A House subcommittee unanimously advanced a package of nuclear energy bills meant to further streamline regulations for one of Congress’ most bipartisan energy sources.
The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy on Tuesday passed six bills intended to build on the ADVANCE Act, a 2024 law designed to accelerate deployment of advanced reactors by overhauling what industry advocates viewed as an overly cumbersome Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing process.
Before the markup, it was unclear whether Democrats would support the mostly Republican-led legislation. Committee ranking member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) had threatened to derail bipartisan progress on nuclear energy over contentious actions by the Trump administration, including firing a Democratic NRC commissioner and subjecting the independent agency’s decision-making to White House review.
Republican support for a Democratic bill in the markup and NRC Chair Ho Nieh’s leadership, however, helped secure Pallone’s support, though he warned that could change.
