The U.S. Senate voted this week to pass bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee that will provide a boost to the future of nuclear energy in America.

The Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act, which the senators introduced in March 2023, passed as part of the Fire Grants and Safety Act (S.870) by a vote of 88-2, and will now head to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

“We sent the ADVANCE Act to the president’s desk because Congress worked together to recognize the importance of nuclear energy to America’s future and got the job done,” Capito said. “This bipartisan piece of legislation will encourage more innovation and investment in nuclear technologies right here on our shores. It also directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to more efficiently carry out its important regulatory mission and helps redevelop conventional energy sites for future nuclear energy projects. I’m proud the work we put into this legislation over many years is coming to fruition, and excited to mark a significant achievement for clean, reliable nuclear power.”