Collaborative effort between NARUC, NASEO to help inform state approaches to nuclear
A new collaborative effort between the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) will help officials understand new nuclear generation.
The Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative (ANSC(, supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, will bring utility regulators and state energy officials across the country to enhance their understanding of the regulator and policy questions surrounding the deployment of nuclear generation, NARUC and NASEO said. The two organizations have invited states already considering or actively working toward advanced reactor deployment to join ANSC. The group will provide officials with the ability to get support from nuclear experts while participating in real-time peer learning, the organizations said.
“As State Energy Offices explore different avenues for incorporating advanced nuclear into their programming, policy, and planning efforts, the Advanced Nuclear State Collaborative offers a valuable platform for peer-learning and information exchange on opportunities and barriers to deployment,” said Richard Stover, the administrator for the Idaho Governor’s Office of Energy and Mineral Resources.
More than 30 utility commissioners and state energy officials in 23 states have agreed to join ANSC, including members from the Alaska Regulatory Commission, Colorado Public Utility Commission, Illinois Commerce Commission, Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and Office of Energy Development, Kentucky Office of Energy Policy, and the Public Utility Commission of Texas.
“Texas has valuable extensive nuclear engineering research, experience, and programs through existing resilient nuclear power plants and our universities and research entities,” said Commissioner Jimmy Glotfelty of the Public Utility Commission of Texas. “We are looking forward to collaborating and learning from other states and national labs about using advanced nuclear technologies to provide resilient and reliable dispatchable megawatts, as our state’s leadership has directed the PUC to do.”
Activities for the group began in March with calls to members. A site visit in Richland, Wash., is scheduled for late April during an in-person launch workshop. Other events and resources will be offered to members throughout the year, NARUC and NASEO said.
“Along with providing a space for states to discuss their experiences with new nuclear generation, the ANSC initiative will also help states to understand how nuclear technologies fit into their communities,” said NARUC Executive Director Greg White. “This additional level of knowledge is important, as many states are working on energy transitions to meet new clean energy requirements.”
