Congressman Bob Latta’s (R-OH5) bipartisan legislation, the Nuclear Fuel Security Act, was approved by the Energy and Commerce Committee. The bill will establish and expand critical U.S. nuclear fuel programs to boost domestic uranium mining, production, enrichment, and conversion capacity. Latta introduced the bill in September with Representative Jim Clyburn (D-SC6), and the bill was approved by the Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee in October.
“As a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I’ve long advocated for an all-of-the-above energy strategy, which includes increasing domestic nuclear energy production to meet Americans’ growing energy needs,” Latta said. “I’m pleased that today, my bipartisan solution to expand nuclear fuel programs right here in the United States passed the Energy and Commerce Committee. With this solution continuing to advance in Congress, we are one step closer to reducing our energy reliance on foreign countries and securing American energy independence.”
“I’m pleased the Nuclear Fuel Security Act passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee today,” Assistant Democratic Leader James E. Clyburn said.“The United States has overwhelmingly relied on foreign nations to meet our energy production needs for far too long. This passage marks a significant step towards establishing full energy independence, meeting our climate goals, and unlocking the economic and security benefits that only investments in nuclear power can achieve.”
“The Nuclear Fuel Security Act will ensure America continues to lead in deploying safe, reliable nuclear energy—one of our largest domestic sources of clean energy,” Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers said. “I thank Mr. Latta for his work on this legislation, which will contribute to a strong energy mix in the United States.”
Background on the Nuclear Fuel Security Act:
This legislation would authorize the Secretary of Energy to:
- establish the Nuclear Fuel Security Program to increase the quantity of high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) and, if determined to be necessary after completion of a market evaluation, low-enriched uranium (LEU) produced by U.S. nuclear energy companies,
- expand the American Assured Fuel Supply Program to ensure the availability of domestically produced, converted, and enriched uranium in the event of a supply disruption, and
- establish the HALEU for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Demonstration Projects Program to maximize the potential for DOE to meet the needs and schedules of advanced nuclear reactor developers until such time that commercial enrichment and deconversion capability for HALEU exists in the U.S. at a scale sufficient to meet future needs and, where practicable, partner with countries that are allies or partners of the U.S. to meet those needs and schedules until that time.
