The House Energy and Commerce Committee advanced two energy bills this week that aim to help states implement new federal ozone standards and develop advanced nuclear-reactor technology.
The committee approved HR 4775, the Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2016, and HR 4979, the Advanced Nuclear Technology Development Act of 2016.
“State after state is telling us what we already know,” U.S. Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX), vice chairman of the committee, said. Olson wrote HR 4775. “The Clean Air Act is hugely important, but it’s also imperfect. This bill is not about changing the fundamentals of the Clean Air Act. This bill recognizes a simple fact: States and EPA need more time,” Olson said. “Ozone levels continue to trend in the right direction. My bill simply provides needed flexibility so that states and localities can achieve new, lower standards with time for compliance.”
The bill specifically gives states more flexibility and time to implement new federal ozone standards, among other provisions, under the National Ambient Air Quality Standards program.
“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 63 percent of the total carbon free energy,” U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH), who introduced H.R. 4979 with Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA), said. “H.R. 4979 requires the NRC to establish a regulatory framework for issuing licenses for advanced nuclear technology and ensures the NRC provides the certainty the private-sector needs to continue to invest in innovative technologies.”
The bill would require the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to develop regulations that allow for the implementation of advanced nuclear reactors nationwide. The bill also would require the Energy Department and NRC to collaborate as needed to facilitate safe research and development of advanced nuclear technology.
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