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Today, Congressman Bob Latta (R-OH5) joined Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-SC3) and members of the subcommittee for a hearing entitled “American Nuclear Energy Expansion: Powering a Clean and Secure Future.” 

The hearing focused on shoring up domestic nuclear energy production, including Latta’s legislation – the Nuclear Fuel Security Act – which would establish and expand critical U.S. nuclear fuel programs to boost domestic uranium mining, production, enrichment, and conversion capacity. Latta introduced the Nuclear Fuel Security Act earlier this year and is the companion to legislation introduced by Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), John Barrasso (R-WY), and Jim Risch (R-ID).

“I have long believed nuclear energy can be a game-changer for the American people and our nation’s energy sector,” Latta said. “Increasing domestic nuclear energy production would expand job opportunities and strengthen our economy, all the while meeting the energy needs of the American people and reducing carbon emissions. And to avoid threats to the U.S. nuclear energy supply chain, we must reinvest in the nuclear fuel space right here at home. That is why I’ve introduced bicameral legislation – the Nuclear Fuels Security Act – to build up programs that will allow the United States to produce and stockpile our own source of nuclear fuel, which will provide the certainty needed for our nuclear industry to grow. I’m pleased our subcommittee today is continuing to take an ‘all-of-the-above’ energy approach, and I look forward to advancing solutions that invest in our nuclear energy capabilities.”

Click on the video below, or here, to view Latta’s remarks and line of questioning. 

Latta and members of the Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee heard from the following witnesses:

Armond Cohen, Executive Director, Clean Air Task Force

Jeremy Harrell, Board of Directors Chair, U.S. Nuclear Industry Council, and Chief Strategy Officer, ClearPath

Regis Repko, Senior Vice President, Generation and Transmission Strategy, Duke Energy

Jess C. Gehin, Ph.D., Associate Laboratory Director, Nuclear Science and Technology, Idaho National Laboratory

Background on Latta’s Nuclear Fuel Security Act:

• Establishes the Nuclear Fuel Security Program to increase the quantity of low-enriched uranium and high-assay, low-enriched uranium produced by U.S. nuclear energy companies,
• Expands the American Assured Fuel Supply Program to ensure the availability of domestically produced, converted, and enriched uranium in the event of a supply disruption, and
• Establishes the HALEU for Advanced Nuclear Reactor Demonstration Projects Program.

 

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