[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 28 (Tuesday, February 13, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H1094-H1095]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NUCLEAR ENERGY RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE ACT OF 2018
Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (H.R. 4378) to direct the Secretary of Energy to carry out the
construction of a versatile reactor-based fast neutron source, and for
other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4378
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Nuclear Energy Research
Infrastructure Act of 2018''.
SEC. 2. VERSATILE NEUTRON SOURCE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy shall provide for
a versatile reactor-based fast neutron source, which shall
operate as a national user facility. The Secretary shall
consult with the private sector, universities, National
Laboratories, and relevant Federal agencies to ensure that
the versatile neutron source is capable of meeting Federal
research needs for neutron irradiation services.
(b) Facility Capabilities.--
(1) Capabilities.--The Secretary shall ensure that the
facility described in subsection (a) will provide, at a
minimum, the following capabilities:
(A) Fast neutron spectrum irradiation capability.
(B) Capacity for upgrades to accommodate new or expanded
research needs.
(2) Considerations.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the
Secretary shall consider the following:
(A) Capabilities that support experimental high-temperature
testing.
(B) Providing a source of fast neutrons at a neutron flux
higher than that at which existing research facilities
operate, sufficient to enable research for an optimal base of
prospective users.
(C) Maximizing irradiation flexibility and irradiation
volume to accommodate as many concurrent users as possible.
(D) Capabilities for irradiation with neutrons of a lower
energy spectrum.
(E) Multiple loops for fuels and materials testing of
different coolants.
(F) Capabilities that support irradiating and processing
targets for isotope production.
(G) Additional pre-irradiation and post-irradiation
examination capabilities.
(H) Lifetime operating costs and lifecycle costs.
(c) Start of Operations.--The Secretary shall, to the
maximum extent practicable, ensure that the start of full
operations of the facility under this section occurs before
December 31, 2025.
(d) Funding.--There are authorized to be appropriated to
the Secretary for the Office of Nuclear Energy to carry out
to completion the construction of the facility under this
section--
(1) $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2018;
(2) $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2019;
(3) $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2020;
(4) $260,000,000 for fiscal year 2021;
(5) $340,000,000 for fiscal year 2022;
(6) $350,000,000 for fiscal year 2023;
(7) $350,000,000 for fiscal year 2024; and
(8) $350,000,000 for fiscal year 2025.
SEC. 3. SPENDING LIMITATION.
No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to
carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act, and
this Act and such amendments shall be carried out using
amounts otherwise available for such purpose.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Weber) and the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Eddie Bernice
Johnson) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 4378, the bill
now under consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4378, the Nuclear Energy
Research Infrastructure Act of 2018.
Over the past 3 years, the Science, Space, and Technology Committee
has held hearings, met with stakeholders, and worked extensively with
our colleagues in the Senate to draft the Nuclear Energy Innovation
Capabilities Act, the precursor to today's bill.
This comprehensive, bipartisan authorization bill directed the
Department of Energy--DOE--to invest in supercomputing capabilities,
created a framework for DOE to partner with the private sector to host
prototype development for advanced reactors, and laid out a clear
timeline and parameters for the DOE to build that research reactor.
Mr. Speaker, this bill passed the House three times last Congress,
and passed the House again in January as a part of H.R. 589, known as
the DOE Research and Innovation Act.
The research reactor, or Versatile Neutron Source, authorized in that
bill, Mr. Speaker, is crucial for the development of advanced reactor
designs, materials, and nuclear fuels. This type of research requires
access to fast neutrons, which are currently only available for
civilian research in Russia.
{time} 1700
While modeling and simulation can accelerate R&D, nuclear energy
research must be validated through a physical source, Mr. Speaker, like
a reactor. The bill which we will consider today, H.R. 4378, the
Nuclear Energy Research Infrastructure Act, authorizes specific funding
from within the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy for the construction of
that versatile neutron source.
[[Page H1095]]
Building this open-access user facility in the DOE national lab
system will facilitate nuclear energy research in the United States.
The access to fast neutrons that this reactor provides can support
private sector development of the next generation materials and fuels
needed for advanced nuclear reactor technology.
The versatile neutron source will also enable the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission to verify data on new fuels, materials, and designs more
efficiently, which will expedite regulatory approval for those advanced
nuclear reactors. Without this user facility, Mr. Speaker, this
research simply will not take place, and we cannot afford to lose the
ability to develop an innovative nuclear technology right here at home.
This bill will also help maintain America's capability to influence
security and proliferation standards around the world by maintaining
cutting-edge nuclear science.
Mr. Speaker, as more developing nations look to nuclear energy to
grow their economies, our role in protecting nuclear technology grows.
By building this user facility, we will fortify the U.S. commitment to
safely advancing nuclear energy. H.R. 4378 is a commonsense bill. It
will maintain American leadership in nuclear power.
I want to thank Ranking Member Johnson and Chairman Smith for
cosponsoring this important legislation and for their leadership in
advocating for nuclear energy research and development. I am very
grateful for the opportunity to work with my fellow Texans to guide
research that will keep America not only safe, but globally
competitive.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4378, the Nuclear Energy
Research Infrastructure Act, and I am pleased to cosponsor this bill.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation marks another accomplishment in our
committee's strong bipartisan effort to support the development of
advanced nuclear energy technologies.
Today, nuclear power plays a vital role in providing our country with
clean, reliable energy; but there are currently technical, economic,
and policy challenges that prevent this resource from playing a larger
role in enabling our clean energy future. This bill, the Nuclear Energy
Research Infrastructure Act, would help address these challenges.
It expands on a provision included in another bill that I cosponsored
with Mr. Weber and the chairman, H.R. 431, the Nuclear Energy
Innovation Capabilities Act, which passed the House early last year on
a voice vote as part of yet another bill that I cosponsored with these
two gentlemen, H.R. 589, the Department of Energy Research and
Innovation Act.
The bill before us today would provide the Department of Energy with
the direction and funding it needs to create a national user facility
with critical capabilities to enable the development of a wide range of
advanced nuclear energy concepts here in the United States.
I am hopeful that, if we provide our scientists and industry leaders
with the right tools, they can fulfill the promise of clean nuclear
energy that is significantly safer, less expensive, more efficient, and
produces less waste than the current fleet of reactors.
Mr. Speaker, I also strongly support the inclusion of explicit
funding levels as part of this authorization. Providing the Department
and congressional appropriators with a funding profile for research
activities and projects is a crucial responsibility in our role as the
authorizing committee.
In particular, it helps ensure that the construction of cutting-edge
research facilities like this one have the resources they need to be
completed on time and on budget, thus, making sure that the U.S.
taxpayers who are footing these bills are getting the most value of
their hard-earned dollars.
Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this bipartisan
bill, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on
both sides of the aisle as we strive to strengthen America's research
enterprise across the board.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct honor to yield 3
minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Smith), the chairman of the
full Science, Space, and Technology Committee.
Mr. SMITH of Texas. Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me thank the
gentleman from Texas, the chairman of the Energy Subcommittee,
Representative Randy Weber, for yielding me time on his bill, which is
H.R. 4378, the Nuclear Energy Research Infrastructure Act.
H.R. 4378, cosponsored by full committee Ranking Member Eddie Bernice
Johnson, Energy Subcommittee Vice Chairman Steve Knight, Representative
Dan Lipinski, and Representative Randy Hultgren, authorizes funds
within the DOE Nuclear Energy budget to construct their versatile
neutron source, a DOE fast neutron user facility that will facilitate
the development of the next generation of nuclear reactors by the
private sector.
This legislation builds on and implements Chairman Weber's Nuclear
Energy Innovation Capabilities Act, which passed the House three times
with bipartisan support in the last Congress.
Advanced nuclear reactor technology provides the best opportunity to
make reliable, emission-free electricity available throughout the
industrial and developing world. This user facility will ensure that
U.S. companies develop critical advanced reactor technology here in the
United States.
Today, the only source of fast neutrons available for civilian
research is in Russia, making it impossible for American entrepreneurs
to conduct the testing and validation needed to deploy commercial
advanced reactors.
America must also maintain our edge in nuclear science in order to
influence global nonproliferation standards. The user facility
authorized in this legislation will ensure the next generation of
nuclear technology is safely developed here at home. This allows
America to export nuclear technology which helps prevent civilian
nuclear energy technology from being misused for weapons development
overseas.
I want to thank this bill's cosponsors, Chairman Weber and Ranking
Member Johnson, for their longstanding support of nuclear energy
innovation and commitment to ensure that we have the best nuclear
research facilities.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. It is
a bipartisan piece of legislation.
Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of
the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4378 is vital to ensuring America's leadership in
nuclear innovation. By harnessing the unique expertise of our Nation's
national labs, the private sector can take the lead in developing
groundbreaking advanced nuclear technology.
I especially want to thank my colleagues on the Science, Space, and
Technology Committee who have cosponsored H.R. 4378, including Chairman
Lamar Smith, Representative Dan Lipinski, Representative Steve Knight,
and Representative Randy Hultgren. I also want to thank the dozens of
researchers and stakeholders who have provided feedback as we developed
this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this commonsense, bipartisan
legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Tipton). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Weber) that the House suspend
the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4378, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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