Energy Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Nuclear Energy Licensing Reform
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Bob Latta (OH-05), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy, led a hearing titled Nuclear Permitting Reform: Legislation to Advance Efficient Licensing.
“This vital hearing provided an opportunity to examine legislative proposals to improve the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s licensing process, which will help maintain momentum for U.S. nuclear development,” said Chairman Latta. “A robust and growing American nuclear industry is vital for our economy, energy and national security. We need firm, reliable energy, and a lot more of it.”
Watch the full hearing here.
Below are key excerpts from today’s hearing:
Congressman Randy Weber (TX-14): “Ms. Korsnick, I'm going to come to you. You state that the primary challenge facing large-scale deployment is not technology development, but rather issues such as cost, schedule, risk, supply chains, and workforce challenges. Will today's legislation provide some regulatory predictability — if there is such a thing — that at least mitigates permitting and schedule risk?”
Ms. Korsnick: “Thank you. Absolutely. I think the bills that we have in front of us are a good step forward to help bring that regulatory predictability. And again, I want to say that a strong industry needs a strong regulator. So we're very supportive of having a strong and very capable regulator, and I think the bills before us do a good job at managing that while bringing efficiency into the equation.”
Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (TN-01): “I'd like to turn to the discussion draft relating to the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards. Ms. Korsnick, Mr. Merrifield — you each have direct experience with this. Mr. Merrifield, you've seen both sides, as an attorney in the licensing process and as an NRC commissioner. Ms. Korsnick, you're not only at the helm of NEI, you served as chief nuclear officer for the largest fleet of nuclear reactors in the nation, which is pretty stellar. So, based on your experience: does NRC staff routinely evaluate highly technical safety and risk-significant issues as part of the agency's licensing and regulatory responsibilities?”
Ms. Korsnick: “Oh, absolutely. The NRC staff is technically very competent, very strong, and absolutely works through many technical issues. The conversation that played out earlier on the ACRS — again, it's a needed body. And I do think focusing it on new and novel issues can be accomplished while still keeping their curiosity and engagement on new processes. I think it can be done well.”
Mr. Merrifield: “And I don't think anybody on this side of the table — nor anyone in the legislation proposed — wants to get rid of the ACRS. I found the ACRS to be very valuable in many cases where the commission was struggling with a technical issue. We wanted a second opinion, we asked the ACRS to weigh in, and they provided a valuable role. So I'm not criticizing the existence of the body. I do think — having done a study where we interviewed over 35 people who were former commissioners and other senior staff — that there are efficiencies that could be put into that program to make them useful in a way that allows the agency to maintain its safety mission and not erode that independence. And I think the legislation as proposed would achieve that goal.”
Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01): “The current increased rates that people are experiencing right now are due to four years of deterrence of energy generation and energy subtraction from the Biden Administration. So let me also say that Iowans and Americans are very appreciative of this hearing. The United States is entering a new era of nuclear deployment, and the institutions responsible for licensing and oversight must be ready to meet it. Advanced reactors are moving from concept to construction. Retired plants are seeking to restart — such as the one in Iowa — and domestic fuel infrastructure is being rebuilt from the ground up after decades of atrophy. Congress has a narrow window to remove the remaining friction: to clear the procedural backlog that slows restart applications, align enrichment licensing with the rest of the fuel cycle, and make sure the NRC has the staff to handle what is coming. The opportunity is real, but it's not going to wait indefinitely.”
