July 12, 2018
July 12, 2018
WASHINGTON, JULY 12, 2018 -- ClearPath Action and the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council (USNIC) applaud House Energy and Commerce Committee approval of two bills that would spur deployment of advanced nuclear technologies.
That includes a bipartisan bill led by Reps. Bill Flores (R-Texas) and Jerry McNerney (D-Calif.) to direct DOE to establish a program supporting availability of high assay low enriched uranium (HA-LEU) via public-private partnerships to address regulatory and market challenges.
ClearPath Action advisor and former NRC Commissioner Jeffrey Merrifield co-authored a recent white paper sponsored by ClearPath and USNIC that urged lawmakers, policymakers and the NRC to take prompt steps to ensure adequate supply of HA-LEU or risk continued progress in deploying the next generation of U.S. nuclear power.
Merrifield and URENCO USA President Melissa Mann testified in support of the House Committee measure on behalf of ClearPath and USNIC at a May 22 hearing.
"We welcome the House Energy and Commerce Committee's timely action on facilitating the deployment of promising advanced nuclear technologies and concrete support for the availability of high-assay low enriched uranium for these reactors, USNIC President and CEO David Blee said.
The House Energy panel also approved the bipartisan NUKE Act (H.R. 1320) from Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and Mike Doyle (D-Pa.) that is a commonsense step to making further improvements at rightsizing NRC's workforce and budget. It does this by establishing reasonable deadlines for major applications and other efforts to streamline licensing, and authorizes studies to reconsider outdated regulations of the Atomic Energy Act.
"Both of these bills address critical lapses in the ability of the U.S. to stay on pace with China and Russia in the potentially trillion-dollar global advanced nuclear energy market," ClearPath Executive Director Rich Powell said.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Darren Goode
Communications Director
ClearPath Action
About ClearPath Action
Founded by businessman Jay Faison, ClearPath Action's mission is to accelerate conservative clean energy solutions. To advance the mission, ClearPath Action develops cutting-edge policy and messaging and works with policymakers and industry.
About USNIC
USNIC is the leading U.S. business consortium for new nuclear and the promotion of the American supply chain globally. These views represent the specific views of the co-authors and the consensus of the Council but do not necessarily represent the specific views of individual USNIC members.
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