'The Federal Government, Not Technology, Has Been In The Way': Burlison Slams Nuke Power Permitting

During a House Oversight Committee hearing in July, Rep. Eric Burlison (R-MO) spoke about permitting reform for nuclear power plants.

Transcript

00:00Welcome everyone to this hearing. Without objection, the chair may declare a recess at any time.

00:05I recognize myself for an opening statement.

00:09A new age for nuclear power has started, led by President Trump's four recent executive orders on nuclear energy

00:16and congressional action to reinvigorate the nuclear industry.

00:20President Trump's orders call for permitting reform and the reduction of overburdensome regulations

00:26from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which has become a slow-moving bureaucratic mess,

00:31constraining and delaying expansion of U.S. nuclear power deployment for decades.

00:36Under President Trump's orders, the NRC must rule on reactor license applications within 18 months,

00:43a dramatic shift from the ambiguous open-ended timelines of the past.

00:48President Trump's orders also promote expanding domestic mining, enrichment of uranium and other reactor fuels,

00:55and nuclear fuel recycling.

00:58These groundbreaking actions will power United States energy independence and provide a secure

01:03and reliable U.S. electrical grid, something that we must obtain as the AI revolution places surging demands

01:11on our electricity capacity.

01:15At the heart of nuclear power's resurgence are two key innovations, small and micro-modular reactors.

01:23These new reactors promise the U.S. will have a strong answer to future energy demands.

01:30They will be more capital-effective, more efficient, and more scalable for both on- and off-grid sites here in the United States.

01:37Moreover, they offer enhanced safety features, eliminate the risk of meltdowns,

01:43and can use recycled fuel from other reactors.

01:46The Department of Energy predicts that 12% of electricity consumption in the United States in the year 2028

01:52will come from data centers which require constant and consistent electricity.

01:59And the Energy Information Agency recently projected that the U.S. power consumption will reach all-time highs this year and next,

02:07in part due to AI and data center demand.

02:10Nuclear power is the answer to data centers' growing appetite for stable energy.

02:14I recently toured two prototype micro-modular reactors being developed here in the United States.

02:21I can confidently say the technology is ready.

02:25What is holding nuclear back is the onerous and capital-intensive regulatory permitting burden placed on nuclear energy expansion.

02:34Under the Trump administration, the federal government is waking up to the roadblock that nuclear power has faced for decades.

02:41The federal government, not technology, has been in the way.

02:45Congress should and will be watching for the fruits of the administration's actions

02:49and eager to cooperate in achieving this lasting change.

02:55Nuclear power in the age of SMRs and MMRs isn't just safe, it's essential.

03:01It is our best shot at securing clean, reliable American energy independence.

03:06And with that,