[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4674 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4674
To establish a competitive grant program to fund feasibility studies
for advanced nuclear reactors, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 17, 2023
Mr. Donalds introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a competitive grant program to fund feasibility studies
for advanced nuclear reactors, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Advanced Nuclear Feasibility Act''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that Congress--
(1) recognizes the importance of developing, licensing, and
deploying innovative nuclear energy technology, such as
advanced nuclear reactors;
(2) acknowledges the vast deployment potential of advanced
nuclear technology over the next several decades;
(3) understands the immensely beneficial impact of building
and deploying advanced nuclear reactors; and
(4) seeks to provide Federal support in promoting the use
of nuclear energy throughout the United States.
SEC. 3. ADVANCED NUCLEAR REACTOR FEASIBILITY STUDY GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary shall establish a program to
award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities to conduct
feasibility studies for the siting, construction, and operation of
advanced nuclear reactors.
(b) Eligible Entity.--
(1) Entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant under the
program, an applicant shall be--
(A) an institution of higher education located in a
State or territory described in paragraph (2);
(B) a private individual or company, including the
owner or operator of an airport, port, or hospital,
located in a State or territory described in paragraph
(2); or
(C) a State or local government of a State or
territory described in paragraph (2), including a State
or local government that owns or operates an airport,
port, or hospital.
(2) States and territories.--A State or territory described
in this paragraph is a State, or territory of the United
States, that has in effect a plan relating to advancing the
deployment of advanced nuclear reactors, as the Secretary
determines appropriate.
(c) Application.--
(1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under
the program, an eligible entity shall submit an application to
the Secretary, not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may require, including, at a
minimum, information described in paragraph (2)(A).
(2) Information.--An application under paragraph (1)--
(A) shall include a description of--
(i) the background for the feasibility
study that is to be conducted for the siting,
construction, and operation of an advanced
nuclear reactor; and
(ii) organizational responsibilities for
conducting such feasibility study; and
(B) may include--
(i) a plan for conducting such feasibility
study, including a plan--
(I) to conduct an analysis of--
(aa) the demand for
electricity in the region of
the proposed site of the
advanced nuclear reactor and
supporting facilities;
(bb) the transmission
capacity and transmission
facilities and systems in such
region; and
(cc) the structure of the
market for electricity in such
region;
(II) to conduct an analysis of how
the construction and operation of the
advanced nuclear reactor at such
proposed site would impact--
(aa) the overall demand for
electricity in such region;
(bb) the transmission
capacity and transmission
facilities and systems in such
region; and
(cc) the market for
electricity in such region;
(III) to conduct an analysis
regarding the proposed site of the
advanced nuclear reactor and supporting
facilities, including preliminary site
layout and site preparation and
potential effects of the advanced
nuclear reactor and supporting
facilities on the applicable region,
including population distribution and
the current uses of land and water;
(IV) to conduct an analysis of the
environmental impacts of siting,
construction, and operation of the
advanced nuclear reactor at the
proposed site, including--
(aa) a comparison of the
environmental impacts of
siting, constructing, and
operating the advanced nuclear
reactor at such proposed site
to siting, constructing, and
operating the advanced nuclear
reactor at other sites with
similar characteristics in the
applicable region;
(bb) impacts on cooling
water demand; and
(cc) an overview of the
environmental protection
requirements in the applicable
region;
(V) for how to approach the
licensing process and authorization
requirements for the siting,
construction, and operation of the
advanced nuclear reactor;
(VI) to conduct an analysis of how
the applicable project to site,
construct, and operate the advanced
nuclear reactor would be implemented,
including analysis of potential
contractual approaches, procurement
plans, project schedules, project
management, and risk management plans;
(VII) to conduct an analysis of
organizational requirements and
responsibilities for each phase of the
applicable project to site, construct,
and operate the advanced nuclear
reactor, including requirements and
responsibilities relating to human
resources and training, including
workforce logistics and staffing
requirements for construction,
commissioning, operation, and
maintenance of the advanced nuclear
reactor, including education and other
training requirements;
(VIII) to conduct an analysis of
the economic feasibility of the
applicable project to site, construct,
and operate the advanced nuclear
reactor, including a cost-benefit
analysis;
(IX) for developing plans for
emergency preparedness and coordination
for the proposed site of the advanced
nuclear reactor and supporting
facilities, including on-site emergency
planning and coordination with off-site
emergency response organizations;
(X) to conduct an analysis of
cogeneration opportunities on the
proposed site of the advanced nuclear
reactor and supporting facilities; and
(XI) to conduct a decommissioning
analysis for the advanced nuclear
reactor, including the cost of
decommissioning the advanced nuclear
reactor, decommissioning phases for the
advanced nuclear reactor, and the
environmental impact of decommissioning
the advanced nuclear reactor; and
(ii) a description of the stakeholders that
may be involved in the applicable project to
site, construct, and operate the advanced
nuclear reactor.
(d) Distribution.--
(1) Announcement.--Not later than 270 days after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall announce on the
website of the Department of Energy each eligible entity
selected to receive a grant under the program.
(2) Geographic distribution.--In awarding grants under the
program, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, award
a grant to at least--
(A) one eligible entity in each State described in
subsection (b)(2); and
(B) one eligible entity in a territory described in
subsection (b)(2).
(3) Considerations and priority.--In awarding grants under
the program, the Secretary shall--
(A) take into consideration the totality and
thoroughness of the information included in the
application from an eligible entity, including
information described in subsection (c)(2)(B)(i)
regarding a plan for conducting a feasibility study;
and
(B) give priority to an eligible entity that
certifies that the eligible entity will, after the
competition of the feasibility study for which a grant
is awarded, commence, if appropriate, other pre-
licensing application activities for the applicable
advanced nuclear reactor.
SEC. 4. FEASIBILITY STUDY REPORT.
Not later than 60 days after the selection of the eligible entities
to be awarded grants under the program, the Secretary shall submit to
the appropriate congressional committees a report that describes--
(1) the eligible entities that were selected;
(2) the reasoning for selection of such eligible entities;
(3) a summary of each feasibility study to be conducted
using a grant awarded under the program, including the amount
requested for the feasibility study;
(4) an anticipated timeline for each resulting feasibility
study; and
(5) any other information the Secretary determines
necessary.
SEC. 5. USE OF EXISTING FEASIBILITY STUDIES.
The Secretary and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission shall jointly
establish a process under which a feasibility study conducted pursuant
to the program may, in whole or in part, be utilized for purposes of a
feasibility study for the siting, construction, and operation of an
advanced nuclear reactor at a different site, with similar
characteristics, in the applicable region.
SEC. 6. COST SHARE.
(a) In General.--The non-Federal cost share of feasibility study
conducted pursuant to this Act shall be 60 percent.
(b) Reduction of Non-Federal Share.--The Secretary may reduce the
non-Federal share required under paragraph (1), if the Secretary
determines the reduction to be necessary and appropriate, taking into
consideration--
(1) whether the proposed site of the advanced nuclear
reactor and supporting facilities is at the site of a fossil
fuel-fired electric generating facility that is retired or
planned to be retired within the next year;
(2) whether the applicable eligible entity has participated
in community engagement with the applicable communities to
discuss the potential siting of an advanced nuclear reactor and
supporting facilities; and
(3) the socioeconomic impacts that the siting,
construction, and operation of the advanced nuclear reactor at
the proposed site would have on the surrounding communities.
SEC. 7. FUNDING.
Notwithstanding section 134 of the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7434),
unobligated balances of amounts made available under such section 134
may be used to carry out this Act, to remain available until September
30, 2025.
SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Advanced nuclear reactor.--The term ``advanced nuclear
reactor'' has the meaning given such term in section 3 of the
Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (42 U.S.C. 2215
note).
(2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the
Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, of the
House of Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources,
and the Committee on Environment and Public Works, of
the Senate.
(3) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means an
individual or entity described in section 3(b)(1).
(4) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such
term in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C.
15801).
(5) Program.--The term ``program'' means the program
established under section 3(a).
(6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy.
(7) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the 50 States
and the District of Columbia.
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