WASHINGTON, D.C. — July 9, 2024 — Today was a momentous day for the U.S. nuclear industry when President Biden signed the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act. The bipartisan legislation significantly boosts the future of nuclear energy in America. The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 88-2 and the House by 393-13.

U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, EPW Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.), U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.-05), Chair of the House Energy and Commerce (E&C) Committee, and U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.-06) spearheaded the bill.

EPW leaders hailed the ADVANCE Act as a landmark win for the future of nuclear energy in America, citing the “benefits of advanced nuclear reactors to our electric grid, economy, and environment.” And adding that the law will “strengthen our energy and national security, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and create thousands of new jobs while ensuring the continued safety of this zero-emissions energy source.”

The ADVANCE Act provides the framework the industry needs to strengthen America’s energy leadership by ensuring the U.S. can deploy safe, reliable nuclear power. “By ensuring we can deploy safer and more reliable nuclear power, the ADVANCE Act will help combat our dependence on dirty fossil fuels, strengthening our energy independence and securing our economic security,” said E&C Ranking Member Pallone.

According to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works, key provisions in the ADVANCE Act include:

Boosting American Nuclear Energy Leadership by:

• Empowering the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to lead international forums in developing regulations for advanced nuclear reactors.
• Directing the Department of Energy (DOE) to improve its process for approving the export of American technology to international markets while maintaining strong standards for nuclear non-proliferation.

Supporting the Development and Deployment of New Nuclear Energy Technologies by:

• Reducing regulatory costs for companies seeking to license advanced nuclear reactor technologies.

• Creating a prize to incentivize the successful deployment of next-generation reactor technologies.

• Requiring the NRC to develop a pathway to enable the timely licensing of microreactors and nuclear facilities at brownfield and retired fossil-fuel energy generation sites.
• Directing the NRC to establish an accelerated licensing review process to site and construct reactors at existing nuclear sites.

Preserving Existing Nuclear Energy by:

• Modernizing outdated rules that restrict international investment.

Strengthening America’s Nuclear Energy Fuel Cycle and Supply Chain Infrastructure by:

• Directing the NRC to enhance its ability to qualify and license accident-tolerant fuels and advanced nuclear fuels that can increase safety and economic competitiveness for existing reactors and the next generation of advanced reactors.

• Tasking the NRC to evaluate advanced manufacturing techniques to build nuclear reactors better, faster, cheaper, and smarter.

Improving Commission Resources and Efficiency by:

• Providing flexibility for the NRC to better manage and invest its resources in activities that support NRC’s modernization efforts and address staffing issues.

• Providing the NRC Chair the tools to hire and retain exceptionally well-qualified individuals to successfully and safely review and process applications for advanced nuclear reactor licenses.

• Requiring the NRC to update its Mission Statement to reflect the modern beneficial use of nuclear material and energy.

• Mandating the NRC to establish a licensing structure to support an efficient, timely, and predictable regulatory review.

• Charging the NRC to streamline the NEPA environmental review process.

Full text of the ADVANCE Act within S.870 can be found here.