Daniel S. Lipman, the Nuclear Energy Institute’s (NEI) vice president for supplier and international programs, commended the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Monday for finalizing rule making on the regulation that governs nuclear energy technology exports.
“We appreciate DOE’s acceptance of some of the nuclear industry’s recommendations, which make the revised rule clearer and more focused,” Lipman said.
Lipman also encouraged the DOE to complete efficiencies within its export license approval process in order to “facilitate improved U.S. export competiveness in the rapidly growing global market for peaceful nuclear energy technology.”
Last year, a U.S. Government Accountability Office report recommended that the DOE reduce the competitive disadvantage by improving the efficiency and transparency of its 10 CFR 810 (Part 810) regulation.
“As a recent comparative analysis of nuclear export regimes has shown, the U.S. nuclear export licensing process is far more complex and takes significantly longer to complete than those of other leading nuclear supplier nations,” Lipman said. “These licensing impediments create a competitive disadvantage for U.S. commercial nuclear exporters, and thus compromise important national objectives.”
The NEI has encouraged the timely completion of the DOE’s initiatives in order to make Part 810 licensing process improvements worthwhile
“U.S. nuclear energy exports support multiple U.S. interests including tens of thousands of American jobs; a healthy nuclear manufacturing base; U.S. leadership in nuclear energy technology; and U.S. influence on global nuclear safety, security and nonproliferation,” Lipman said. “NEI looks forward to working with the Energy Department to implement these reforms.”
