Sens. Scott and Coons Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Speed Up Nuclear Power Plant Approvals
This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process. It was recently sent to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works for review. There are no upcoming votes scheduled at this time.
The bill has strong bipartisan support and addresses a popular goal of increasing clean energy, but it still needs to pass through a busy committee.
This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.
Scores run from -100 (strongly harmful) to +100 (strongly beneficial) for each group, combining impact, certainty, scope, and duration ratings of 1-5. How impact scoring works
Small companies developing advanced nuclear reactor technology could see faster and cheaper licensing timelines. The shift from mandatory formal hearings to optional informal proceedings reduces legal costs and delays that have historically made it very difficult for smaller firms to enter the nuclear energy market.
“The Commission shall use informal adjudicatory procedures for any hearing held by the Commission pursuant to this subparagraph.”
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Congressional fellows discussed working on the Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act, which allows the NRC to skip public licensing hearings when no one requests them. Former NRC Chair David Wright requested this change during 2025 testimony to save thousands of hours of preparation time.
Senators Tim Scott and Chris Coons introduced the Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act to remove the NRC's mandatory hearing requirement for uncontested applications. The bill seeks to eliminate 'burdensome red tape' that currently requires hearings even when no public concerns are raised.
Lawmakers behind the Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act are seeking to attach the measure to broader energy packages. The bill would end the requirement for the NRC to hold a public hearing on every reactor license application, a process that can add months to project timelines.
No votes recorded for this bill yet.
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act
Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.