Dive Brief:
- Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a measure to support further research into advanced nuclear technologies, with the carbon-free generation seen as a potential key to reaching environmental goals, Smart Grid News reports.
- Representatives voted Feb. 29, unanimously sending H.R. 4084, the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act, over to the Senate.
- This bipartisan legislation directs the Department of Energy to prioritize federal research infrastructure that will enable the private sector to invest in advanced reactor technologies. The measure was introduced by Energy Subcommittee Chairman Randy Weber (R-Texas), Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas) and Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas).
Dive Insight:
Lawmakers have had a tough time coalescing around anything lately, so a unanimous vote in the House of Representatives feels like a pretty significant win for the embattled nuclear industry. Indeed, legislators backing the proposal and the group representing the nuclear industry all paint it as a win for America.
An analysis of three rating agencies said 11% of the U.S. nuclear fleet is at risk for early retirement. Squeezed by low natural gas prices and high operating costs, a few nuclear plants in the Northeast are about to be shuttered, sending signals that the baseload resource could be in trouble.
“America must maintain our nuclear capabilities, and continue to develop cutting edge technology here at home," Weber said in a statement. "Without the direction provided in this bill, we’ll lose the ability to develop innovative nuclear technology and be left importing reactor designs from overseas."
Among other things, the bill enables the private sector to partner with national labs on new reactor concepts, and leverages DOE’s supercomputing infrastructure to accelerate nuclear energy research. It will also provide "statutory direction for a DOE reactor-based fast neutron source that will operate as an open-access user facility," according to Weber's statement.
The bill also requires DOE to put forth a 10-year plan for prioritizing nuclear R&D programs.
The Nuclear Energy Institute issued a statement calling the measure "an important step forward in maintaining America’s leadership in the worldwide nuclear energy sector."