Senate Votes 88-2 To Bolster Key Energy Sector
The U.S. Senate has decisively voted to approve a significant piece of legislation designed to strengthen the nation’s nuclear energy industry.
The bill was passed with a vote tally of 88-2, with Senators Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) opposing it. This nuclear package was merged with another bill that reauthorized the U.S. Fire Administration and funding programs for firefighters. This combined legislation will also be sent to the president for approval.
The objective of the measure is to expedite the approval process for the construction of new nuclear facilities, as many existing plants in the country are nearing the end of their operational lifespan. Furthermore, it lowers the licensing fees that energy companies are required to pay to start new projects. It also requires the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to prepare a report that explores methods to simplify and speed up the environmental review process.
Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) remarked to reporters, “It will be history-making in terms of small modular reactors, which represent the future of nuclear energy.”
Proponents of the legislation assert that it provides a significant boost to the nation’s nuclear power sector.
Lesley Jantarasami, managing director of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s energy program, stated to The Hill, “It’s a facilitator of the process by which industry has to get approvals for building these projects.”
A substantial majority of House members also supported the bipartisan nuclear-fire bill, passing it with a vote of 393-13-1. Representative Rashida Tlaib, a far-left Democrat from Michigan, voted “present” to express her support for the fire provision while opposing the nuclear aspect.
The Trump administration has placed a strong emphasis on “unleashing American energy.”
President Trump issued four executive orders instructing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to reduce regulations and expedite new licenses for nuclear power facilities, aiming to act on applications within 18 months.
The United States was once the global leader in nuclear design and construction; however, delays and exorbitant costs have allowed China to take over that position, as it is currently constructing a record number of reactors.
The directives are intended to accelerate federal permitting for new nuclear projects and technologies, as well as to implement strategies aimed at reducing costs and the NRC’s operational footprint.
The sector is set to benefit from federal subsidies, given that the draft budget legislation from the House of Representatives maintains tax incentives for both new and existing nuclear facilities, while stipulating that construction must commence before January 1, 2029.
The objective is to triple domestic nuclear power generation within the next 25 years, increasing capacity from approximately 100 gigawatts to 400 gigawatts by the year 2050.
The regulations provide the NRC with an 18-month timeframe to respond to industry applications and to establish a pilot program designed to bring three new experimental reactors online by July 4, 2026, within a mere 13 months.
Additionally, they invoke the Defense Production Act to facilitate federal purchases of nuclear fuel, thereby strengthening the domestic supply chain and diminishing Russia’s substantial control over it. Until 2023, the United States sourced a significant portion of its enriched uranium from Russia; however, this practice ended following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the passage of a bipartisan bill.
The directives also instruct the Energy and Defense departments to explore the feasibility of restarting closed nuclear power facilities and to identify potential sites for reactors on public lands and military installations.
In accordance with the order to reorganize the NRC, it is stated that “the current structure and staffing of the NRC are misaligned with Congress’s directive that the NRC shall not unduly restrict the benefits of nuclear power.” It mandates that the NRC collaborate with the Department of Government Efficiency to “restructure the NRC to facilitate the swift processing of license applications and the integration of innovative technologies.”
In order to expedite the advancement of nuclear power, the directives empower the U.S. Energy Secretary to authorize specific advanced reactor designs and projects, bypassing the NRC. Nevertheless, fulfilling Trump’s objective will prove challenging considering the present condition of the U.S. nuclear industry.
Currently, the NRC is reviewing proposals from companies and utilities aimed at developing small nuclear reactors that are expected to produce energy by the early 2030s.
The agency expects the evaluation process to last three years or less, which exceeds the 18-month timeframe established by Trump’s directives.