ARC Act

To institute a focal point for advanced reactor deployment within the U.S. Government that’s responsible for developing collaborative relationships with embarking civil nuclear nations, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Advanced Reactor Coordination Act ARC Act 2. Advanced Reactor Coordination and Resource Center (a) In general The President shall consider the feasibility of leveraging existing activities or frameworks or, as necessary, establishing a center, to be known as the Advanced Reactor Coordination and Resource Center Center (1) identifying qualified organizations and service providers— (A) for embarking civil nuclear nations; (B) to develop and assemble documents, contracts, and related items required to establish a civil nuclear program; and (C) to develop a standardized model for the establishment of a civil nuclear program that can be used by the International Atomic Energy Agency; (2) coordinating with countries participating in the Center— (A) to identify funds to support payment for services required to develop a civil nuclear program; (B) to provide market analysis; and (C) to create— (i) project structure models; (ii) models for electricity market analysis; (iii) models for nonelectric applications market analysis; and (iv) financial models; (3) identifying and developing the safety, security, safeguards, and nuclear governance required for a civil nuclear program; (4) supporting multinational regulatory standards to be developed by countries with civil nuclear programs and experience; (5) developing and strengthening communications, engagement, and consensus-building; (6) carrying out any other major activities to support export, financing, education, construction, training, and education requirements relating to the establishment of a civil nuclear program; (7) developing mechanisms for how to fund and staff the Center; and (8) determining mechanisms for the selection of the location or locations of the Center. (b) Objective The President shall carry out subsection (a) with the objective of establishing the Center if the President determines that it is feasible to do so. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) Advanced nuclear reactor The term advanced nuclear reactor (A) a nuclear fission reactor, including a prototype plant (as defined in sections 50.2 and 52.1 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations)), with significant improvements compared to reactors operating on October 19, 2016, including improvements such as— (i) additional inherent safety features; (ii) lower waste yields; (iii) improved fuel and material performance; (iv) increased tolerance to loss of fuel cooling; (v) enhanced reliability or improved resilience; (vi) increased proliferation resistance; (vii) increased thermal efficiency; (viii) reduced consumption of cooling water and other environmental impacts; (ix) the ability to integrate into electric applications and nonelectric applications; (x) modular sizes to allow for deployment that corresponds with the demand for electricity or process heat; and (xi) operational flexibility to respond to changes in demand for electricity or process heat and to complement integration with intermittent renewable energy or energy storage; (B) a fusion reactor; and (C) a radioisotope power system that utilizes heat from radioactive decay to generate energy. (2) Civil nuclear The term civil nuclear (A) nuclear plant construction; (B) nuclear fuel services; (C) nuclear energy financing; (D) nuclear plant operations; (E) nuclear plant regulation; (F) nuclear medicine; (G) nuclear safety; (H) community engagement in areas in reasonable proximity to nuclear sites; (I) infrastructure support for nuclear energy; (J) nuclear plant decommissioning; (K) nuclear liability; (L) safe storage and safe disposal of spent nuclear fuel; (M) environmental safeguards; (N) nuclear nonproliferation and security; and (O) technology related to the matters described in subparagraphs (A) through (N). (3) Embarking civil nuclear nation (A) In general The term embarking civil nuclear nation (i) does not have a civil nuclear energy program; (ii) is in the process of developing or expanding a civil nuclear energy program, including safeguards and a legal and regulatory framework, for— (I) nuclear safety; (II) nuclear security; (III) radioactive waste management; (IV) civil nuclear energy; (V) environmental safeguards; (VI) community engagement in areas in reasonable proximity to nuclear sites; (VII) nuclear liability; or (VIII) advanced nuclear reactor licensing; (iii) is in the process of selecting, developing, constructing, or utilizing advanced light water reactors, advanced nuclear reactors, or advanced civil nuclear technologies; or (iv) had an annual per capita gross domestic product of not more than $28,000 in 2020. (B) Exclusions The term embarking civil nuclear nation (i) the People’s Republic of China; (ii) the Russian Federation; (iii) the Republic of Belarus; (iv) the Islamic Republic of Iran; (v) the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; (vi) the Republic of Cuba; (vii) the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; (viii) the Syrian Arab Republic; (ix) Burma; or (x) any other country— (I) the property or interests in property of the government of which are blocked pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ( 50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq. (II) the government of which the Secretary of State has determined has repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism for purposes of— (aa) section 620A(a) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 ( 22 U.S.C. 2371(a) (bb) section 40(d) of the Arms Export Control Act ( 22 U.S.C. 2780(d) (cc) section 1754(c)(1)(A)(i) of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 ( 50 U.S.C. 4813(c)(1)(A)(i) (dd) any other relevant provision of law.

Summary: Advanced Reactor Coordination Act or the ARC ActThis bill directs the President to consider the feasibility of leveraging existing activities or frameworks or, as necessary, establishing an Advanced Reactor Coordination and Resource Center to assist embarking civil nuclear nation countries in developing or expanding civil nuclear energy programs.An embarking civil nuclear nation means a country that (1) does not have a civil nuclear energy program; (2) is in the process of developing or expanding a civil nuclear energy program; (3) is in the process of selecting, developing, constructing, or utilizing advanced light water reactors, advanced nuclear reactors, or advanced civil nuclear technologies; or (4) had an annual per capita gross domestic product of no more than $28,000 in 2020. The term excludes China, Russia, Belarus, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Burma, and certain countries that pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the United States or support acts of international terrorism.The term civil nuclear means activities relating to nuclear plant construction or operations, nuclear fuel services, nuclear energy financing, nuclear plant regulation, nuclear medicine, nuclear safety, community engagement, infrastructure support for nuclear energy, nuclear plant decommissioning, nuclear liability, safe storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel, environmental safeguards, nuclear nonproliferation and security, and technology related to such activities.