The Senate just passed a critical clean energy bill to pave the way for more nuclear

Ella Nilsen, CNN

(CNN) — Democrats and Republicans successful a bitterly divided Congress tin work together connected 1 thing: nan US needs much nuclear to power America’s quickly increasing power appetite — and fast.

The Senate overwhelmingly approved a major measure Tuesday nighttime to make it easier, cheaper and faster to licence and build caller atomic reactors. The ADVANCE Act, which passed pinch conscionable 2 senators voting no, now heads to Biden’s table for signing, which he is expected to do.

The measure represents 1 of nan astir important actions Congress has taken to beforehand cleanable power since Democrats narrowly passed nan Inflation Reduction Act almost 2 years ago. And it comes arsenic nan US tries to revive an aging atomic power manufacture astatine location and bolster cutting-edge technologies abroad.

“In a awesome triumph for our ambiance and American power security, nan U.S. Senate has passed nan ADVANCE Act pinch overwhelming, bipartisan support,” Democratic Sen. Tom Carper, nan chair of nan Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee, said successful a statement.

The measure useful to bring down costs for developers by streamlining nan permitting process — cutting fees and speeding support times — and spurs much improvement of new-wave projects, for illustration mini modular atomic reactors.

It besides incentivizes deploying precocious American atomic technologies overseas, arsenic nan US competes pinch Russia and China for world atomic power dominance.

But nan measure could besides beryllium a boon for big, accepted atomic reactors, which dress up each of nan existent US fleet. Georgia Power precocious brought 2 caller ample reactors online; together, Vogtle Plant units 3 and 4 correspond nan largest cleanable power generator successful nan nation, according to nan utility. They were nan only ample reactors to beryllium built successful nan US successful nan past 3 decades.

High costs and delayed building dogged nan Vogtle project, which came online years down schedule and costs astir $35 cardinal – much than double its original fund of $14 billion.

The Bill Gates-backed TerraPower project successful Wyoming is trying thing different: It recently collapsed crushed and began building connected smaller, cheaper reactors — nan precocious exertion nan manufacture believes will beryllium nan early of atomic energy. But TerraPower is still waiting for its creation to beryllium approved by nan Nuclear Regulatory Commission, thing nan caller measure could thief velocity up. TerraPower is expected to beryllium built by 2030 astatine nan earliest.

While mini reactors supply little power — typically a 3rd of a accepted works — they require little abstraction and tin truthful beryllium built successful much places. They are made up of smaller parts than accepted reactors, and experts person likened nan exertion to flat-pack furnishings — nan components are developed elsewhere, past shipped and assembled on-site.

And nuclear, which has faced past guidance for its radioactive discarded and high-profile reactor disasters successful Fukushima and Chernobyl, is starting to beryllium embraced by some Democrats and Republicans connected Capitol Hill. Congress passed different bills earlier this twelvemonth to thief precocious atomic projects procure nan substance they request and banning imports of Russian uranium for US projects.

Many Democrats for illustration atomic for its zero-carbon electricity, while Republicans constituent to its expertise to supply dependable baseload power, seen arsenic a reliable backstop to much intermittent upwind and solar. It tin besides beryllium utilized for dense industry, for illustration steelmaking, which renewables can’t power.

“Congress worked together to admit nan value of atomic power to America’s early and sewage nan occupation done,” said Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, nan ranking personnel connected nan Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.