Rep. Schrier’s Bill to Increase Reliable, Affordable Clean Energy Production Passes House

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the United States House of Representatives voted to pass the Atomic Energy Advancement Act, which included Congresswoman Kim Schrier’s M.D. (D-WA) legislation – the Advanced Nuclear Deployment Act, a bipartisan bill that aims to improve the permitting process for nuclear energy.  

Nuclear power contributes nearly 20% of the electricity generated in the United States. In Washington State, the Columbia Generating Station contributes 1,207 megawatts of generation capacity to the grid. With a projected increased demand for permits and a lengthy nuclear licensing process, there is a significant need to streamline permitting for advanced nuclear reactors.  

Congresswoman Schrier’s bill would cut through this issue by:

• Requiring the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to make licensing decisions for nuclear reactor applications that use previously licensed designs on the same nuclear site within 25 months of application submission. 
• Directing NRC to identify and issue guidance or regulations for licensing issues for microreactors. 
• Excluding prospective nuclear projects on Department of Energy (DOE) land or critical national security infrastructure sites from NRC preapplication or early site permit review fees. 
• Requiring DOE to enter into at least one long-term nuclear power purchasing agreement for power generated by a nuclear reactor, with a priority for advanced reactors that provide power to high-value assets or remote locations for energy security. 

“Our home state of Washington has long been a leader in clean energy and has set an ambitious goal of completely eliminating carbon emissions from our energy generation portfolio by 2045,” said Rep. Schrier. “This legislation will help us to construct an emissions-free energy resource, advanced nuclear, to go along with wind, solar, and hydropower which we already benefit from. By expanding our nuclear portfolio, in addition to hydroelectric baseload power, we can integrate renewables onto the grid, increase grid reliability, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions while keeping energy bills affordable.”