SENATE PASSES ADVANCE ACT, NOW HEADED TO POTUS
In yet another demonstration of bipartisan support for new nuclear development, yesterday the U.S. Senate passed S. 870, An Act to Amend the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974. The legislation, which passed with an overwhelming majority, not only authorizes appropriations for the United States Fire Administration and firefighter assistance grant programs, it includes the Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act which supports the country’s clean energy goals by accelerating deployment of advanced nuclear technologies and makes major changes to the approval process for new technology in the nuclear energy sector.
Provisions of the ADVANCE Act include:
Directing the NRC to review its current licensing process for new nuclear technology;
Directing the NRC within 18 months, to develop risk-informed, performance-based strategies and guidance to license and regulate microreactors;
Directing the NRC within 180 days, to submit a report to Congress on manufacturing and construction for nuclear energy projects;
Directing the NRC within 12 months, to update its mission statement to convey that licensing and regulation of nuclear energy activities be conducted in a manner that does not unnecessarily limit “the benefits of nuclear energy technology to society;”
Allowing the NRC chair to appoint up to 120 people into the excepted service at any given time, as well as up to 20 more people into term-limited positions in any fiscal year; and
Providing federal funding to cover licensing and other relevant costs for the first advanced nuclear power operator to successfully deploy its technology.
Earlier this year the ADVANCE act passed the House of Representatives in a 393-19 vote and passed in the Senate with an 88-2 vote. The legislation now heads to President Biden for his signature.
Legislators in the House and Senate spoke on the passage of this historic nuclear energy package:
“Energy is foundational to our way of life. To maintain our standard of living, support technological innovation, and cement America’s economic and national security for generations to come, we must be investing in safe, clean, and reliable sources of baseload power. This much needed modernization of our nuclear regulatory framework will help achieve this by enabling industry to deploy safe, reliable nuclear energy, leading to a new era of U.S. energy leadership. We are grateful to have worked alongside our Senate colleagues to pass this important legislation and look forward to President Biden signing it into law soon.”
House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA); Full Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr (D-NJ); Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC); and Subcommittee Ranking Member Diana DeGette (D-CO)
“Today, we sent the ADVANCE Act to the president’s desk because Congress worked together to recognize the importance of nuclear energy to America’s future and got the job done.”
Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Ranking member of the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee
“The ADVANCE Act will provide the Nuclear Regulatory Commission with the tools and workforce it needs to review new nuclear technologies efficiently, while maintaining the NRC’s critical safety mission and creating thousands of jobs.”
Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE.), chair of the Environmental and Public Works Committee
ECA applauds all the legislators who played a role in the passage of the ADVANCE Act and we look forward to leveraging their work as part of our efforts to build capacity and partnerships among federal, state, local and Tribal decision-makers, technology developers, utilities and industry through our New Nuclear Initiative.