Two federal agencies announced a plan Wednesday to cooperate over ocean-based nuclear energy, a technology that is not commercially active in the U.S.
The Marine Minerals Administration and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said they had signed a joint memorandum of understanding that “creates a framework” for deploying nuclear power in federal waters. MMA is the recently unified federal agency at the Interior Department that manages energy projects in the Outer Continental Shelf.
“While no commercial deployment on the Outer Continental Shelf is planned or approved at this time, it could greatly strengthen America’s energy security in the future,” MMA acting Director Matt Giacona said in a statement. “With nearly 3.2 billion acres of the Outer Continental Shelf under federal jurisdiction, this MOU is an important step toward building the technical expertise, regulatory clarity, and interagency coordination needed to assess whether and how this technology could be responsibly implemented in the years ahead.”
The three-page memo outlines the split authority over potential future nuclear projects in the ocean, including MMA’s role in awarding leases and rights-of-way and the NRC’s authority to conduct environmental analyses and issue licenses and permits.
