[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 64 (Wednesday, May 11, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H3164]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF NEW NUCLEAR REACTOR TECHNOLOGIES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Altmire) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ALTMIRE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of legislation I 
introduced to encourage the development of a vital component to the 
next generation of nuclear reactors that will provide clean, domestic 
energy solutions for all Americans.
  The Department of Energy initiated the Nuclear Power 2010 Program in 
February 2002 as a joint public-private program to develop advanced 
reactor technologies and encourage the private sector to build new 
nuclear power plants in the United States. My legislation, the Nuclear 
Power 2021 Act, applies the Nuclear Power 2010 model to small modular 
reactors. Under the bill, the Department of Energy would be able to 
enter into public-private partnerships to design and license two small 
modular reactors by the year 2021.
  As my colleagues may know, today's traditional larger reactors range 
from 1,000 to 1,700 megawatts and cost between $5 billion and $10 
billion to construct. In contrast, small modular reactors generate 10 
to 300 megawatts and cost about $750 million to construct. These small 
reactors offer several advantages to large reactors in certain 
situations, including shorter construction times, increased safety 
controls, and electricity generation. While large reactors are built on 
a future generation site, a process that can take up to 5 years, 
smaller reactors can be manufactured in modular pieces in factories and 
transported by rail or truck, cutting construction times in half. Small 
reactors can also be completely manufactured and fueled in a factory. 
They can be sealed and shipped to the site for power generation, and 
after use, they can be shipped back to the factory for defueling, 
minimizing the potential spread of nuclear material.
  Additionally, small modular reactors produce a small nuclear reaction 
which generates less heat, making them easier to shut down in the event 
of a malfunction. Another advantage of small modular reactors is that, 
unlike large reactors, they can generate power in any location. While 
large reactors require millions of gallons of water per day for cooling 
and must be located near large water sources, small reactors can be 
water-cooled or air-cooled. This technology could open up new parts of 
the country to nuclear development, such as the arid West and locations 
that cannot support larger capacity generation, such as isolated rural 
areas or regions with smaller grids.
  Unfortunately, development and deployment of new nuclear reactor 
technologies can currently take upwards of two decades. Time and 
resources are limited for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to develop 
the institutional capacity to license new reactor designs, and 
traditional public-private partnerships are often insufficient to 
mitigate the business risk of bringing small modular reactors to 
market. This is why I believe this legislation is crucial for 
developing this all-American technology that could help us lead the 
world in electricity innovation and generation. I encourage my 
colleagues to join me in making America more energy independent, 
creating good-paying American jobs, and working toward the future of 
clean energy generation by cosponsoring the Nuclear Power 2021 Act.

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