House advances six bills to expand nuclear energy

The House of Representatives this week passed several bills to boost nuclear energy generation to respond to growing power demand and high electricity costs.Lawmakers passed six bills, most with bipartisan support, throughout the week aimed at accelerating the development of nuclear energy facilities, reforming the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and improving the Department of Energy’s nuclear reporting.“Nuclear energy provides safe, reliable, and affordable power to communities across the United States, and throughout this Congress, our Committee has worked to strengthen the American nuclear industry to help meet the needs of families and businesses,” House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) told the Washington Examiner. The House passed the Nuclear FUEL Act, which was sponsored by Rep. Bob Latta (R–OH) and co-sponsored by Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA). The bill would direct the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to license domestic recycling facilities that reprocess spent nuclear fuel in a way that does not separate plutonium, which can be reused to generate electricity.Lawmakers also passed Rep. Russell Fry’s (R-SC) bill, the American Enrichment Deployment Act, which was co-sponsored by Rep. Kim Schrier (D-WA). It allows construction of a uranium enrichment facility before the NRC issues a license.Schrier also helped to co-sponsor Rep. Morgan Griffith’s (R-VA) Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act, which would fast-track the review of certain uncontested permits and licenses for nuclear power plants by eliminating the NRC’s requirement to hold a public hearing at the end of the process when no potentially affected party has requested one.“A more efficient process to facilitate new nuclear energy projects will support a reliable and safe source of energy for American homes, businesses, hospitals and more,” Griffith wrote.The House also passed Rep. Diana Harshbarger’s (R-TN) Nuclear Advisory Committee Reform Act, which would reform and reduce the scope of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards, an independent review committee that has offered insights and warnings to the NRC. It would allow for the committee to decline to review certain license applications.Over the summer, Harshbarger’s bill drew some criticism from Democrats, who argued that it would limit independent reviews of new nuclear energy projects, such as the licensing for reactor designs that have never been built before. It is in line with the Trump administration’s effort to reduce regulatory hurdles to revive the nuclear energy industry.The House passed Rep. Rob Menendez’s (D-NJ) bill to allow the NRC to increase annual compensation at a rate of up to 10% for senior executive service positions within the commission.The Department of Energy Nuclear Transparency Act, which was sponsored by Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL) and co-sponsored by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), also passed.The bill would require the DOE to report information on a public website regarding decisions related to licensing and authorization of DOE nuclear facilities. The agency must also provide public information on any actions that alter a directive or safety standard on these facilities. DOE must also issue an annual report on its authorization of nuclear facilities over the past year.TRUMP ADMINISTRATION STRIKES $80 BILLION NUCLEAR REACTOR DEAL WITH WESTINGHOUSEIn recent years, nuclear energy has gained bipartisan support as a way to tackle high energy costs and demand that have been exacerbated by the rise in artificial intelligence data centers.The House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the six bills out of committee in September.