The US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed a bill on Tuesday supporting advanced nuclear reactor deployment by allowing the federal government to sign long-term power purchase agreements and calling for deployment of new reactor designs at government facilities.
The legislation is needed because nuclear plants have a history of going over budget, making some form of government support for new plants vital, said committee chair Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican “Developing a first-of-a-kind technology like this is not for the risk-averse, it's not for the faint of heart.”
The legislation is needed because nuclear plants have a history of going over budget, making some form of government support for new plants vital, said committee chair Lisa Murkowski, an Alaska Republican “Developing a first-of-a-kind technology like this is not for the risk-averse, it's not for the faint of heart.”
The legislation, the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act, would extend federal power purchase agreements from the current 10 years to 40 years, a change in law which could help advanced reactor developers build nuclear units to power military bases and government laboratories.
The bill directs the energy secretary to take steps to ensure the operation of at least two advanced nuclear reactors by the end of 2025 and from two to five more by 2035, developed in conjunction with private industry. It also would require Department of Energy to establish a programme to make available a higher-enriched form of uranium that is expected to be needed by the majority of developers of advanced reactors.
