourly fee for applicants of advanced nuclear licenses and providing cash rewards for technology developments. The bill would also modernize environmental reviews for nuclear reactors and would make it easier to license facilities at former coal and natural gas plants.
The legislation is expected to be considered as soon as Wednesday under the suspension of the rules, meaning it will have to pass with the two-thirds approval of the chamber. While the bipartisan measure is expected to clear the chamber with the support of members of both parties, it’s unclear if there will be enough bipartisan support to clear the bill through the Senate.