[News Terms] US Biden Signs 'Nuclear Power Plant Deployment Acceleration Act'

"Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Creating New Jobs"
The Hill "Concerns About Nuclear Power Plant Safety"

A bipartisan law aimed at accelerating the expansion of nuclear power, including shortening the approval process for nuclear power plants, has been enacted in the United States.

Tom Carper (Democrat-Delaware), chairman of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, announced on the committee's website on the 9th (local time) that President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan 'Accelerating Deployment of Nuclear Power Act (ADVANCE Act)' on the same day.

U.S. President Joe Biden.
Photo by AP/ Yonhap News

The 'Accelerating Deployment of Nuclear Power Act (ADVANCE Act)' is a law enacted to promote the construction of nuclear power plants in the United States, encourage technological innovation, and strengthen the competitiveness of the nuclear power industry. It was established as part of efforts to recognize the importance of nuclear power and secure clean and stable electricity supply through it.

The law provides financial support necessary for new nuclear power plant construction, including federal government guarantees, tax incentives, and research and development funding. It also supports streamlining the approval process to shorten construction time and reduce costs, promotes technological innovation in the nuclear industry, and supports education and workforce development programs to address labor supply in the nuclear sector. However, all nuclear power plant construction must strictly comply with safety and environmental regulations, and measures to strengthen these are also included.

The U.S. political media outlet The Hill reported on the same day, "The law is expected to shorten the approval schedule for new nuclear power plants and reduce fees that nuclear companies must pay for this purpose," adding, "The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) must prepare a report considering ways to simplify and shorten the reactor environmental review process."

President Biden also announced this fact in a social media post, stating, "It will help provide clean nuclear power and good jobs." Lawmakers said, "Although this law is controversial in the nuclear sector, it will help transition to climate-friendly energy sources."

Carper described the day as "a monumental day for our climate and America's clean energy future." He added, "The climate crisis demands a rapid transition to cleaner energy sources," and "(this law) will support that transition."

He further stated, "The bipartisan law will strengthen our energy and national security, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and create numerous new jobs."

However, The Hill noted, "There are also people raising concerns about nuclear safety issues and nuclear waste related to this legislation," reporting that Michigan Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib sent a statement to The Hill last month saying it included "a poison that undermines nuclear safety." It also explained that some critics expressed concerns about provisions that change the NRC's mission to prevent unnecessary restrictions on nuclear power.

The Biden administration, which has made 'environmental friendliness' a key national policy, is increasingly turning to nuclear power as a safe clean energy source, judging that wind and solar power alone have limitations amid rapidly rising electricity demand due to data center expansion and manufacturing revival.

Jennifer Granholm, Secretary of Energy, said during a visit to Vogtle Nuclear Power Plant Unit 4 in Waynesboro, Georgia, in May, "To achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the U.S. must at least triple its nuclear power capacity."