House advances four bills from Energy and Commerce Committee
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced legislation this week to lease underused Strategic Petroleum Reserve capacity and revise the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) fee recovery structure
The Strategic Petroleum Reserve Reform Act (H.R. 6511), sponsored by Reps. Joe Barton (R-TX) and Bobby Rush (D-IL), would launch a pilot program to lease underutilized Strategic Petroleum Reserves capacity that will become available under mandated drawdowns.
The Nuclear Utilization of Keynote Energy Act (H.R. 1320), sponsored by Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Mike Doyle (D-PA), revises the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) fee recovery structure. It also increases the predictability, transparency, and efficiency of the NRC’s regulatory processes.
“Our focus has been and will continue to be advancing thoughtful solutions to modernize the Department of Energy to ensure the long-term security and prosperity of Americans,” Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), Environment Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL), and Energy Subcommittee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), said. “The Nuclear Utilization of Keynote Energy Act will make targeted reforms to the NRC’s fee structure and streamline certain licensing and regulatory actions, which in turn helps ratepayers who pay for regulatory costs of nuclear energy.”
The Responsible Disposal Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2278), authored by Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO), would extend the use of a disposal site in Mesa County, Colorado (known as the Cheney disposal cell) for receiving and disposing of residual radioactive material from processing sites. The use of the site was extended from 2023 to 2030.
Lastly, the House advanced H.R. 2389, which would reauthorize the Department of Energy cleanup of nuclear waste at the West Valley Demonstration Project located in West Valley, N.Y. It also calls for a study to help identify a disposal pathway for the project’s radioactive waste. The bill, sponsored Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY), was approved by voice vote.
“Building on the committee’s work on nuclear waste management, passing the House are two important pieces of legislation that will reauthorize certain environmental remediation projects at DOE,” committee leaders said. “Last but not least, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Reform Act will make significant upgrades to the SPR so it’s more resilient and better equipped to respond to potential energy supply disruptions.”
All four bills originated from the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
