Washington, DC – Wednesday, October 25, 2023 – The House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Energy, Climate, and Grid Security passed 11 important nuclear energy bills, including H.R. 5718, the Nuclear Fuel Security Act of 2023, which will help reduce reliance on Russian fuel by strengthening domestic industry and supply chains.
“Utilities are calling for 90 gigawatts of new nuclear power by 2050, nearly doubling today’s capacity,” said Rich Powell, CEO of ClearPath Action. “The challenge is America will remain reliant on Russia to fuel the new reactors unless we start making major changes here at home. This legislation will put the U.S. on a path to solving that challenge.”
The Nuclear Fuel Security Act would reduce reliance on Russian fuel by providing the required certainty to incentivize domestic industry, build new capacity, and support our allies. These bills seek to strengthen the nuclear energy industry and make progress toward a net-zero domestic energy portfolio.
ClearPath Action sent a letter to the House E&C leadership this week supporting 11 of the bills they considered.
“There must be broad, comprehensive changes at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to transition it to an agency that can efficiently license and oversee hundreds of new reactors,” Powell wrote in the letter. “Providing an American alternative to Russian nuclear fuel dominance that addresses both near-term and long-term supply chain security is necessary.”
In addition to today’s action in the House, there has been action to advance nuclear energy legislation in the Senate. In July, the U.S. Senate included the ADVANCE Act, which aims to position the United States as the global leader in advanced nuclear development, in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) with an 86-11 vote. In addition to the ADVANCE Act, the Senate overwhelmingly voted 96-3 to include the Nuclear Fuel Security Act in the NDAA.
Given the overwhelming bipartisan and bicameral support for nuclear energy, ClearPath Action is excited about the prospect of seeing legislation signed into law this Congress.
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About ClearPath Action
ClearPath Action 501(c)(4) advocates for more clean energy innovation, modernized permitting and regulatory reform, America’s global competitiveness for manufacturing, and unlocking more American resources — solutions drawn from our friends at ClearPath. Learn more at clearpathaction.org. Follow us on Twitter: @ClearPathAction, @powellrich