WASHINGTON, DC - The Energy Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), today announced a markup for Thursday, June 21, 2018, at 10:00 a.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
Building on the committee’s efforts to modernize our energy infrastructure, #SubEnergy will consider several pieces of legislation to address key challenges facing America’s nuclear energy industry.
#SubEnergy will consider the following bills:
* H.R. 1320, the Nuclear Utilization of Keynote Energy (NUKE) Act, sponsored by Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA), would revise the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) fee recovery structure and increase the predictability, transparency, and efficiency of the NRC’s regulatory processes.
* H.R. ____, the Advancing U.S. Civil Nuclear Competitiveness and Jobs Act, from Rep. 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. 6140, the Advanced Nuclear Fuel Availability Act, from Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX) and Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA), 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 legislation provides for a public-private partnership to address regulatory and market challenges associated with advanced nuclear fuel for nuclear engineers and scientists to develop and deploy innovative nuclear energy technologies.
* H.R. 6141, to require the Secretary of Energy to develop a report on a pilot program to site, construct, and operate micro-reactors at critical national security locations, and for other purposes, from Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC), Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ), Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) and Rep. 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 very small nuclear reactors, or “micro reactors," at critical Department of Defense or Department of Energy national security facilities.
“Nuclear energy must remain a vital and critical part of our diversified electricity portfolio. While American nuclear energy continues to provide safe, clean, and affordable power, it is important for Congress to modernize our nation’s policies in order to preserve the benefits of atomic energy for future generations," said Chairman Upton. “These bills offer targeted solutions to challenges facing our nation’s nuclear energy industry and will pave the way for our nuclear scientists and innovators to maintain American leadership in nuclear technology for decades to come."
A background memo, electronic copies of the legislation, and live stream of the markup can be found online HERE. Amendment text and votes will be available at the same link as they are posted.
