I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9710 

To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to support a program to advance 

the research, development, demonstration, and commercial application 

of small modular reactors and micro-reactors in order to accelerate the 

availability of United States-based technologies, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024 

Mr. STRONG (for himself, Ms. ROSS, and Mr. ADERHOLT) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and 

Technology 

A BILL 

To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to support a 

program to advance the research, development, demonstration, and commercial application of small modular 

reactors and micro-reactors in order to accelerate the 

availability of United States-based technologies, and for 

other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Small Modular Reactor 

5 Demonstration Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. SMALL MODULAR REACTOR DEMONSTRATION PRO2 GRAM. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle E of title IX of the En4 ergy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16271 et seq.) is 

5 amended by adding at the end the following new section: 

6 ‘‘SEC. 959D. SMALL MODULAR REACTOR DEMONSTRATION 

7 PROGRAM. 

8 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

9 ‘‘(1) ADVANCED NUCLEAR REACTOR.—The 

10 term ‘advanced nuclear reactor’ has the meaning 

11 given such term in section 951 of the Energy Policy 

12 Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16271). 

13 ‘‘(2) DEMONSTRATION PROJECT.—The term 

14 ‘demonstration project’ means a small modular reac15 tor or micro-reactor when operated as part of the 

16 power generation facilities of an electric utility sys17 tem, or when operated in any other manner for the 

18 purpose of demonstrating the suitability for commer19 cial application of such a reactor. 

20 ‘‘(3) MICRO-REACTOR.—The term ‘micro-reac21 tor’ means an advanced nuclear reactor that has an 

22 electric power production capacity that is not greater 

23 than 50 electrical megawatts. 

24 ‘‘(4) SMALL MODULAR REACTOR.—The term 

25 ‘small modular reactor’ means an advanced nuclear 


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1 reactor with a rated capacity that is not greater 

2 than 700 electrical megawatts per unit. 

3 ‘‘(b) PROGRAM.—In collaboration with industry part4 ners, owners and operators of electric utilities, institutions 

5 of higher education, and the national laboratories, the Sec6 retary shall support a program to advance the research, 

7 development, demonstration, and commercial application 

8 of small modular reactors and micro-reactors in order to 

9 accelerate the availability of United States-based tech10 nologies into domestic and international markets by car11 rying out the following: 

12 ‘‘(1) Demonstrating a variety of small modular 

13 reactor and micro-reactor technologies, including 

14 those that could— 

15 ‘‘(A) be used for power generation, proc16 essing steam or heat production, desalination, 

17 or other industrial and chemical uses; 

18 ‘‘(B) be sited at locations not practicable 

19 for other new energy generation technologies as 

20 of the date of the enactment of this section; 

21 ‘‘(C) offer distinct safeguards, security, or 

22 nonproliferation advantages; 

23 ‘‘(D) use light water or non-light water 

24 coolants, such as gas, liquid metals, or molten 

25 salts; 


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1 ‘‘(E) supply remote or off-grid energy; 

2 ‘‘(F) supply backup or mission-critical 

3 power supplies; or 

4 ‘‘(G) supply power for data centers. 

5 ‘‘(2) In coordination and furtherance of the Ad6 vanced Nuclear Energy Cost-Share Grant Program 

7 established pursuant to section 3 of the Nuclear En8 ergy Innovation Capabilities Act of 2017 (42 U.S.C. 

9 16280), accelerating certification, licensing, and 

10 siting of domestic small modular reactor and micro11 reactor designs through competitive awards to sup12 port design, licensing, supplier development, and site 

13 preparation of designs that can be deployed by not 

14 later than September 30, 2034. 

15 ‘‘(3) Reducing economic, technical, and regu16 latory barriers to deployment. 

17 ‘‘(4) Identifying and resolving research, devel18 opment, and demonstration areas that the private 

19 sector is unable or unwilling to undertake due to the 

20 cost of, or risks associated with, any of such areas. 

21 ‘‘(5) Supporting small modular reactor and 

22 micro-reactor safety, training, and workforce devel23 opment at institutions of higher education, including 

24 community colleges and trade schools. 


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1 ‘‘(6) Facilitating the access of the private sector 

2 to the following: 

3 ‘‘(A) Federal research and development fa4 cilities and personnel. 

5 ‘‘(B) National Laboratories. 

6 ‘‘(C) The results of research and develop7 ment relating to civil nuclear technology funded 

8 by the Federal Government. 

9 ‘‘(c) DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.—In carrying out 

10 demonstration projects under the program described in 

11 subsection (b), the Secretary, in coordination with the ad12 vanced reactor demonstration program established under 

13 section 959A may, not later than one year after the date 

14 of the enactment of this section, award not more than two 

15 near term utility demonstration projects of grid scale 

16 small modular reactor technology in the United States to 

17 applicants with, to the maximum extent practicable, an ex18 pected orderbook of deployments or an early site permit 

19 from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for an ad20 vanced nuclear reactor. 

21 ‘‘(d) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out demonstra22 tion projects under the program described in subsection 

23 (b) and in accordance with subsection (c), the Secretary 

24 shall— 


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1 ‘‘(1) require a non-Federal or utility cost share 

2 of not less than 50 percent for such demonstration 

3 projects pursuant to section 988 of the Energy Pol4 icy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16352); 

5 ‘‘(2) include, as an evaluation criterion, diver6 sity in designs for the small modular reactors and 

7 micro-reactors demonstrated under such projects, in8 cluding designs using various— 

9 ‘‘(A) estimated capital investments, with 

10 emphases on reduced construction costs and du11 rations as compared to other advanced nuclear 

12 reactors; 

13 ‘‘(B) end-use applications; 

14 ‘‘(C) output of wastes requiring disposal; 

15 ‘‘(D) abilities to utilize recycled spent nu16 clear fuel; 

17 ‘‘(E) technology readiness levels; and 

18 ‘‘(F) abilities to be co-located on existing 

19 power plant sites; 

20 ‘‘(3) to the maximum extent practicable, utilize 

21 technologies and lessons learned from the National 

22 Reactor Innovation Center of the Idaho National 

23 Laboratory and the Department of Defense’s and 

24 Department of Energy’s pilot program for micro-re25 actors, commonly known as ‘Project Pele’; and 


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1 ‘‘(4) to the maximum extent practicable, require 

2 adherence to milestone-based demonstration project 

3 authorities in accordance with section 9005 of the 

4 Energy Act of 2020 (42 U.S.C. 7256c; division Z of 

5 the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Public 

6 Law 116–260)). 

7 ‘‘(e) SITING.—The Secretary shall select at least one 

8 demonstration project under subsection (c)(1) to be lo9 cated on or adjacent to a site on which a nuclear reactor 

10 operates, previously operated, or could operate in the fu11 ture with existing energy infrastructure, including current, 

12 former, or underutilized facilities on Federal property or 

13 in the custody and control of the Tennessee Valley Author14 ity established under the Tennessee Valley Authority Act 

15 of 1933 (16 U.S.C. 831 et seq.). 

16 ‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To 

17 carry out this section, there is authorized to be appro18 priated the following: 

19 ‘‘(1) For activities of the program established 

20 under subsection (b), $100,000,000 for each of fiscal 

21 years 2025 through 2027. 

22 ‘‘(2) For demonstration projects established 

23 under subsection (c), the following: 

24 ‘‘(A) $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2025. 

25 ‘‘(B) $300,000,000 for fiscal year 2026. 


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1 ‘‘(C) $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2027. 

2 ‘‘(g) REPORT.—Not later than two years after the 

3 date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall 

4 submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and Tech5 nology of the House of Representatives and Committee on 

6 Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report on 

7 activities carried out under this section, including relating 

8 to the progress and timeline of demonstration projects 

9 under subsection (c).’’. 

10 (b) SMALL MODULAR REACTOR SITING WITH EXIST11 ING INFRASTRUCTURE.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year 

13 after the date of the enactment of this Act, as part 

14 of the program established under section 959D of 

15 the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (as added by sub16 section (a)), the Secretary of Energy shall identify 

17 priority sites for small modular reactors and micro18 reactors (as such terms are defined in such section) 

19 at locations with existing energy infrastructure. 

20 (2) SITE SELECTION.—The Secretary of Energy 

21 shall identify locations referred to in paragraph (1) 

22 by considering sites with the following attributes: 

23 (A) Increased cost-effectiveness through 

24 measurable energy savings, water savings or 


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1 reuse, or infrastructure costs averted from 

2 using existing energy infrastructure. 

3 (B) Expected replicability at similar sites 

4 in a variety of geographic regions. 

5 (C) The ability to supplement existing en6 ergy load. 

7 (D) Relevant permitting, workforce, or 

8 transmission to accommodate completion of 

9 construction on an expedited timeline as com10 pared to traditional nuclear power. 

11 (E) Existing relationships with an electric 

12 utility provider. 

13 (F) Existing Federal infrastructure or 

14 workforce presence with unique energy supply 

15 challenges. 

16 (G) Efforts to obtain early site permits or 

17 other recognition from the U.S. Nuclear Regu18 latory Commission for suitability to deploy ad19 vanced nuclear technologies. 

20 (3) EXISTING SITES.—The Secretary of Energy 

21 shall include a list of Department of Energy sites or 

22 installations that are critical national security infra23 structure (as such term is defined in section 327(d) 

24 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authoriza25 tion Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (Public Law 115– 


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1 232)) that are determined to be practical sites for 

2 small modular reactors and micro-reactors. 

3 (4) REPORT.—The Secretary of Energy shall 

4 submit to the Committee on Science, Space, and 

5 Technology of the House of Representatives and the 

6 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 

7 Senate a report on sites identified pursuant to this 

8 subsection. 

9 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 

10 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 is amended by inserting 

11 after the item relating to section 959C the following new 

12 item: 

‘‘Sec. 959D. Small modular reactor demonstration program.’’. 

Æ 


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