WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which includes legislation led by Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman Tom Carper (D-Del.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and a bipartisan group of their colleagues that reasserts America’s position as the undisputed international leader for nuclear energy technologies.
The Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act of 2023, which Capito led introduction of in March, and the EPW Committee approved by a vote of 16-3, passed as part of the NDAA today by a vote of 86-11.
“With today’s passage of the bipartisan ADVANCE Act, we are one step closer to reestablishing America’s preeminence as the global leader in nuclear energy in the twenty-first century,” Ranking Member Capito said. “Not only does our legislation strengthen our national and energy security, it expands a clean, reliable power source that should remain a major part of our future energy mix. The ADVANCE Act achieves these shared goals by making the nuclear licensing process more affordable, predictable, and efficient, creating pathways to repurpose former industrial sites for nuclear reactors in the future, and providing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission the resources needed to help fulfill its mission. I’m thankful for Chairman Carper, Senator Whitehouse, and all those who worked with us to craft commonsense policy, go through regular order in our committee, and see it approved today by the full Senate.”
“As our nation’s largest source of carbon-free electricity, nuclear energy is critical to meeting our climate goals and ensuring our energy independence,” Chairman Carper said. “The ADVANCE Act would help modernize the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, providing the agency with the tools and highly-skilled workforce necessary to facilitate the deployment of clean, affordable nuclear energy. The legislation would do so in a way that supports job creation and strengthens our nation’s nuclear leadership globally. Today’s passage of the ADVANCE Act moves us one step closer to realizing the benefits of this bipartisan legislation, and I thank Ranking Member Capito, Senator Whitehouse, and our colleagues for their partnership in developing this boost to American clean energy.”
“The time is right to make strategic investments in a new generation of nuclear energy technology that will lower emissions and head off threats to our national and energy security,” Senator Whitehouse said. “I’m pleased that our bipartisan bill to ensure the next generation of nuclear energy is safely regulated and developed in America has passed the Senate with broad bipartisan support.”
Cosponsors of Capito, Carper, and Whitehouse’s bill include John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).
The ADVANCE Act would:
Full text of the ADVANCE Act (S.1111) in the NDAA as passed by the Senate can be found here.
A section-by-section can be found here.
A handout on the legislation can be found here.
A letter of support from additional coalitions can be found here and more support from outside groups can be found here.
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