A bill to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to provide for thorium fuel cycle nuclear power generation.

Summary: Thorium Energy Security Act of 2010 - Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to direct the Secretary of Energy to establish, and provide funds to, an office for the regulation of thorium fuel cycle nuclear power generation within the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and an office of thorium-based fuel cycle research within the Department of Energy.

Directs the NRC Chairman to: (1) establish standards for the manufacture, testing, use, and management of spent thorium-based nuclear fuel; and (2) promulgate regulations for facilities and materials used in thorium-based fuel cycle nuclear power generation.

Directs the Secretary to implement demonstration projects for thorium-based nuclear power generation.

Directs the Secretary to report to Congress recommendations for: (1) strengthening international partnerships to advance nuclear nonproliferation through the design and deployment of thorium fuel cycle nuclear power generation; and (2) providing incentives to nuclear reactor operators to use proliferation-resistant, low-waste thorium fuels in lieu of other fuels.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Thorium Energy Security Act of 
2010''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the United States and foreign countries will continue 
        to demand increasing quantities of energy into the foreseeable 
        future in order to support economic growth;
            (2) nuclear power provides energy without generating 
        significant quantities of greenhouse gases;
            (3) the growth of nuclear power in the United States and 
        many foreign countries has faced barriers from concerns related 
        to--
                    (A) the proliferation of weapons-useable material; 
                and
                    (B) the proper disposal of spent nuclear fuel;
            (4) nuclear power plants operating on an advanced thorium 
        fuel cycle to generate nuclear energy--
                    (A) would not produce weapons-useable material in 
                spent fuel; and
                    (B) would produce less long-term waste as compared 
                to other nuclear power plants;
            (5) thorium fuel cycle technology was originally developed 
        and proven in the United States;
            (6) the United States possesses significant domestic 
        quantities of thorium in accessible high-grade deposits;
            (7) cutting-edge research relating to thorium fuel cycle 
        technology continues to be carried out by entities in the 
        United States; and
            (8) it is in the national security and foreign policy 
        interest of the United States that foreign countries seeking to 
        establish or expand generation and use of nuclear power should 
        be provided--
                    (A) access to advanced thorium fuel cycle 
                technology;
                    (B) incentives to explore the thorium-based fuel 
                cycle as a means to reduce the risk of nuclear 
                proliferation; and
                    (C) access to a secure domestic supply of thorium.

SEC. 3. THORIUM FUEL CYCLE NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 19 of title I of the Atomic Energy Act of 
1954 (42 U.S.C. 2015 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 244 
the following:

``SEC. 251. THORIUM FUEL CYCLE NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION.

    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Chairman.--The term `Chairman' means the Chairman of 
        the Commission.
            ``(2) Department.--The term `Department' means the 
        Department of Energy.
            ``(3) Office.--The term `Office' means an office 
        established under subsection (b)(1).
            ``(4) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.
    ``(b) Offices for Research and Regulation of Thorium Fuel Cycle 
Nuclear Power Generation.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
Chairman, shall establish and provide funds to--
            ``(1) an office for the regulation of thorium fuel cycle 
        nuclear power generation within the Commission; and
            ``(2) an office of thorium-based fuel cycle research within 
        the Department.
    ``(c) Regulations.--
            ``(1) Fuel.--Not later than December 31, 2011, the 
        Chairman, in consultation with industry and nonindustry 
        experts, shall establish standards for the manufacture, 
        testing, use, and management of spent thorium-based nuclear 
        fuel.
            ``(2) Power generation.--Not later than December 31, 2012, 
        the Chairman, in cooperation with the Secretary, shall 
        promulgate regulations for facilities and materials used in 
        thorium-based fuel cycle power generation.
    ``(d) Demonstration Projects.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary, in consultation with 
        industry experts, nonindustry experts, and National 
        Laboratories, shall carry out demonstration projects for 
        thorium-based nuclear power generation.
            ``(2) Administration.--In preparing for and selecting 
        demonstration projects, the Secretary shall consult with 
        reactor designers, utilities, engineering, and manufacturing 
        firms to--
                    ``(A) determine the optimum use of thorium in 
                different reactor types;
                    ``(B) prioritize thorium-based fuel cycle options 
                that take advantage of existing nuclear power 
                infrastructure and could be deployed in support of 
                light water reactors like reactors used in the United 
                States in the near term;
                    ``(C) license the manufacture of thorium-based 
                fuels;
                    ``(D) qualify and license thorium-based fuel for 
                use in commercial reactors; and
                    ``(E) develop and maintain databases necessary for 
                United States industry and regulators to safely license 
                and use advanced fuels.
    ``(e) International Partnerships and Incentives.--Not later than 
December 31, 2011, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 
providing recommendations with respect to methods of--
            ``(1) strengthening international partnerships to advance 
        nuclear nonproliferation through the design and deployment of 
        thorium fuel cycle nuclear power generation; and
            ``(2) providing incentives to nuclear reactor operators to 
        use proliferation-resistant, low-waste thorium fuels in lieu of 
        other fuels.
    ``(f) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this section and annually thereafter, the Secretary, in consultation 
with the Chairman, shall submit to Congress a report describing, with 
respect to the preceding calendar year--
            ``(1) progress made in implementing this section; and
            ``(2) activities carried out by the Department and 
        Commission pursuant to this section.
    ``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $250,000,000 
for the period of fiscal years 2011 through 2016.''.
    (b) Technical Amendment.--Section 11 f. of the Atomic Energy Act of 
1954 (42 U.S.C. 2014(f)) is amended by striking ``Atomic Energy 
Commission'' and inserting ``Nuclear Regulatory Commission''.