WATCH: In EPW Subcommittee Hearing, Kelly Shapes Bipartisan Reforms to Speed Nuclear Deployment, Strengthen Domestic Fuel Supply

Watch Ranking Member Kelly's opening remarks here

Today, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Innovation and Safety, participated in a hearing to discuss a package of bipartisan bills led by Kelly and Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) which would-modernize nuclear deployment, reduce unnecessary regulatory delays, and strengthen America's domestic nuclear fuel supply chain.

Kelly emphasized that growing energy demand will require faster deployment of reliable, affordable, and clean power sources while preserving strong safety oversight: "Nuclear energy needs to be part of the solution. It's a proven technology. We've been building and operating nuclear reactors since the 1960s, and this is not an engineering problem. It's a regulatory problem. If we're serious about expanding nuclear power, we need a regulatory framework that helps us build the fleet faster and more efficiently."

Kelly also stressed that reforming the permitting process cannot come at the expense of public safety or Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) independence: "Commonsense regulatory reforms should not mean cutting corners. We can streamline permitting, and we can streamline deployment while maintaining the high standards that protect communities. And that's what the NRC 's job was set up to do. So now more than ever, the NRC needs to keep the authority and independence given to it by Congress to oversee this industry and protect public health. And protect the environment and make sure reactors are being operated responsibly. That's how we move forward faster, bring down costs, strengthen our energy security, and keep people safe at the same time."

Kelly spotlighted the urgent need to rebuild America's domestic uranium enrichment capacity and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers, including Russia: "Nuclear power plants depend on a steady, reliable supply of enriched uranium. Yet today, the United States, we import 80% of our enriched uranium supply. About 20% of that comes from Russia, who's an adversary. Not ideal. And we only have two operating enrichment facilities in the United States and only one that can do this at commercial scale. And that leaves us short of the fuel capacity we need to protect against energy and economic and national security risks."

The legislative package discussed during the hearing includes:

• The Build Nuclear with Local Materials Act, which would direct the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to allow commercial-grade concrete and steel in non-safety-related portions of nuclear plants, helping reduce construction costs and deployment timelines while maintaining strong safety standards.
• The Enrichment Licensing Modernization Act (ELMA) of 2026, which would modernize and streamline NRC licensing for uranium enrichment facilities to help strengthen the domestic nuclear fuel supply chain and reduce reliance on foreign sources like Russia.
• The Revitalizing Energy Communities by Hosting Advanced Reactors and Generating Energy (RECHARGE) Act of 2026, which would create a targeted permitting pathway for advanced nuclear reactors and associated transmission infrastructure located on brownfield sites and retired fossil fuel power plant sites.

Sen. Kelly questions witnesses at an EPW Committee hearing.

Click here to download a video of Kelly's opening remarks. Click here to download a video of Kelly's witness questioning.

See the full transcript of Kelly's opening remarks below:

Senator Kelly: Thank you for all the work you've done on this issue. Thank you to our witnesses for appearing before the subcommittee today to discuss nuclear deployment and the future of American energy security. Energy demand is going up. We all see it. We know it's going to continue to grow in Wyoming and Arizona across the country. We're going to need more reliable, affordable, and abundant power on the grid. That's clear. Nuclear energy needs to be part of the solution. It's a proven technology. We've been building and operating nuclear reactors since the 1960s, and this is not an engineering problem. It's a regulatory problem, and if we're serious about expanding nuclear power, we need a regulatory framework that helps us build the fleet faster and more efficiently. We can't afford to wait ten or fifteen years to bring a new nuclear facility online. Not when families and businesses and the economy need clean and reliable power. But commonsense regulatory reforms should not mean cutting corners.

We can streamline permitting, and we can streamline deployment while maintaining the high standards that protect communities. And that's what the NRC 's job was set up to do. So now more than ever the NRC needs to keep the authority and independence given to it by Congress to oversee this industry and protect public health. And protect the environment and make sure reactors are being operated responsibly. That's how we move forward faster, bring down costs, strengthen our energy security, and keep people safe at the same time.

One challenge we have to address here comes down to the very materials that we used to build these facilities from. Nuclear grade construction standards and materials are important for safety, but NRC rules can still force their use in parts of a nuclear plant that do not perform a radiation safety function. This broad one-size-fits-all approach increases costs and extends project timelines without making nuclear plants any safer. That's why I was very happy to work with Chairwoman Lummis on the Build Nuclear with Local Materials Act. And our bill allows commercial grade materials to be used in parts of a nuclear facility where there are no radiological hazards. Commercial grade materials. I may have said nuclear. But it also makes clear that the NRC has to certify where those materials are appropriate and where they're not appropriate. And that's just one way we can speed up nuclear deployment without cutting corners.

Fuel supply is another critical part of this equation. And as I discussed in this committee just last week, building more reactors won't mean anything if we don't have the fuel to operate them. Nuclear power plants depend on a steady, reliable supply of enriched uranium. Yet today, the United States, we import 80% of our enriched uranium supply. About 20% of that comes from Russia, who's an adversary. Not ideal. And we only have two operating enrichment facilities in the United States and only one that can do this at commercial scale. And that leaves us short of the fuel capacity we need to protect against energy and economic and national security risks. We need more of these facilities, but the licensing process had made this a lot harder than it needs to be.

So right now, NRC requirements include well-intentioned but outdated procedural hurdles that create a lot of uncertainty. It also drives up costs, and it delays the projects that we need to get new production capacity online. The licensing rules for new uranium enrichment facilities have not been updated in forty years. Technology has advanced, the world has changed, so should the rules. If we want to expand nuclear power and strengthen our domestic fuel supply and reduce our dependence on foreign sources, we need a licensing process that moves faster while keeping the right kind of oversight in place. My Enrichment Licensing Modernization Act would address this imbalance by creating a framework more consistent with the process already used for other nuclear fuel facilities. It would allow certain construction activities to begin before an operating license is issued while making clear that developers move forward at their own risk and that early construction does not guarantee final approval. The bill would also give the NRC authority to determine the appropriate level of environmental review based on the specific facts and the risks of each application.

This bill is included on the hearing agenda today as a discussion draft. And I believe it's a more targeted, practical approach than the status quo. One that can reduce unnecessary delays while also preserving the safeguards we need and expect. But I look forward to getting the feedback from our witnesses today as we work to finalize and introduce this bill.

I also want to acknowledge the third bill on our agenda today, the discussion draft of the Recharge Act, introduced by Senator Lummis. This bill seeks to streamline the NEPA review requirements for new advanced reactors built on brownfields or other retired energy sites. And I think the concept of making it easier to build nuclear facilities where an older dirtier energy facility existed has some merit. I hope the testimony we received today helps us understand how we could advance the concept in a bipartisan way. Taken together, the bills before us today move us toward more reliable, clean, and affordable power on the grid while maintaining the strong oversight and accountability that the public deserves and expects.

So, I want to thank our witnesses for being here and taking the time to review this package of bills with us. Each of you brings real expertise and a range of perspectives that will help inform this discussion and improve the legislation before us, and I'm glad we have the chance to discuss these proposals today. I also want to thank Senator Lummis for all of her hard work and the hard work of her staff to put this hearing together. This is a bipartisan topic, and I hope we can showcase that this is a space where we can reach some common ground. As two western Senators, Senator Lummis and I have had the chance to work together a lot over the years. From truck parking to uranium cleanup and so much more. And her commitment to finding areas of common ground is commendable, and I want to thank her for that work. I'll try to do that again when she gets back, but I know we've got a lot more ahead of us before the end of the year including today's hearing where we hope to find some areas of bipartisan agreement.