SE Georgia News

Congressman Rick W. Allen recently announced his Nuclear Licensing Efficiency Act in Washington, a proposed legislation aimed at modernizing and streamlining the approval process for U.S. nuclear projects. The initiative seeks to address challenges in licensing procedures, emphasizing efficiency and timeliness in the pursuit of bolstering the country's clean energy initiatives.

"An all-of-the-above strategy is critical to reclaiming American energy dominance, and as the nation’s largest source of clean energy, nuclear has a pivotal role to play. With the first two new nuclear reactors built in over three decades in the United States located at Plant Vogtle, Georgia’s 12th District is leading our nation’s nuclear future. However, as we saw through the construction process, nuclear projects in the U.S. are often bogged down by burdensome licensing and permitting processes that result in unnecessary delays and cost overruns. That is why I am proud to introduce the Nuclear Licensing Efficiency Act, which seeks to modernize the inefficient procedures that hamper our nuclear energy expansion. Let’s make sure we incorporate best practices learned from this huge accomplishment at Plant Vogtle, so that we might fully embrace the reliability of 24/7 nuclear energy", said Congressman Allen.

According to his press release, the legislation specifically proposes three key elements: streamlining the review process for nuclear reactor licenses to be efficient and predictable, enabling the reuse of prior licensing information for ongoing and future permits at the same site, and establishing a three-year cycle for updating performance metrics to maximize operational efficiency.

As per an AP News Report from Jul., Plant Vogtle was the first new American nuclear reactor in decades with electricity generated distributed to utilities in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama serving Southern Co.'s 2.7 million customers via its subsidiary, Georgia Power. Despite its capacity to power 500,000 homes and businesses, challenges arose due to project's delays and budget overruns.

Rick Allen represents Georgia's 12th Congressional District in the U.S. House and took office on Jan. 3, 2015, as reported by Ballotpedia. He is a member of the Republican Party.