[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8355 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8355

     To establish and support advanced nuclear energy research and 
    development programs at the Department of Energy, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 23, 2020

  Mr. Fulcher (for himself and Mr. Simpson) introduced the following 
   bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and 
                               Technology

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
     To establish and support advanced nuclear energy research and 
    development programs at the Department of Energy, 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. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Next Generation 
Nuclear Advancement Act of 2020''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Integrated energy systems program.
Sec. 3. Report on duplicative programs.
Sec. 4. Light water reactor sustainability program.
Sec. 5. Nuclear energy strategic plan.

SEC. 2. INTEGRATED ENERGY SYSTEMS PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Program.--The term ``program'' means the Integrated 
        Energy Systems Program established under subsection (b)(1).
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Energy.
    (b) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a program, 
        to be known as the ``Integrated Energy Systems Program''--
                    (A) to maximize energy production and efficiency;
                    (B) to develop energy systems involving the 
                integration of nuclear energy with renewable energy, 
                fossil energy, and energy storage; and
                    (C) to expand the use of emissions-reducing energy 
                technologies into nonelectric sectors to achieve 
                significant reductions in environmental emissions.
            (2) Program administration; partners.--The program shall be 
        carried out by the Undersecretary of Energy, in partnership 
        with--
                    (A) relevant offices within the Department of 
                Energy;
                    (B) National Laboratories;
                    (C) institutions of higher education; and
                    (D) the private sector.
            (3) Goals and milestones.--The Secretary shall establish 
        quantitative goals and milestones for the program.
    (c) Research Areas.--Research areas under the program may include--
            (1) technology innovation to further the expansion of 
        emissions-reducing energy technologies to accommodate a modern, 
        resilient grid system by--
                    (A) effectively leveraging multiple energy sources;
                    (B) enhancing and streamlining engineering design;
                    (C) carrying out process demonstrations to optimize 
                performance; and
                    (D) streamlining regulatory review;
            (2) advanced power cycles, energy extraction, and 
        processing of complex hydrocarbons to produce high-value 
        chemicals;
            (3) efficient use of emissions-reducing energy technologies 
        for hydrogen production to support transportation and 
        industrial needs;
            (4) enhancement and acceleration of domestic manufacturing 
        and desalinization technologies and processes by optimally 
        using clean energy sources;
            (5) more effective thermal energy use, transport, and 
        storage;
            (6) the demonstration of nuclear energy delivery for--
                    (A) the production of chemicals, metals, and fuels;
                    (B) the capture, use, and storage of carbon;
                    (C) renewable integration with an integrated energy 
                system; and
                    (D) conversion of carbon feedstock, such as coal, 
                biomass, natural gas, and refuse waste, to higher value 
                nonelectric commodities;
            (7) the development of new analysis capabilities to 
        identify the best ways--
                    (A) to leverage multiple energy sources in a given 
                region; and
                    (B) to quantify the benefits of integrated energy 
                systems; and
            (8) any other area that, as determined by the Secretary, 
        meets the purpose and goals of the program.
    (d) Grants.--The Secretary may award grants under the program to 
support the goals of the program.

SEC. 3. REPORT ON DUPLICATIVE PROGRAMS.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and 
annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report 
identifying any program that is duplicative of the program established 
under section 2(b)(1).

SEC. 4. LIGHT WATER REACTOR SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM.

    Section 952 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16272) is 
amended by striking subsection (b) and inserting the following:
    ``(b) Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program.--The Secretary 
shall carry out a light water reactor sustainability program--
            ``(1) to ensure the achievement of maximum benefits from 
        existing nuclear generation;
            ``(2) to accommodate the increase in applications for 
        nuclear power plant license renewals expected as of the date of 
        enactment of this subsection;
            ``(3) to enable the continued operation of existing nuclear 
        power plants through technology development;
            ``(4) to improve the performance and reduce the operation 
        and maintenance costs of nuclear power plants;
            ``(5) to promote the use of high-performance computing to 
        simulate nuclear reactor processes;
            ``(6) to coordinate with other research and development 
        programs of the Office of Nuclear Energy to ensure that 
        developed technologies and capabilities are part of an 
        integrated investment strategy, the overall focus of which is 
        improving the safety, security, reliability, and economics of 
        operating nuclear power plants; and
            ``(7) to focus on--
                    ``(A) new capabilities relating to nuclear energy 
                research and development;
                    ``(B) enabling technologies beyond individual 
                programs;
                    ``(C) coordinating capabilities among the research 
                and development programs of the Office of Nuclear 
                Energy;
                    ``(D) examining new classes of materials not 
                considered for nuclear applications;
                    ``(E) high-risk research, which could potentially 
                overcome technological limitations; and
                    ``(F) the potential for industry partnerships to 
                develop technologies relating to storage, hydrogen 
                production, high-temperature process heat, and other 
                relevant areas.''.

SEC. 5. NUCLEAR ENERGY STRATEGIC PLAN.

    (a) In General.--Subtitle E of title IX of the Energy Policy Act of 
2005 (42 U.S.C. 16271 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``SEC. 959A. NUCLEAR ENERGY STRATEGIC PLAN.

    ``(a) In General.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on 
Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committees on Energy 
and Commerce and Science, Space, and Technology of the House of 
Representatives a 10-year strategic plan for the Office of Nuclear 
Energy of the Department, in accordance with this section.
    ``(b) Requirements.--In developing the strategic plan under this 
section, the Secretary shall specify expected timelines for, as 
applicable--
            ``(1) the accomplishment of relevant objectives under 
        current programs of the Department; or
            ``(2) the commencement of new programs to accomplish those 
        objectives.
    ``(c) Updates.--Not less frequently than once every 2 years, the 
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
of the Senate and the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Science, 
Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives an updated 10-
year strategic plan in accordance with subsection (b), which shall 
identify, and provide a justification for, any major deviation from a 
previous strategic plan submitted under this section.''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--Section 1(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 
2005 (42 U.S.C. 15801 note) is amended in the table of contents by 
inserting after the item relating to section 959 the following:

``Sec. 959A. Nuclear energy strategic plan.''.
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