Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes various requirements to accelerate the deployment of nuclear energy technologies, such as advanced nuclear reactors.

Highlights:

• Establishes various requirements to accelerate the deployment of nuclear energy technologies, such as advanced nuclear reactors  (Title I-II, Sec. 101-203).

• Specifies certain requirements that direct the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to efficiently license and regulte nuclear energy activties  (Title I-II, Sec. 101-203).

• Amends the NRC to efficiently license and regulate nuclear energy activities and revises the NRC’s hiring process to enable the NRC to respond to severe shortage of candidates or a critical hiring need by using direct hiring for certain positions to carry out NRC’s responsibilities and activities in a timely, efficient, and effective manner (Title I-II, Sec. 101-203).

• Reduces certain licensing fees charged by the NRC for advanced nuclear reactors, and authorizes the Department of Energy (DOE) to make awards for certain licensing fees  (Title I-II, Sec. 101-203).

• Requires the NRC to promulgate a final rule that implements a process to facilitate efficient and timely review of nuclear reactor applications  (Title I-II, Sec. 101-203).

• Requires the NRC to develop and implement strategies to enable efficient and timely licensing reviews for, and to support the oversight of nuclear facilites at brownfield sites, including sites with retired fossil fuel facilities (Title I-II, Sec. 101-203).

• Establishes additional requirements for expediting certain licensing requirements for new nuclear reactors that will use a previously licensed design and will be adjacent to a site on which a nuclear reactor already operates or previously operated  (Title I-II, Sec. 101-203).

• Establishes a pilot program that allows DOE to make long-term power purchase agreements for power generated by commercial nuclear reactors (Title I-II, Sec. 101-203).

• Authorizes additional requirements concerning nuclear energy cooperation and safety (Title I-II, Sec. 101-203).

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text