The U.S. Senate passed a bill Tuesday that will allow for additional development and implementation of nuclear power in the U.S., Breitbart reported. The bipartisan Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act passed 88-2.
The legislation, part of the Fire Grants and Safety Act, will help facilitate a necessary upgrade to nuclear for America's power grid and the world's. After approval in the Senate, the ADVANCE Act will go to President Joe Biden to be signed into law.
The GOP touted the bill in a news release from the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. "Today, we sent the ADVANCE Act to the president’s desk because Congress worked together to recognize the importance of nuclear energy to America’s future and got the job done," Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) said.
A news release said the legislation includes benefits for the U.S. and other nations wishing to make the switch. It promises to streamline the process to bring "American technology to international markets" while lowering "regulatory costs for companies seeking to license advanced nuclear reactor technologies."
In addition, new "development and deployment" guaranteed in the bill promises to down costs associated with regulation. It will also help replace fossil-fuel generator sites with nuclear plants.
Moreover, lawmakers also believe that the NRC "will enhance its ability to qualify and license accident-tolerant fuels and advanced nuclear fuels that can increase safety and economic competitiveness for existing reactors and the next generation of advanced reactors." They believe that will lead to reactors that are "better, faster, cheaper and smarter."
Finally, the news release said that the bill will help with NRC's "modernization." It will also give the chair the "tools to hire and retain exceptionally well-qualified individuals to successfully and safely review and process applications for advanced nuclear reactor licenses."
Many celebrated the overwhelming support for the bill, including Idaho Republican Sen. Jim Risch, who noted that the ADVANCE Act comes at a time when "demand for nuclear energy is at its highest in decades," a separate news release said. "We must ensure red tape does not prevent investment and innovation in new technologies," Risch added.
Even CNN acknowledged the positive news, although it's crediting the Democrats for more progress in the clean energy movement. Nuclear energy creates no carbon in energy production and is more reliable than other renewables like wind and solar.
Also, it helps meet enormous power demands from specific industries like steel manufacturing which can't be met with solar and wind power. Meanwhile, there seems to be less trepidation about nuclear disasters like Chornobyl and Fukushima happening in the U.S.
This comes after years of President Joe Biden's attacks on America's ability to create energy through his environmentalism. Texas GOP Gov. Rick Perry wrote in a Fox News opinion piece that this has been crippling the world as well.
"Concerns about European dependence on Russian energy were magnified following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Once the war began, the Biden administration was begging the energy sector to step up to help Europe," Perry wrote.
"Now that the election is near, it is no longer politically to their benefit," he added. Between the problems stateside and abroad, Americans have no tolerance for this, and the Democrats know it.
A bipartisan bill is a positive step toward fixing the problem Biden and the Democrats have created. However, it may be too little too late when it comes to Biden's reelection prospects in 2024.
