The US has taken an important step towards becoming a nuclear reactor center. On Tuesday, June 18, the Senate passed Accelerating the deployment of a versatile, advanced core for clean energy (ADVANCE) 88 to 2 votes. A version in the House also garnered bipartisan support earlier this year, passing 365 to 33, clearing the way for the bill to reach President Biden’s desk.
Over the past decade, more than a dozen reactors have been shut down and only two new reactors have opened — a pair launched last month in Georgia at a cost of more than $30 billion. The ADVANCE Act aims to expand the country nuclear power industry by creating incentives and reducing the time and cost of building nuclear reactors. These efforts include financial rewards for the first companies to achieve certain goals, such as recycling recycled nuclear waste.
Much of the ADVANCE Act is based on this theme Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), is an independent government agency that oversees nuclear use, including commercial nuclear power plants. The bill would change the NRC’s role, requiring it to create a new mission statement that states “the licensing and regulation of civilian uses of radioactive materials and nuclear energy is carried out effectively and in a manner that does not unnecessarily limit the benefits of civilian uses.” radioactive materials and nuclear energy technology to society. It further directs the NRC to improve “the process for approving the export of American technology to international markets,” as well as speed up the licensing process and staffing.
In a statement following the passage of the bill, US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Tom Carper said, “The ADVANCE Act provides the Nuclear Regulatory Commission with the tools and manpower needed to effectively review new nuclear technologies while maintaining the NRC’s critical role. will do. security mission and create thousands of jobs.”
However, not everyone is in favor of the bill, with critics warning that it is about safety. Senators Bernie Sanders and Ed Markey were the two dissenting voices, the latter arguing that the ECONOMY Act made the NRC a facilitator rather than a regulator. “This bill is more about promoting and corporate profiteering than protecting the community.” Markey said. “The ADVANCE Act, added to the Fire Grants and Safety Act, includes language requiring the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to rewrite its mission to state that its regulation and oversight must not “unduly restrict” civilian nuclear activity, regardless of whether it harms public safety or national security. beneficial or harmful should not be NRC Nuclear Retail Commission.”
