NEI: Omnibus law boosts funding for nuclear energy research

The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) praised the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2016, signed into law late last week by President Obama, for its support of nuclear energy programs through $986 million in funding, the NEI said on Monday.

The NEI said the bill provides $141 million toward research and development into new reactor-design concepts, $62.5 million for small-reactor licensing and $203 million toward research-and-development activity for fuel cycles.

Funding from this law is $80 million over the requested budget in critical nuclear energy research areas to advance clean-energy and energy-security efforts.

“The recognition that advanced and small reactors hold great promise as a future source of low-carbon electricity and as an export technology that can create many thousands of U.S. jobs is very positive,” NEI Senior VIce President for Governmental Affairs Alex Flint said. “It is a smart investment in a low-carbon and a secure energy future for our nation.”

Flint also said this appropriations law also takes appropriate steps to ensure that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) participates in fiscal and processing efficiency. Among these measures are a smaller NRC budget, prioritization of second renewals that would allow a plant to operate for 80 years and the rejection of a new tax on nuclear ratepayers.