home Nuclear Attitude, Nuclear Technology, U House hearing highlights rising bipartisan support for nuclear energy amid wave of policy actions

House hearing highlights rising bipartisan support for nuclear energy amid wave of policy actions

Members of Congress voiced concerns about nuclear waste and were warned that plants and reactors aren’t being built fast enough to slow climate change.

Members of a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on Tuesday pledged bipartisan support for the development of nuclear energy, while questioning the difficulty in disposing of spent fuel and the time required to build and license reactors.

“I called this hearing to set the table for what I hope will be bipartisan, durable policy-making in this Congress to expand American nuclear energy and its many benefits for the nation,” said Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., and chairman of the Energy, Climate and Grid Security subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Nuclear energy is the leading source of carbon-free electricity in the U.S. and is among the most reliable sources of power, he said. In addition, leadership in nuclear technology gives the U.S. “significant geopolitical advantage and leverage,” Duncan said.

“Despite this, growth in the U.S. nuclear industry has stagnated over the past decade,” he said. “China and Russia are seizing this opportunity and doubling down on their nuclear investments.”

Armond Cohen, executive director of the Clean Air Task Force, said “very broad support” for nuclear energy as a tool to fight climate change and promote energy security has brought policymakers to a “different place” than a few years ago.

Cohen said industry and government need to partner to create a “commoditized, standardized product” to speed up nuclear development. And he called for a “very radical re-think of this sector,” including its business model, regulations and financing.

At a time of sharp divisions between Democrats and Republicans over raising the debt limit, supporting Ukraine and numerous other issues, House members spoke of unified support for nuclear energy and finding alternatives to Russian-sourced uranium.

“We disagree on a lot of things on this committee, but I do believe bipartisan support for nuclear power hasn’t been this strong since I’ve been in Congress for the last 13 years,” said Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio. “And it’s not a mystery why. The fact is that nuclear is the only —  and I mean only — large-scale reliable base load carbon-free electricity source available to us.”