INFRASTRUCTURE
Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Passes Senate, Includes Nuclear Tax Credits
ECA Staff | 8/11/2021
On Tuesday, August 10, the Senate passed a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure bill aimed at improving the nation’s infrastructure and delivering on key portions of the Biden administration’s agenda. The Democrats were joined by 19 Republican colleagues in the 69-30 vote that passed the bipartisan legislation on to the House.
Included in the bill’s spending is $6 billion for tax credits for existing nuclear plants. This financial credit program for civil nuclear power plants was championed by co-sponsors Reps. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) and Mike Doyle (D-PA). On August 6, the bipartisan pair introduced the Preserving Existing Nuclear Energy Generation Act (H.R. 4960) to the House. The bill served as “the House companion to certain provisions found in a Senate proposal…which was subsequently included in the Senate infrastructure package,” according to Rep. Kinzinger’s website.
According to Rep. Kinzinger, the credit program included in the infrastructure bill will “help save nuclear plants that are on the chopping block by providing financial credits through the Department of Energy. It would also help the local communities most impacted by these closures by providing resources to preserve essential services.” Rep. Doyle noted that the tax credits “ensure that nuclear power
plants, which are not only vital in the fight against climate change, but provide good paying jobs in their communities for decades, can continue to provide clean energy.”
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NATIONAL CLEANUP WORKSHOP
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"CAPITALIZING ON A NEW ERA OF CLEANUP SUCCESS"
September 8-10, 2021
Hilton Alexandria Mark Center
Alexandria, Virginia
Join more than 700 attendees, including senior DOE officials, Congressional leaders, DOE contractors, and state, tribal and local government leaders for the largest EM-focused gathering in the D.C. area.
Scheduled sessions at this year's workshop include:
- A New Era for EM Cleanup
- Insights from Congress
- The Next Phase of EM Success
- Partnering with DOE on Priority Issues: Environmental Justice, Cleanup Engagement and Clean Energy Production
- Upcoming EM Acquisition Plans and Schedule
- Roundtable: Lessons Learned and Improving Project Performance
- Legislative Challenges and Opportunities for the EM Program
- Roundtable: The Future of Disposal
- The Future of the EM Workforce
- Roundtable: DOE Field Office Managers
- Congressional Staff Perspective
- Entering a New Era for Hanford Tank Waste
NUCLEAR ENERGY
Nuclear is Necessary for Combatting Climate Change, UN Report Finds
ECA Staff | 8/11/2021
Earlier this week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations body for assessing science related to climate change, released its Sixth Assessment Report addressing “the most up-to-date physical understanding of the climate system and climate change.” Major findings of the report include a greater
comprehension of the linkage between climate change and extreme weather events, the damaging effects of methane pollution in the atmosphere, and the conclusion that the world will most likely reach or exceed the 1.5 degrees C of warming warned as being the threshold for irreversible and severe impacts of climate change. However, the report also states that ambitious emissions reductions efforts can help prevent this level of warming.
Days after the IPCC report was released, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) published a document detailing a method it deemed necessary for avoiding the worst impacts of climate change: nuclear power. According to the brief, “the world’s climate objectives
will not be met if nuclear technologies are excluded.” The report went on to describe nuclear power as an important source of low-carbon electricity, which has played a “major role in avoiding carbon dioxide missions to date.” The UNECE document touted the importance of newly-evolving technologies “including small modular reactors (SMRs) and advanced reactor technologies.”
Among its key takeaways, the report urged policymakers to “provide positive, long-term policy signals for new nuclear development; accelerate the development and deployment of SMRs and advanced reactor technologies; secure the long-term operation of existing nuclear plants; and assess the merits of low-cost financing of nuclear power projects.”
REGULATION AND OVERSIGHT
NUCLEAR SECURITY
NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Nov. 16-18, 2021 Intergovernmental Meeting; Nashville, TN
Read about DOE's High Level Waste Interpretation
Have questions about DOE’s recent high-level waste (HLW) interpretation? Download ECA’s Key Points and FAQs on the issue to better understand what ECA believes are the potential benefits of implementation.
Interested in learning more? Read the ECA report “Making Informed Decisions on DOE's Proposed High Level Waste Definition” at www.energyca.org/publications
Stay Current on Activities in the DOE World
Read the latest edition of the ECA Bulletin, a regular newsletter providing a detailed brief of ECA activities, legislative news, and major events from across the DOE complex. Have suggestions for future editions? Email bulletin@energyca.org.
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Learn More about Cleanup Sites with ECA's DOE Site Profiles
ECA's new site profiles detail DOE's 13 active Environmental Management cleanup sites and national laboratories, highlighting their history, missions, and priorities. The profiles are a key source for media, stakeholders, and the public to learn more about DOE site activities, contractors, advisory boards, and their surrounding local
governments.
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