What This Bill Does
This bill requires the President to develop a national strategy for using microreactors (small nuclear reactors) to help respond to natural disasters. The President must consult with multiple federal agencies and submit the strategy to Congress within one year of the bill becoming law, then every two years after that.
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Who It Affects
- The President and the White House
- Federal agencies including Federal Emergency Management Agency, Department of Energy, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Defense, and Army Corps of Engineers
- State and local governments responding to natural disasters
- Congress
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Key Provisions
- The President must develop a comprehensive national strategy for using microreactors during natural disaster response, consulting with specified federal agencies. (Sec. 3(a))
- The President must submit the strategy to Congress no later than one year after the bill becomes law, then every two years thereafter. (Sec. 3(b))
- The strategy must include an assessment of how diesel generators currently assist with natural disasters and compare their environmental effects to microreactors. (Sec. 3(c)(1))
- The strategy must include analysis from the Department of Defense on how its microreactor technology development could inform disaster response efforts. (Sec. 3(c)(3))
- The strategy must recommend how the Nuclear Regulatory Commission can expedite approval of microreactor designs and licenses for rapid deployment scenarios. (Sec. 3(c)(4))
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What Changes
The federal government will develop and maintain an official plan for deploying microreactors during natural disasters instead of relying solely on diesel generators. This requires multiple federal agencies to coordinate on strategy development and regular reporting to Congress.
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Important Definitions
- **Microreactor:** A nuclear reactor, including a portable nuclear reactor, that generates electricity at no more than 20 megawatts of thermal energy. (Sec. 4(3))
- **Natural Disaster:** Has the same meaning as "Major disaster" under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, except wildfires are excluded. (Sec. 4(4))
- **Natural Disaster Response Effort:** A situation where a state or local government requests assistance under the Stafford Act, including assistance for loss of electrical power from a natural disaster. (Sec. 4(5))
- **State:** A U.S. state or the District of Columbia. (Sec. 4(6))
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Effective Date
Not specified in bill text
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1009
To require the President develop a national strategy for utilizing microreactors
to assist with natural disaster response efforts, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 14, 2023
Mr. DONALDS
(for himself, Mr. FLEISCHMANN, Mr. FEENSTRA, Mr.
OBERNOLTE, and Ms. MACE) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in ad-
dition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Armed Services,
for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case
for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
A BILL
To require the President develop a national strategy for
utilizing microreactors to assist with natural disaster re-
sponse efforts, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Strategy to
4
Utilize Microreactors for Natural Disaster Response Ef-
5
forts Act’’.
6
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS; SENSE OF CONGRESS.
1
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds that—
2
(1) natural disasters often cause loss of life,
3
human suffering, loss of income, and property loss
4
and damage;
5
(2) natural disasters often disrupt the normal
6
functioning of governments and communities and
7
adversely affect individuals and families with great
8
severity; and
9
(3) special measures, designed to assist with
10
and supplement natural disaster response efforts,
11
such as replacing the wide utilization of diesel gen-
12
erators with microreactors when responding to the
13
impacts of a natural disaster, are necessary and
14
worthwhile for the wellbeing of the United States.
15
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-
16
gress that Congress should support the utilization of nu-
17
clear energy, with a priority for nuclear energy generated
18
by microreactors, during natural disaster response efforts
19
because of the following considerations:
20
(1) Nuclear energy generated by a microreactor
21
provides a safe form of consistent and reliable elec-
22
tricity that is generally sought when responding to
23
the impacts of natural disasters.
24
(2) Nuclear energy that is generated by micro-
25
reactors—
26
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•HR 1009 IH
(A) is the most rapidly deployable source
1
of energy available that can provide uninter-
2
rupted power to assist with natural disaster re-
3
sponse efforts; and
4
(B) can be used to augment diesel-gen-
5
erated power during national disaster response
6
efforts.
7
(3) The generation of electricity from micro-
8
reactors emits fewer greenhouse gas emissions than
9
the generation of electricity from other sources of
10
electricity.
11
(4) Microreactors can be easily transported and
12
carried by aircraft, semi-trucks, or shipping vessels
13
to timely provide electricity upon demand to an area
14
that is impacted by a natural disaster.
15
(5) Microreactors can be operated autono-
16
mously, which avoids the need for on-site operators
17
in an area that is impacted by a natural disaster.
18
(6) Microreactors can be operated for several
19
years without being refueled, which avoids logistical
20
challenges associated with refueling other power
21
sources, including diesel generators, in an area that
22
is impacted by a natural disaster.
23
(7) With approval by the Nuclear Regulatory
24
Commission, microreactors can be—
25
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•HR 1009 IH
(A) mass produced in factories around the
1
United States; and
2
(B) mass deployed to assist with natural
3
disaster response efforts.
4
(8) Nuclear energy generated by a microreactor
5
can be used to help restore electrical grids by pro-
6
viding temporary power and spot generation for crit-
7
ical electricity generating facilities while grid repairs
8
take place.
9
(9) Microreactors can—
10
(A) power lifesaving and life-sustaining fa-
11
cilities, such as hospitals;
12
(B) power mass transit systems and water
13
quality treatment plants;
14
(C) power large pumps that are often used
15
to remove water from an impacted area;
16
(D) power airport facilities and air traffic
17
control towers;
18
(E) power communications centers that are
19
vital to dispatching important announcements
20
and correspondence during natural disaster re-
21
sponse efforts; and
22
(F) support the operation of local, State,
23
and Federal facilities in the event that a nat-
24
ural disaster severely impacts such facilities and
25
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results in the loss of electricity for such facili-
1
ties.
2
(10) After providing electricity to an area that
3
is impacted by a natural disaster, microreactors can
4
be easily transported out of the area to other loca-
5
tions where they are needed or to standby storage
6
locations until deployment to assist with future nat-
7
ural disaster response efforts.
8
SEC. 3. DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL STRATEGY.
9
(a) IN GENERAL.—The President shall, in consulta-
10
tion with the Administrator of the Federal Emergency
11
Management Agency, the Secretary of Energy, the Chief
12
of the National Guard Bureau, the Chief of Engineers of
13
the Army Corps of Engineers, the Assistant Secretary of
14
the Office of Nuclear Energy of the Department of En-
15
ergy, the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and
16
Engineering, the Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory
17
Commission, and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the
18
Office of Reactor Fleet and Advanced Reactor Deployment
19
of the Department of Energy, develop a national strategy
20
to utilize microreactors to assist with natural disaster re-
21
sponse efforts.
22
(b) SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1
23
year after the date of enactment of this Act, and every
24
2 years thereafter, the President shall submit to the ap-
25
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•HR 1009 IH
propriate congressional committees a comprehensive na-
1
tional strategy developed under subsection (a).
2
(c) CONTENTS OF NATIONAL STRATEGY.—A national
3
strategy developed under subsection (a) shall include the
4
following:
5
(1) EVALUATION OF EXISTING DIESEL DEPLOY-
6
MENT EFFORTS.—An assessment of the effectiveness
7
of utilizing diesel generators to assist with natural
8
disaster response efforts, which such assessment
9
shall include—
10
(A) information on the current use of die-
11
sel generators to assist with natural disaster re-
12
sponse efforts, including—
13
(i) the prevalence of deploying diesel
14
generators around the United States as the
15
sole power source to assist with natural
16
disaster response efforts;
17
(ii) the average number of diesel gen-
18
erators deployed in natural disaster re-
19
sponse efforts based on the type of natural
20
disaster, the severity of the natural dis-
21
aster, and the location of the natural dis-
22
aster;
23
(iii) where Federal, State, and local
24
governments store diesel generators;
25
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•HR 1009 IH
(iv) how diesel generators are trans-
1
ported to areas affected by a natural dis-
2
aster;
3
(v) any logistical concerns with refuel-
4
ing diesel generators over an extended pe-
5
riod of time;
6
(vi) the potential to utilize accessory
7
equipment that is traditionally connected
8
to diesel generators to help provide elec-
9
tricity to the area in need; and
10
(vii) any other information that is
11
necessary to understand the role of diesel
12
generators used to assist with natural dis-
13
aster response efforts;
14
(B) how the effect on the environment of
15
utilizing diesel generators to assist with natural
16
disaster response efforts compares to the esti-
17
mated effect on the environment of utilizing
18
microreactors to assist with the same natural
19
disaster response efforts; and
20
(C) the concerns to public safety when de-
21
ploying diesel generators in natural disaster re-
22
sponse efforts.
23
(2) GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND PRIORITIES.—A
24
comprehensive, research-based, and long-term dis-
25
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•HR 1009 IH
cussion of goals, objectives, and priorities for uti-
1
lizing microreactors instead of diesel generators to
2
assist with natural disaster response efforts.
3
(3) DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE ANALYSIS.—An
4
analysis of—
5
(A) how the efforts of the Department of
6
Defense to develop microreactor technology for
7
operational uses could be used to inform the de-
8
velopment of microreactors to assist with nat-
9
ural disaster response efforts, including any
10
recommendations and additional direction that
11
may be necessary for such expedited deploy-
12
ment;
13
(B) how the Department of Defense can
14
most effectively translate and implement the
15
lessons learned from its operations in the field
16
to assist with natural disaster response efforts,
17
including how operations in the field related to
18
microreactors can be used to answer broad
19
questions for the nuclear industry and for fu-
20
ture issues relating to fuel reliability, energy
21
supply chain issues, reducing diesel convoy cau-
22
salities, and supporting other global humani-
23
tarian needs; and
24
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•HR 1009 IH
(C) whether a demonstration program for
1
microreactors is needed prior to deploying
2
microreactors for natural disaster response ef-
3
forts, based on the analysis provided by sub-
4
paragraphs (A) and (B).
5
(4) RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR
THE
NUCLEAR
6
REGULATORY
COMMISSION.—Recommendations on
7
how the Nuclear Regulatory Commission can work
8
with other Federal agencies to expedite—
9
(A) the approval of designs for microreac-
10
tors; and
11
(B) issuing licenses for the utilization,
12
transportation, and operation of microreactors
13
in rapid deployment scenarios, such as natural
14
disaster response efforts.
15
(5)
UTILIZING
FEASIBILITY
STUDIES.—An
16
analysis of available academic literature and studies,
17
including site feasibility studies, to identify high risk
18
areas that are prone to natural disasters that should
19
be prioritized during emergency planning.
20
(6) STRATEGIC
CONSIDERATIONS
WHEN
DE-
21
PLOYING MICROREACTORS.—An assessment of var-
22
ious strategic considerations to improve the effi-
23
ciency, timeliness, and cost-effectiveness of deploying
24
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•HR 1009 IH
microreactors to assist with natural disaster re-
1
sponse efforts, including—
2
(A) whether the Department of Defense,
3
the Federal Emergency Management Agency,
4
or any other government entity should build,
5
own, or operate microreactors that are used to
6
assist with natural disaster response efforts, in-
7
cluding whether it would be viable to lease
8
microreactors from private industry and wheth-
9
er it would be viable to facilitate public-private
10
partnerships to find cost effective options to
11
utilize microreactors for natural disaster re-
12
sponse efforts;
13
(B) the recommended number of individ-
14
uals charged with the usage, maintenance, and
15
upkeep of the microreactors, including the rec-
16
ommended qualifications, training requirements,
17
availability requirements, and oversight respon-
18
sibility of such individuals;
19
(C) the number of microreactors needed,
20
initially and in the long-term, to effectively re-
21
spond to a natural disaster based on past nat-
22
ural disaster trends and the specific geographic
23
location of the area;
24
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•HR 1009 IH
(D) where microreactors used to assist
1
with natural disaster response efforts would be
2
stored, including information on—
3
(i) how different microreactor storage
4
locations may affect swift and economically
5
feasible natural disaster response efforts;
6
(ii) the feasibility of utilizing already-
7
built facilities instead of constructing new
8
microreactor storage facilities;
9
(iii) the cost of constructing new
10
microreactor storage facilities;
11
(iv) how to properly store the micro-
12
reactor when not being utilized for natural
13
disaster response efforts; and
14
(v) potential storage locations, such
15
as—
16
(I) the Strategic Alliance for
17
FLEX Emergency Response locations
18
in Memphis, Tennessee and Phoenix,
19
Arizona; and
20
(II)
Department
of
Defense
21
bases;
22
(E) how to maintain a microreactor and
23
replace, store, and dispose of fuel used by a
24
microreactor, including whether public-private
25
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•HR 1009 IH
partnerships may be used to assist with such
1
maintenance, replacement, storage, and dis-
2
posal;
3
(F) when a diesel generator will suffice in
4
the event of a natural disaster of limited pro-
5
portions, in comparison to utilizing microreac-
6
tors to assist with natural disaster response ef-
7
forts;
8
(G) which States and territories and pos-
9
sessions of the United States that are prone to
10
natural disasters, such as hurricanes, should be
11
prioritized when initially selecting locations to
12
deploy microreactors to assist with natural dis-
13
aster response efforts;
14
(H) the methods, capabilities, and costs as-
15
sociated with transporting microreactors that
16
were or may be impacted by natural disasters,
17
including considerations about transporting new
18
microreactors, in addition to microreactors that
19
have been put to use, and any regulatory or
20
legal issues that may
[Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]