Capito, McMorris Rodgers celebrate enactment of landmark nuclear energy bill

U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) on Tuesday during a White House signing ceremony applauded enactment of bipartisan legislation that will bolster the future of nuclear energy in America.

President Joe Biden on July 9 signed into law the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act, S. 870, which aims to incentivize and support the development and deployment of new advanced nuclear technologies, and includes measures to streamline the regulatory approvals process.

“With the ADVANCE Act being signed into law, we secured a landmark win for the future of nuclear energy here in America,” said Capito, who sponsored the original bill in March 2023. 

The Senate in June voted 88-2 to approve S. 870, following approval on May 8 by the U.S. House of Representatives, which voted 393-13 to advance the bill.

“Getting substantive, bipartisan policy across the finish line isn’t always easy, but this is the result of years of work to build widespread consensus about the benefits of advanced nuclear reactors to our electric grid, economy, and environment,” said Capito, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “I’m thrilled the ADVANCE Act is now law to enable the deployment of new nuclear and help keep the United States as the world’s nuclear energy leader.”

Rep. McMorris Rodgers, chair of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee, agreed, saying the new law “is a major victory for the American people and will help cement U.S. energy leadership for decades to come.”

“The Energy and Commerce Committee has a rich history of advancing major bipartisan solutions, and I’m extremely proud that our years of hard work to strengthen American nuclear energy have paid off with this significant legislation that will improve energy reliability and reduce costs for American families and businesses,” said Rep. McMorris Rodgers. “I want to thank everyone who has worked tirelessly to get this legislation signed into law.”

Among several provisions, the new law tasks the U.S. Department of Energy with improving its process for approving the export of American technology to international markets, while maintaining strong standards for nuclear non-proliferation.

It also directs the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to find ways to speed up its licensing process for new nuclear technology, to enhance its ability to qualify and license accident-tolerant fuels and advanced nuclear fuels, and to establish an accelerated licensing review process to site and construct reactors at existing nuclear sites.