Streamlined permitting, new technologies put nuclear energy back in spotlight

In an increasingly rare bipartisan vote, the U.S. Senate passed the Fire Grants and Safety Act on Tuesday, including the text of the ADVANCE Act aimed at spurring new nuclear power generation in America.

The measure passed the Senate by a vote of 88-2. The U.S. House previously passed it in May by a vote of 393-13.

Mississippi’s two U.S. Senators and all three Republican Congressmen supported the legislation. However, the state’s lone Democrat, Congressman Bennie Thompson, did not vote.

About the ADVANCE Act

The Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy, or ADVANCE Act, is hailed as one of the most significant pieces of legislation to emerge from Congress in recent years. It seeks to encourage more innovation and investment in nuclear technologies.

The legislation simplifies nuclear reactor permitting and deployment and reinforces the staff at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) while updating and revising the Commission’s authority and processes.

Nuclear power generation has gained bipartisan support largely because it is “clean energy” that is sustainable. Democrats back the move as they continue to call for less reliance on coal and natural gas. Republicans see it as a reliable option that avoids the pitfalls associated with other green energy efforts within the Biden Administration’s “climate change” agenda, such as solar or wind.

With the passage of the ADVANCE Act language, the regulatory environment around nuclear power generation could become more favorable for investors. This is important as speed to market is increasingly crucial. Energy demands are skyrocketing as new technologies require more power, straining the nation’s power grid, and the need for the U.S. to be more energy independent becomes more evident daily.

The legislation directly addresses growing national security concerns related to Russia and China. In April, Congress passed a measure banning Russian uranium imports, specifically unirradiated low-enriched uranium. This is a major step given that U.S. nuclear power plants imported roughly 12% of their uranium from Russia in 2022, according to the Energy Information Administration. Additionally, China recently announced that it is developing floating nuclear reactors able to generate power across the South Pacific. Russia already has similar technology.

Mississippi’s View of Nuclear

Northern District Public Service Commissioner Chris Brown (R) told Magnolia Tribune on Thursday that the three-man Public Service Commission (PSC) supports efforts to increase nuclear power generation in the state. In fact, the Commission passed a resolution in March voicing their support for the advancement of nuclear energy.

The resolution states that nuclear energy is a clean base-load energy source necessary to achieve a reliable, secure, and diversified energy grid, adding that nuclear energy is the largest source of clean power in the U.S.

The Mississippi PSC believes that advancements in Small Modular Reactors (SMR) demonstrate that nuclear energy should be at the forefront of energy policy discussions not just in the Magnolia State but nationwide.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, SMR are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit, which is about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors. This means they are a fraction of the size of traditional nuclear reactors and can be relatively easily assembled and transported while harnessing nuclear fission to generate heat to produce energy.

“I think nuclear is the future. It’s clean, it’s reliable. Overall, it’s inexpensive,” Commissioner Brown said. “I’m very pro-nuclear, that’s for sure. Things are moving really fast in this area. It’s exciting.”

Yellow Creek

When asked about the prospects of increased nuclear generation impacting Mississippi, the PSC Chairman said the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is investing significant resources into the nuclear pool. TVA, which provides energy for a portion of North Mississippi, has partnered with Kairos Power, a California-based company, to deploy an experimental advanced nuclear reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The NRC approved the construction permitting for the facility in late 2023.

Brown said the test project is an SMR. Once the proof of concept is finalized, the plan is to deploy more in the TVA area.

“Where Mississippi comes in is Yellow Creek in Tishomingo County was approved for nuclear reactors,” Brown said, adding that the Commission is considering the possibility of using that site for future deployment of SMR by TVA.

The modular nature of the SMR makes them cheaper to construct and easier to place around the grid based on the energy need, often tying into existing infrastructure, Brown described.

“Our best shot in Mississippi for nuclear power in the near future is TVA locating reactors in North Mississippi,” Commissioner Brown said.

The Mississippi PSC is also planning to host a series of open meetings later this summer, with one dedicated to the possibility of Mississippi’s energy future as it pertains to nuclear, as well as the costs and benefits of the technology.

“So, we’re being proactive on this,” Brown added.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.