Title: To require the Secretary of Energy to develop a report on a pilot program to site, construct, and operate micro-reactors at critical national security locations, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill directs the Department of Energy to report to Congress on a potential pilot program for the construction and operation of at least one micronuclear reactor (i.e., a reactor that has the thermal-power production capacity of up to 50 megawatts) to provide energy resilience for critical security infrastructure.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6141 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6141

   To require the Secretary of Energy to develop a report on a pilot 
  program to site, construct, and operate micro-reactors at critical 
          national security locations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 19, 2018

 Mr. Wilson of South Carolina (for himself, Mr. Norcross, Mr. Hudson, 
 and Mr. Peters) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the Secretary of Energy to develop a report on a pilot 
  program to site, construct, and operate micro-reactors at critical 
          national security locations, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. REPORT ON PILOT PROGRAM FOR MICRO-REACTORS.

    (a) Report Required.--Not later than 12 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Energy shall develop and submit 
to the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce in the House of Representatives and the Committee on Armed 
Services and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in the 
Senate a report describing the requirements for, and components of, a 
pilot program to provide energy resilience for critical national 
security infrastructure at Department of Defense and Department of 
Energy facilities by contracting with a commercial entity to site, 
construct, and operate at least one licensed micro-reactor at a 
facility identified under the report by December 31, 2027.
    (b) Consultation.--As necessary to develop the report required 
under subsection (a), the Secretary of Energy shall consult with--
            (1) the Secretary of Defense;
            (2) the Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and
            (3) the Administrator of the General Services 
        Administration.
    (c) Contents.--The report required under subsection (a) shall 
include--
            (1) identification of potential locations to site, 
        construct, and operate a licensed micro-reactor at a Department 
        of Defense or Department of Energy facility that contains 
        critical national security infrastructure that the Secretary of 
        Energy determines may not be energy resilient;
            (2) assessments of different nuclear technologies to 
        provide energy resiliency for critical national security 
        infrastructure;
            (3) a survey of potential commercial stakeholders with 
        which to enter into a contract under the pilot program to 
        construct and operate a licensed micro-reactor;
            (4) options to enter into long-term contracting for 
        electricity acquisition and reactor operations, including 
        various financial mechanisms for such purpose;
            (5) identification of requirements for licensed micro-
        reactors to provide energy resilience to mission-critical 
        functions at facilities identified under paragraph (1);
            (6) an estimate of the costs of the pilot program;
            (7) a timeline with milestones for the pilot program;
            (8) an analysis of the existing authority of the Department 
        of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and Department of 
        Defense to enable the siting, construction, and operation of a 
        licensed micro-reactor; and
            (9) recommendations for any legislative changes to the 
        authorities analyzed under paragraph (8) necessary for the 
        Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or the 
        Department of Defense to enable the siting, construction, and 
        operation of a licensed micro-reactor.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Critical national security infrastructure.--The term 
        ``critical national security infrastructure'' means any site or 
        installation that the Secretary of Energy or the Secretary of 
        Defense determines supports mission-critical functions of the 
        national security enterprise.
            (2) Licensed.--The term ``licensed'' means holding a 
        license under section 103 or 104 of the Atomic Energy Act of 
        1954.
            (3) Micro-reactor.--The term ``micro-reactor'' means a 
        nuclear reactor that has a thermal power production capacity 
        that is not greater than 50 megawatts.
            (4) Pilot program.--The term ``pilot program'' means the 
        pilot program described in subsection (a).
    (e) Form.--The report required under subsection (a) shall be 
submitted in unclassified form, but, if the Secretary of Energy 
determines it necessary, may include a classified appendix.
    (f) Limitations.--This Act does not authorize the Department of 
Energy or Department of Defense to enter into a contract with respect 
to the pilot program.
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