Senate bill introduced to reestablish U.S. leadership in nuclear energyNuclear NewsPower & OperationsNovember 24, 2020, 9:29AM|Nuclear News StaffBarrassoWhitehouseThe American Nuclear Infrastructure Act (ANIA), S. 4897, released as draft legislation in July and supported by a panel of energy experts at a Senate hearing in August, has been introduced in the Senate.The bipartisan bill—sponsored by Sen. John Barrasso (R., Wyo.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), and cosponsored by Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D., R.I.), Mike Crapo (R., Idaho), and Cory Booker (D., N.J.)—was introduced on November 16.ExpandTags:advanced nuclearamerican nuclear infrastructure actbarrassobookercapitocrapoenergy and natural resourcesenvironment and public worksmurkowskiuranium reservewhitehouseShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Nuclear champions make another push for NELANuclear NewsPower & OperationsOctober 22, 2020, 3:00PM|Nuclear News StaffMurkowskiLuriaSen. Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Rep. Elaine Luria (D., Va.), along with 29 of their colleagues, sent a letter last week to the chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, urging them to include the text of the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (NELA) in the final fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).Murkowski joined Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.) and 18 other lawmakers in a similar letter to the Senate Armed Service Committee earlier this year. Murkowski and Booker introduced NELA on September 6, 2018 (NN, Oct. 2018, p. 39).The House and Senate passed their respective versions of the NDAA in July, by votes of 295–125 and 86–14, respectively. (NELA provisions have been included in the Senate’s NDAA and in the House’s Clean Economy and Jobs Innovation Act.) Last month, speaking at the 2020 Defense News Conference, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R., Texas), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, said that the final House and Senate conference report on the NDAA should be coming out soon after the November election.ExpandTags:advanced nuclearbookerenergy and natural resources committeehaleumurkowskindaanelaShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Legislation to reduce Russian uranium imports introduced in SenateNuclear NewsPower & OperationsOctober 1, 2020, 9:29AM|Nuclear News StaffSens. John Barrasso (R., Wyo.) and Martin Heinrich (D., N.M.) on September 24 introduced S. 4694, the Russian Suspension Agreement Extension Act of 2020, designed to extend and expand limits on Russian uranium imports. The legislation—cosponsored by Sens. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.), Kevin Cramer (R., N.D.), Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.), Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.), Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska), and Jim Risch (R., Idaho)—has been referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.ExpandTags:barrassocommittee on energy and natural resourcesgrahamheinrichmanchinmurkowskinuclear fuel working grouprischShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Advanced nuclear to be a focus of reopened Arctic Energy OfficeNuclear NewsPower & OperationsSeptember 29, 2020, 3:00PM|Nuclear News StaffThe Department of Energy has announced the reestablishment of the Arctic Energy Office (AEO), to be located on the campus of the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The AEO was originally established in 2001 but failed to receive sufficient funding. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette had pledged to reopen the office by the close of the current federal fiscal year.The focus of the AEO, according to the DOE, will include international cooperation on Arctic issues, research on methane hydrates, and the development of advanced microgrids and nuclear power systems, such as small modular reactors.ExpandTags:brouillettemenezesmurkowskismall modular reactorsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Menezes confirmed as deputy energy secretaryNuclear NewsPower & OperationsAugust 6, 2020, 7:43AM|Nuclear News StaffMenezesIn a bipartisan 79–16 vote, the Senate on August 4 confirmed Mark W. Menezes to be the nation’s deputy secretary of energy. Prior to his confirmation, Menezes had served as undersecretary of energy to both Secretary Dan Brouillette and his predecessor, Rick Perry. An official swearing-in ceremony will take place at a later time.Before joining the Trump administration in 2017, Menezes was an executive with Berkshire Hathaway Energy. He has also worked on Capitol Hill as chief counsel for energy and environment for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, where he served as chief negotiator for the House majority in the enactment of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.ExpandTags:brouilletteenergy and natural resources committeemurkowskiperryShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Senate passes defense bill with advanced nuclear provisionsNuclear NewsPower & OperationsJuly 27, 2020, 7:07AM|Nuclear News StaffIn an 86 to 14 vote, the Senate on July 23 passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021, incorporating by amendment S. 903, the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (NELA). The House of Representatives passed its version of the NDAA, which supports $740 billion in funding for national defense, earlier in the week in a less bipartisan manner, 295 to 125. Members of both chambers will now begin negotiations to hammer out a final bill to send to the president—a process that could take months.ExpandTags:advanced reactorsbookercrapohaleumurkowskinelarischversatile test reactorShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Murkowski, Manchin make case for AEIANuclear NewsPower & OperationsJuly 2, 2020, 2:01PM|Nuclear News StaffU.S. Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.), the committee’s ranking member, put their rhetorical skills to the test earlier this week as the two urged colleagues to pass the American Energy Innovation Act (AEIA), a comprehensive piece of energy policy legislation introduced by the bipartisan pair in late February (NN, Apr. 2020, p. 14). ExpandTags:aeiaenergy and natural resources committeemanchinmurkowskiShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Lawmakers call for inclusion of nuclear in defense billNuclear NewsPower & OperationsJune 26, 2020, 11:09AM|Nuclear News StaffMurkowskiBookerA bipartisan group of 20 senators sent a letter last week to Sens. James Inhofe (R., Okla.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Jack Reed (D., R.I.), the committee’s ranking member, urging the inclusion of S. 903, the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act (NELA), in S. 4049, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021. The letter was spearheaded by Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska), chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Cory Booker, (D., N.J.). Murkowski and Booker introduced NELA on September 6, 2018 (NN, Oct. 2018, p. 39).ExpandTags:bookermurkowskinelarischShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Bill introduced to protect critical electric infrastructureNuclear NewsPower & OperationsMay 18, 2020, 9:54AM|Nuclear News StaffSens. Lisa Murkowski (R., Alaska) and James Risch (R., Idaho) have introduced legislation to bolster safeguards for U.S. critical electric infrastructure. Dubbed the Energy Infrastructure Protection Act, the bill updates provisions in the Federal Power Act and restricts federal disclosures of certain sensitive energy information.ExpandTags:doefercmurkowskirischShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook