Sen. Capito, of West Virginia, praises ADVANCE nuclear bill as it moves to Biden's desk

WASHINGTON (WV News) — A piece of federal legislation that could help pave the way for the development of nuclear energy generation in West Virginia is on President Joe Biden’s desk.

The Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act passed the U.S. Senate Tuesday as part of the Fire Grants and Safety Act.

“This bipartisan piece of legislation will encourage more innovation and investment in nuclear technologies right here on our shores,” said U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.

The legislation is intended to foster the development of advanced nuclear reactors, largely through changes to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Capito said.

“The ADVANCE Act will provide the Nuclear Regulatory Commission with the tools and workforce it needs to review new nuclear technologies efficiently while maintaining the NRC’s critical safety mission and creating thousands of jobs,” she said. “With the president’s signature, the ADVANCE Act will become the law of the land and lay the foundation for the safe and successful deployment of the next generation of advanced reactors in the coming decades.”

U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said passage of the ADVANCE Act is a “major victory for our climate and American energy security.”

In a Senate floor speech prior to the vote on the act, Capito said nuclear generation currently accounts for about 20% of the nation’s electricity.

“Importantly, it’s emissions-free electricity that is 24/7, 365 days a year,” she said. “Not only is it necessary to continue developing and deploying more nuclear energy reactors from an energy and environmental standpoint, it’s also vital to our national security and it’s good for the economy.”

The American Nuclear Society, an international professional organization devoted to the peaceful applications of nuclear science and technology, released a statement celebrating the act’s passage.

“We have witnessed historic levels of public and private investments in new nuclear energy technologies that are essential to reducing emissions and ensuring the reliability and resiliency of our energy grid,” said CEO and Executive Director Craig Piercy. “However, successful commercial development of these technologies will require a modernized system of licensing and regulation. The ADVANCE Act will give our regulators new tools to accelerate the licensing of next-generation nuclear technologies while reducing regulatory costs and hurdles.”

During the 2022 regular session of the West Virginia Legislature, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 4. The legislation repealed a pair of bills passed in 1996 that established the state’s ban on nuclear power plants.

SB 4 didn’t establish any rules or regulations for the use of nuclear energy or say anything about where nuclear plants must be built in the state.

In a letter to the clerk of the state Senate announcing he had signed SB 4, Gov. Jim Justice said any development or placement of nuclear facilities in the state “must be done thoroughly and, above all, safely.”

“I call upon our Legislature to continue to research and monitor nuclear initiatives around the nation to ensure appropriate regulatory or safety measures are in place as new technologies are developed and implemented,” Justice wrote.