Lawmakers urge NRC to address several issues in draft licensing framework for advanced reactors
Lawmakers urge NRC to address several issues in draft licensing framework for advanced reactors | Utility Dive
A bipartisan group of lawmakers on Monday asked the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to address several issues when it finalizes a licensing framework for advanced nuclear reactor technologies, including small modular reactors.
Congress passed the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act in 2018, directing the NRC to complete a rulemaking to establish a “technology-inclusive” framework for advanced nuclear applications by the end of 2027. In March, NRC staff published a draft proposed rule, known as the “Part 53” rule.
“We all agree that a successful Part 53 regulatory framework should reflect congressional intent and be used to license the next generation of nuclear reactors,” the group of 20 senators and 44 House members wrote to NRC commissioners. “In order to be effective, we urge the Commission to work to address any outstanding issues prior to issuance of a final rule. Your review and modifications of the proposed rule will determine if that success is achieved.”
Lawmakers signing the letter include Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J.
“There is general agreement among stakeholders,” lawmakers said, that important issues to address in the final rule include: a “two-framework structure that limits the proposed rule’s overall benefit,” performance criteria that include quantitative health objectives, inclusion of a facility safety program; and “inconsistent application of new programs and terminology.”
Initial applications for advanced nuclear reactors will utilize existing licensing frameworks, but lawmakers said it is “critical and urgent” that the new framework be capable of processing the large volume of applications “necessary to meet our energy and national security priorities, provide grid reliability, and achieve our environmental goals.”
Several companies are developing small modular reactors. In January, the NRC certified NuScale Power’s design, the first of its type to win federal approval.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: nuclear
Nuclear energy provides almost 20 percent of the U.S. electricity supply. Advocates have called for an expanded role for nuclear as an emissions-free fuel source. But the economics of building new reactors are daunting. In addition, lingering safety concerns are an institutionalized part of the calculation of nuclear regulation, and highly radioactive nuclear waste remains a can that public officials have been inclined to kick down the road. The Energy Information Administration projects a sharp decline in nuclear power generation over the next decade, as new nuclear plants — two are planned — are more than offset by anticipated retirements of several operating reactors.