Advanced Nuclear Reactor Prize Act
Bill: H.R.6618 | Sponsor: Rep. Curtis, John R. (R-UT)
Policy area: Energy

Summary:
Advanced Nuclear Reactor Prize Act
This bill authorizes the Department of Energy to award prizes that cover the regulatory costs of the first entities to acquire licenses for operating certain categories of advanced nuclear reactors.

To authorize the Secretary of Energy to make awards to cover regulatory 
 costs relating to licensing certain first-of-a-kind advanced nuclear 
                               reactors.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Advanced Nuclear Reactor Prize 
Act''.

SEC. 2. ADVANCED NUCLEAR REACTOR PRIZES.

    Section 103 of the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act 
(Public Law 115-439; 132 Stat. 5571) is amended by adding at the end 
the following:
    ``(f) Prize for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Licensing.--
            ``(1) Prize for advanced nuclear reactor licensing.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to the availability of 
                appropriations, the Secretary may make, with respect to 
                each award category described in subparagraph (C), an 
                award in the amount described in subparagraph (B) to 
                the first non-Federal entity to which the Commission 
                issues--
                            ``(i) an operating license for an advanced 
                        nuclear reactor under part 50 of title 10, Code 
                        of Federal Regulations (or any successor 
                        regulation), for which a license has not been 
                        issued by the Commission as of the date of 
                        enactment of this subsection; or
                            ``(ii) a finding required under section 
                        52.103(g) of title 10, Code of Federal 
                        Regulations (or any successor regulation), with 
                        respect to a combined license for an advanced 
                        nuclear reactor--
                                    ``(I) that is issued under subpart 
                                C of part 52 of such title (or any 
                                successor regulation); and
                                    ``(II) for which a license has not 
                                been issued by the Commission as of the 
                                date of enactment of this subsection.
                    ``(B) Amount of award.--Except as provided in 
                paragraph (2), an award made under subparagraph (A) 
                shall be equal to the total amount assessed by the 
                Commission and collected under section 102(b)(2) from 
                the entity receiving the award for costs relating to 
                the issuance of the license described in that 
                subparagraph, including, as applicable, costs relating 
                to the issuance of an associated construction permit 
                (as described in section 50.23 of title 10, Code of 
                Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation)) or 
                early site permit (as defined in section 52.1 of that 
                title (or any successor regulation)).
                    ``(C) Award categories.--The award categories 
                described in this subparagraph are the following:
                            ``(i) The first advanced nuclear reactor 
                        for which the Commission issues--
                                    ``(I) a license in accordance with 
                                clause (i) of subparagraph (A); or
                                    ``(II) a finding in accordance with 
                                clause (ii) of that subparagraph.
                            ``(ii) An advanced nuclear reactor that--
                                    ``(I) uses isotopes derived from 
                                spent nuclear fuel (as defined in 
                                section 2 of the Nuclear Waste Policy 
                                Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101)) or 
                                depleted uranium as fuel for the 
                                advanced nuclear reactor; and
                                    ``(II) is the first advanced 
                                nuclear reactor described in subclause 
                                (I) for which the Commission issues--
                                            ``(aa) a license in 
                                        accordance with clause (i) of 
                                        subparagraph (A); or
                                            ``(bb) a finding in 
                                        accordance with clause (ii) of 
                                        that subparagraph.
                            ``(iii) An advanced nuclear reactor that--
                                    ``(I) operates to generate 
                                electricity or high temperature process 
                                heat for nonelectric applications; and
                                    ``(II) is the first advanced 
                                nuclear reactor described in subclause 
                                (I) for which the Commission issues--
                                            ``(aa) a license in 
                                        accordance with clause (i) of 
                                        subparagraph (A); or
                                            ``(bb) a finding in 
                                        accordance with clause (ii) of 
                                        that subparagraph.
            ``(2) Federal funding limitation.--An award made under this 
        subsection may not exceed the amount that is equal to--
                    ``(A) the total amount expended by the non-Federal 
                entity with respect to licensing costs relating to the 
                license for which the award is made; less
                    ``(B) the amount that is equal to--
                            ``(i) any expenditures made with Federal 
                        funds for the applicable project; plus
                            ``(ii) the minimum cost-share required 
                        under section 988 of the Energy Policy Act of 
                        2005 (42 U.S.C. 16352).''.
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