Bowling Green Today

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), a senior member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, released a statement following the passage of his bill, the Nuclear for Brownfields Site Preparation Act, by the U.S. Senate on Tuesday. The bill will now proceed to the President's desk for signing into law as part of the ADVANCE Act.

"I am proud to see my bill, the Nuclear for Brownfields Site Preparation Act, pass the United States Senate and head to the President’s desk to be signed into law," said Congressman Guthrie. "One of my key priorities as a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee is to make America energy independent again. This must be done through an all-of-the-above approach that embraces nuclear energy and makes use of our best resource, our dedicated energy workforce."

Guthrie highlighted recent challenges in the energy sector: "Unfortunately, due to Democrats' War on Coal, many coal-fired power plants have been forced to close in recent years. With recent increased regulation this will only continue; we must work to bring back this power generation and work to use the infrastructure currently in place to do so."

He emphasized the importance of utilizing existing resources: "It is crucial that both Kentucky and our nation make use of our dedicated energy workers to put us back on the path to energy dominance and lower energy costs. I urge President Biden to sign this bill into law and work to help our energy workers across the country."

The Nuclear for Brownfields Site Preparation Act directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to identify and report on regulations, guidance, or policies necessary for licensing nuclear facilities at brownfield sites and other locations with retired fossil fuel facilities. The NRC would evaluate how existing site infrastructure can be reused and consider early site permits, plant parameter envelopes, or standardized applications for similar sites.

Furthermore, the NRC is tasked with developing strategies through rulemaking processes to support nuclear facility licensing. This includes considerations related to emergency planning, environmental data reviews, decontamination and remediation efforts, community engagement initiatives, and historical experiences with energy use at these sites.