Lummis Leads Senate Subcommittee Hearing on Nuclear Energy Future, Bipartisan Legislation

May 20, 2026

Washington D.C. - This morning, Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Innovation and Safety, convened a hearing to examine a trio of legislative proposals: the Build Nuclear with Local Materials Act, a discussion draft of the RECHARGE Act, and a discussion draft of the Enrichment Licensing Modernization Act.

During the hearing, Chair Lummis questioned witnesses on what it will take to strengthen America's nuclear energy sector, covering everything from cutting red tape on project development and expanding the workforce to attracting lasting investment in energy communities. Witnesses weighed in on how to move nuclear deployment forward safely, reliably, and affordably, touching on construction challenges and the industry's need for more skilled workers.

WATCH Senator Lummis' Opening Statement here.

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TRANSCRIPT: SENATOR LUMMIS' OPENING STATEMENT:

"America must remain an economic superpower in the decades ahead, and that requires smart energy policy to ensure the United States - and states like Wyoming - and Arizona - continue to lead the way.

"For my state of Wyoming, we've fueled American prosperity through coal, natural gas, oil, and uranium production - for decades. We even have a miner on our state seal. We have number one status in uranium reserves, and had a robust uranium for years before the technology fell asleep. But like, Rumpelstiltskin, isn't that who fell asleep for years? Rip Van Winkle, excuse me. It has awakened and is more robust than ever. Wyoming workers and producers strengthen our grid and support the reliable energy systems that make economic growth and national security possible.

"We all know that our new embrace of technology, including artificial intelligence, the data centers that support them, the advanced manufacturing that comes from it, Bitcoin mining, all of these demand reliable baseload power - and that's the key. The baseload power. We must continue to grow. The United States needs more reliable generation, more infrastructure, and a diverse energy strategy that supports affordability, reliability, and long-term energy security. Advanced nuclear energy must be part of that future. We are so glad that Rip Van Winkle is awake - and alive and well - and experts representing it today are here to help us understand it.

"The Build Nuclear with Local Materials Act addresses unnecessary cost escalation in nuclear reactor construction by modernizing NRC rules governing commercial-grade steel and concrete in non-safety-related structures while preserving oversight of safety-critical systems.

"That means more opportunities for local manufacturers, suppliers, and skilled workers to participate in nuclear projects while reducing unnecessary costs.

"We will also examine the RECHARGE Act, it's a discussion draft, and will focus on deploying advanced reactors at retired fossil fuel facilities and brownfield sites. These communities already have energy infrastructure and experienced workforces. Repurposing these sites for advanced nuclear development can attract long-term investment, strengthen local tax bases, and create new opportunities in energy communities.

"Wyoming is already demonstrating how this model can work. TerraPower, which is a project going up in my state near Kemmerer, Wyoming, is being developed on a brownfield site, bringing new investment and development to an existing energy community.

"Finally, we will examine the Modernizing Enrichment Facility Licensing Act. It also is a discussion draft. As the United States moves towards ending reliance on Russian uranium imports in 2028, which is a big deal, and we have to be ready for it. This about strengthening domestic uranium conversion and enrichment capacity, which are very limited. We only have one conversion facility, and perhaps only two enrichment facilities in the entire country. This is really important for both energy security and national security.

"My state of Wyoming is excited about this technology. We are positioned to lead. Wyoming has the uranium resources and uranium mines. A lot of them are insitu mines, instead of open pit mines. It's a transformative technology in producing uranium out of the ground. It's amazing. When you come upon it, it looks like you are looking at a bunch of beehives out in the distance. And it's a uranium field so the surface disturbance is nearly nill. It's just incredible. I just admire these brilliant minds that work in this area so much. What America lacks is the domestic enrichment capacity necessary to support a growing nuclear sector. This committee needs to explore and I am committed to fixing policies that limit the ability of Wyoming's resources to power the world.

"The discussion draft seeks to modernize portions of the licensing process while maintaining NRC oversight and operating license requirements. However, discussions on this proposal remain ongoing, and I trust today's hearing will inform negotiations with Senator Kelly moving forward.

"If America intends to lead the future of advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, and emerging technologies, then we must also lead in reliable energy production - especially baseload. That future will require more power, more investment, and especially smarter policies that enable Wyoming and other American energy communities to continue powering this country.

"Again, I thank our witnesses for being here today, and I look forward to their testimony."

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