WASHINGTON, DC - The Subcommittee on Energy, chaired by Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), announced today a legislative hearing for Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at 10 a.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing is entitled, “DOE Modernization: Legislation Addressing Development, Regulation, and Competitiveness of Advanced Nuclear Energy Technologies."
During the hearing, #SubEnergy will examine four bills to address key challenges facing America’s nuclear energy industry.
The legislation to be discussed includes:
H.R. 1320, the Nuclear Utilization of Keynote Energy (NUKE) Act, sponsored by Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Mike Doyle (D-PA), would make targeted revisions to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) fee recovery structure and increase the predictability and efficiency of certain NRC regulatory proceedings.
H.R. ____, a discussion draft from Congressman Bill Johnson (R-OH) would increase competitiveness of U.S. nuclear energy companies by requiring the Secretary of Energy to assess the impact of regulatory, policy, and legal requirements on the domestic nuclear energy industry and make recommendations to improve the competitiveness of our civilian nuclear commerce policies in global markets. Additionally, the legislation would streamline cumbersome portions of Department of Energy’s (DOE) “Part 810" export review procedures and improve the timeliness of the approval process.
H.R. ____, a discussion draft from Congressman Bill Flores (R-TX), informally titled the “Advanced Nuclear Fuel Availability Act," would direct DOE to establish a program to support the availability of “high-assay low enriched uranium" to help enable advanced nuclear energy technology development. The discussion draft provides for a public-private partnership to address regulatory and market challenges associated with advanced nuclear fuel for nuclear engineers and scientists to develop innovative nuclear energy technologies.
H.R. _____, a discussion draft from Congressmen Joe Wilson (R-SC), Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Richard Hudson (R-NC) and Scott Peters (D-CA), would require the Secretary of Energy to submit a report to identify the key components of a pilot program to site, construct, and operate “micro reactors" at critical Department of Defense or Department of Energy national security facilities.
“The House just passed the historic Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 2018, but we aren’t done working to improve America’s nuclear energy sector. This legislation will help reduce regulatory costs borne by our nation’s ratepayers, enhance the global competitiveness of our domestic nuclear suppliers, construct a public-private partnership to overcome a critical challenge for advanced nuclear technologies, and analyze options to deploy new technologies to meet national security needs," said Chairman Upton. “These efforts are part of our ongoing efforts to review and modernize the Department of Energy and will help ensure nuclear power remains a safe, clean, and viable energy source for future generations."
The Majority Memorandum, witness testimony, and live webcast will be made available as they are posted on the committee’s website HERE.
