WASHINGTON, D.C. —President Trump signed into law S.512, the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, or NEIMA.  Championed by Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, the legislation will make needed reforms to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and require the commission to establish a licensing framework for next-generation advanced reactors.

“The research being completed at Idaho National Lab to develop modern, clean and efficient energy contributes immensely to our nation’s domestic energy portfolio,” said Crapo. “This bipartisan measure is important for Idaho because it will help ensure that the work being done at the Idaho National Lab will have a path through to the commercial market. NEIMA pushes the NRC to modernize so that it has the ability to license advanced reactors in a safe, timely, and transparent manner.”

“President Trump understands that the use of clean, nuclear power should be part of our ‘all-of-the-above’ American energy strategy, and I applaud him for signing this bill into law” said Risch. “As our nation’s flagship nuclear energy lab, the Idaho National Lab has helped pioneer the next generation of advanced nuclear reactors—this legislation will help ensure their success by enabling processes for licensing these new advanced reactors.”

NEIMA will promote innovation in the nuclear energy sector by encouraging public and private investment in nuclear research and spur the development of a regulatory framework within the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) necessary for licensing advanced nuclear reactors.  The measure will also improve the NRC licensing process by establishing new transparency and accountability measures to its budget and fee programs. By reforming the NRC fee structure, NEIMA will make the process of developing and commercializing nuclear technology less cost-prohibitive, enabling more of the research performed at INL to reach the commercial market.