Bob Latta: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise today in support of H.R. 4979, the Advanced Nuclear Technology Development…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. I rise today in support of H.R. 4979, the Advanced Nuclear Technology Development Act of 2016, which I introduced with Congressman McNerney earlier this year. We are very excited the bill received unanimous support of the full Energy and Commerce Committee. The next generation of the nuclear industry needs to start now, with Congress ensuring that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is able to provide the certainty that the private sector needs to invest in innovative technologies. Nuclear power is currently 20 percent of our national energy portfolio, and it must remain a vital part of our energy mix. As the United States looks to the future, more energy will be needed, and nuclear power provides a reliable, clean baseload power option, currently providing approximately 63 percent of total carbon-free energy. It is imperative that we develop the right regulatory framework so advanced nuclear technologies can be developed, licensed, and constructed here in the United States. If we miss the opportunity to establish a safe, predictable regulatory framework for these technologies, private innovators and entrepreneurs will take their investment and scientists to our competitors in the global market. H.R. 4979 requires that NRC establish a regulatory framework for issuing licenses for advanced nuclear reactor technology and also requires that NRC submit a schedule for implementation of the framework by 2019.…”