(U.S. Senate Press Release, June 18, 2024)
Risch, Crapo Applaud Senate Passage of Nuclear Energy Bill
ADVANCE Act Heads to President’s Desk
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) applauded Senate passage of legislation to boost development and deployment of new nuclear technologies and facilitate American nuclear leadership. The Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act, cosponsored by Risch and Crapo and included as a part of the Fire Grants and Safety Act, passed the Senate with broad support.
“The sentiment and demand for nuclear energy is at its highest in decades. We must ensure red tape does not prevent investment and innovation in new technologies,” said Risch. “The ADVANCE Act’s passage in the Senate will streamline permitting and deployment of advanced nuclear reactors and strengthen our existing fleet.”
“The Fire Grants and Safety Act funds vital programs for Idaho’s EMS and Firefighters in urban, suburban, and rural communities,” said Crapo. “Additionally, I am pleased the ADVANCE Act will be enacted through this legislation, as it continues necessary investments in nuclear energy. This strengthens national security, diversifies our energy portfolio and grow the economy.”
The ADVANCE Act will:
- Facilitate American Nuclear Leadership
- Empowers the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to lead in international forums to develop regulations for advanced nuclear reactors.
- Directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to improve its process to approve the export of American technology to international markets.
- Develop and Deploy New Nuclear Technologies
- Reduces regulatory costs for companies seeking to license advanced nuclear reactor technologies.
- Creates a prize to incentivize the successful deployment of next-generation reactor technologies.
- Requires the NRC to develop a pathway to enable the timely licensing of nuclear facilities at brownfield and retired fossil-fuel energy generation sites.
- Directs the NRC to establish an accelerated licensing review process to site and construct reactors at existing nuclear sites.
- Preserve Existing Nuclear Energy
- Modernizes outdated rules that restrict international investment.
- Strengthen America’s Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Supply Chain Infrastructure
- Directs the NRC to enhance preparedness to qualify and license advanced nuclear fuels.
- Tasks the NRC to identify and incorporate advanced manufacturing techniques to build nuclear reactors better, faster, cheaper, and smarter.
- Improve Commission Efficiency
- Provides flexibility for the NRC to budget and manage organizational support activities to ensure the NRC is prepared to address NRC staff issues associated with an aging workforce.
- Provides the NRC Chair the tools to hire and retain exceptionally well-qualified individuals to successfully and safely review and approve advanced nuclear reactor licenses.
- Requires the NRC to update its Mission Statement to reflect modern beneficial use of nuclear material and energy.
- Mandates the NRC to establish a licensing structure to support an efficient, timely, and predictable regulatory review.
- Charges the NRC to streamline the NEPA environmental review process.
