Chairman Latta Delivers Opening Statement at Energy Markup

The subcommittee will come to order and the chair recognizes himself for an opening statement. In today's markup, we consider six pieces of legislation to improve the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's licensing process and Department of Energy nuclear reporting, which will help maintain momentum for U.S. nuclear deployment. A robust and growing American nuclear industry is vital to meet our nation's rapidly increasing energy demand. A resilient nuclear supply chain is critical for U.S. economic, energy, and national security. We need a robust nuclear sector for our national security. We must increase nuclear commerce with our allies and provide a more cost-effective industrial base. This subcommittee has already taken significant action to optimize the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's regulatory system and related policies to advance nuclear deployment and the associated economic and security benefits for the nation. Our bipartisan work two years ago led to the ADVANCE Act. This law directed the NRC to align its mission for enabling the benefits of nuclear technology and to focus on efficiency, reducing costs, and increasing predictability in the permitting process, all while maintaining its position as the world's premier leader in nuclear safety. Our work also laid the foundation for a revitalized domestic nuclear fuel industry. The Nuclear Fuel Security Act provided funding to jumpstart the development of advanced fuels, and the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act banned the import of Russian fuels to create the market conditions needed to incentivize new domestic fuel production capacity. Five of the bills under consideration today amend the Atomic Energy Act to extend these policies we enacted last Congress, eliminating unnecessary licensing steps, and adding clarity to reviews consistent with our ADVANCE Act reforms. While we are still in a discussion on a couple of the bills, our conversations across the hour reflect the same bipartisan spirit that led to success two years ago. We will consider H.R. 3978, the Nuclear Refuel Act, which I am leading along with my colleague from California's 50th District, who would clarify certain recycling facilities may be licensed under the same regulatory framework as other fuel cycle facilities. This legislation builds on this subcommittee's work to enable the support of our domestic nuclear fuel cycle and will result in efficient permitting of changes to extract additional energy out of spent fuel. H.R. 9612, the American Enrichment Deployment Act, led by our colleagues from South Carolina's 7th and Washington's 8th Districts, brings the licensing process for enrichment facilities in line with other fuel cycle facilities. It's a critical step to ensure efficient licensing, saving time and money without undermining safety as we work to build our critical fuel cycle infrastructure. Also included in today's markup is the bipartisan H.R. 5549, the Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act, sponsored by our colleagues from Virginia's 9th, Washington's 8th, and Texas' 33rd congressional districts. This legislation would save time and resources by eliminating an outdated requirement that NRC holds a final uncontested public hearing on a license, even if no one requests the hearing. This change saves time and money in the licensing process, both for the NRC and the licensees, while preserving transparency and the public's ability to be involved and informed in the licensing process. We'll consider H.R. 9613, the Nuclear Advisory Committee Report Act, sponsored by our colleagues from Tennessee's 1st District, which directs the Advisory Committee on Reactive Safeguards, or ACERS, to focus on issues that are new and novel and safety significant. It will reduce unnecessary time and resources being spent on routine licensing by the NRC. This continues to advance the bipartisan goals of the ADVANCE Act, namely to make the NRC's licensing process more risk-informed and efficient. H.R. 9614, the NRC Staff Pay Alignment Act, sponsored by our colleagues from New Jersey's 8th District, would align the pay authority applicable to certain career SES employees with pay authorities we provided in the ADVANCE Act. Maintaining experienced and competent leadership of the NRC is essential for assuring it carries out its mission efficiently. Finally, we turn to the Department of Energy, also a key player in enabling new nuclear deployment. H.R. 9084, the Department of Energy Nuclear Transparency Act, introduced by the Ranking Member of the Energy Subcommittee, would require DOE to announce and post license decisions for facilities it permits similar to what NRC does today. This is a reasonable bill and I look forward to moving it. Again, I want to thank our colleagues across the aisle and the minority staff for all the work they did for today's markup. I look forward to continuing to work on these bills. With that, I yield back.