Senate bill looks to clarify DOE authority over advanced reactors

Sen. Mike Lee (R., Utah), chair of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR), has introduced a bill that would grant the Department of Energy greater authority over new nuclear projects under the federal agency's oversight.

If it becomes law, the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Deployment Act (NEIDA) would codify some of the actions the DOE has undertaken in response to President Trump's nuclear energy-related executive orders aimed at speeding the deployment of nuclear reactors and technology. According to Lee, this piece of legislation could help the DOE bridge the gap between first-of-a-kind demonstrations and full-scale production of these reactors.

The details: The goals of the bill, introduced Tuesday, include the following:

• Clarifying and expanding the DOE's authority over privately funded reactor demonstration projects that are contracted under the DOE.
• Establishing a pathway through the DOE to authorize commercial reactors and fuel cycle facilities on federal lands or for federal purposes.
• Directing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to revise its regulations that reduce the authority of the DOE over the types of projects and initiatives listed above.
• Creating a Nuclear Energy Launch Pad. Already introduced in March, the program creates pathways for private companies to test and develop advanced nuclear technologies on federal and nonfederal lands under DOE authority.
• Granting power marketing agencies the ability to support deployment through power purchase and transmission authorities.
• Streamlining demonstration projects by consolidating oversight within the DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy.
• Finding ways to use surplus plutonium in advanced reactors.

The bill is in its early stages and has been referred to the ENR Committee.

Quotables: "Electricity demand is rising at a pace we haven't seen in generations. We can meet that demand, or we can fall behind," Lee said. "The biggest obstacle is our inability to build. To meet demand, we must accelerate the development of nuclear energy by removing regulatory barriers, unlocking federal resources, and creating a path from demonstration to deployment. Other countries are already preparing their grids for the next generation of technologies. The United States should be doing the same."

"[NEIDA] will remove regulatory barriers, accelerate next-generation nuclear deployment, and ensure the United States-not China or Russia-leads the global nuclear renaissance," cosponsor Sen. Dave McCormick (R., Pa.) said in a statement. "This means affordable baseload power for consumers, stronger energy security for our nation, and real American energy dominance."

The ENR Committee published quotes from five reactor companies in support of the bill. Quoted are Jacob DeWitte of Oklo, Matt Loszak of Aalo Atomics, Liz Muller of Deep Fission, Isaiah Taylor of Valar Atomics, and Terrestrial Energy.

"Recent momentum across Congress and the administration continues to reinforce the role of advanced nuclear in meeting growing U.S. energy demand," said DeWitte, Oklo cofounder and CEO. "Efforts to build on recent executive actions with longer-term policy support can help create a clearer pathway to deploy new infrastructure and unlock domestic bridge fuel like surplus plutonium."