A revolutionary nuclear energy bill recently passed the United States Senate with nearly unanimous bipartisan support in a crucial step toward energy security and economic growth.
As detailed by HuffPost in June, the U.S. Senate approved the ADVANCE Act by a vote of 88-2 after a version of the bill passed the House with overwhelming support the previous month. The legislation, whose acronym stands for "Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy," aims to incentivize the development of the nuclear industry.
On July 9, the White House announced that President Joe Biden had signed the ADVANCE Act into law, empowering the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in its mission to bring the benefits of reliable and affordable nuclear power to Americans while safeguarding the environment for future generations by aiding the transition to low-carbon electricity.
The act has been hailed as the most important piece of climate legislation since the Inflation Reduction Act, which has allocated thousands of dollars for Americans to make energy-efficient, money-saving upgrades to their homes and appliances.
"The ADVANCE Act [is] a significant, bipartisan win for American innovation," National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi said in a statement. "This law strengthens our nation's leadership in civilian nuclear energy and accelerates the deployment of those technologies … without diminishing the utmost importance of the [NRC's] work to protect people, communities, and the environment."
In addition to making it easier for the NRC to hire and retain top-tier scientific and engineering talent, the act modernizes the regulatory framework to help keep the U.S. competitive with other nations with robust nuclear programs, including Russia, China, and the United Arab Emirates.
"This is a huge win for our climate, economic, and energy security goals," Breakthrough Energy policy manager Farah Benahmed told HuffPost.
According to Pew Research Center data, the bipartisan support for the bill isn't at odds with what much of the American public desires. A recent survey found that nearly 60% of U.S. adults want to add more nuclear energy to the grid.
Whereas toxic pollution from dirty fuels has been linked to cancer, respiratory disease, and other illnesses, contributing to millions of premature deaths annually, nuclear power results only in the generation of clean water vapor.
And while solar and wind should continue to be a growing part of revamping an aging U.S. grid that still primarily relies on expensive dirty fuels (the main cause of rising global temperatures), both renewables require energy storage systems to ensure a reliable flow of power — unlike nuclear, which can run 24/7 regardless of weather conditions or time of day.
"Today is a momentous day for our climate and America's clean energy future," Environment & Public Works chairman Tom Carper said in a statement for the committee. "The urgency of the climate crisis demands a swift transition to cleaner energy sources, and fortunately the ADVANCE Act helps us to do just that. This bipartisan law will strengthen our energy and national security, lower greenhouse gas emissions and create thousands of new jobs, while ensuring the continued safety of this zero-emissions energy source."
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