Reactor concepts research, development, demonstration, and commercial application

The Secretary shall carry out a program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application, including through the use of modeling and simulation, to support existing operating nuclear power plants which shall address technologies to modernize and improve, with respect to such plants— Not later than 1 year after August 9, 2022, the Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, shall evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of establishing and, if feasible, is authorized to establish an isotope demonstration subprogram of the program established under paragraph (1) to support the development and commercial demonstration of critical radioactive and stable isotope production in existing commercial nuclear power plants. The Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy, shall consult with the Director of the Office of Science in carrying out the evaluation under subparagraph (A). In this paragraph, the term “critical radioactive and stable isotope” has the meaning given the term in section 18649(a) of this title. The Secretary shall submit annually a public report to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate documenting funds spent under the program that describes program activities, objectives, and outcomes, including those that could benefit the entirety of the existing reactor fleet, such as with respect to aging management and related sustainability concerns, and identifying funds awarded to private entities. There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the program under this subsection $55,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. The Secretary shall carry out a program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application to support advanced reactor technologies. In carrying out the program under this subsection, the Secretary shall— prioritize designs for advanced nuclear reactors that are proliferation resistant and passively safe, including designs that, compared to reactors operating on December 27, 2020— support research and development to resolve materials challenges relating to extreme environments, including environments that contain high levels of— ensure that nuclear research infrastructure is maintained or constructed, including— The Secretary shall coordinate with individuals engaged in the private sector and individuals who are experts in nuclear nonproliferation, environmental and public health and safety, and economics to advance the development of various designs of advanced nuclear reactors. In carrying out this paragraph, the Secretary shall convene an advisory committee of such individuals and such committee shall submit annually a report to the relevant committees of Congress with respect to the progress of the program. There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the program under this subsection $55,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025. The Secretary shall carry out a program of research, development, demonstration, and commercial application to develop nuclear integrated energy systems, composed of 2 or more co-located or jointly operated subsystems of energy generation, energy storage, or other technologies and in which not less than 1 such subsystem is a nuclear energy system, to— In carrying out the program under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall coordinate with— The program under paragraph (1) may include research, development, demonstration, or commercial application of nuclear integrated energy systems with respect to— There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out the program under this subsection—