HARRISBURG, PA — The Pennsylvania House of Representatives unanimously approved legislation Wednesday aimed at making it easier and more affordable to develop next-generation nuclear reactors across the Commonwealth, a move supporters say could expand clean energy investment and strengthen the state’s power grid.
House Bill 2017, authored by state Rep. Jose Giral, D-Philadelphia, updates Pennsylvania’s fee structure for nuclear energy facilities to reflect the emergence of small modular reactors and microreactors, which differ significantly from traditional large-scale nuclear plants.
Traditional light-water nuclear reactors are typically located on expansive sites housing multiple reactors, requiring massive upfront capital and long construction timelines. Giral said those costs have become a barrier to expanding nuclear power in Pennsylvania.
“The nuclear reactors we all recognize today are housed on very large, sprawling sites,” Giral said. “They take extensive time and money to construct and to run. The up-front capital needed to build new ones is prohibitively expensive, and that’s making it harder for us to grow our nuclear power footprint here in Pennsylvania.”
Small modular reactors, commonly known as SMRs, are designed to operate on smaller sites with fewer reactors per location. Supporters say that flexibility allows them to be deployed in areas with limited access to existing power infrastructure, including rural parts of the state. Many SMRs are factory-built and transported to their final location, reducing construction challenges and improving efficiency.
Giral warned that without updating the state’s regulatory cost structure, Pennsylvania risks losing nuclear energy investment to states that have already modernized their rules.
“The fees collected by the Department of Environmental Protection are levied on a per-site basis,” Giral said. “Because SMRs require more sites to meet energy demand, asking operators to pay too high a fee per site will discourage companies from expanding here. The fee structure needs to meet DEP’s needs and keep SMR development competitive in Pennsylvania so that companies aren’t encouraged to invest in other states that have already modernized their regulatory structure.”
Fees collected by the Department of Environmental Protection are used to support environmental monitoring, administrative oversight, and eventual decommissioning of nuclear facilities.
House Bill 2017 would amend the Radiation Protection Act of 1984 to formally define small modular reactors and microreactors, distinguish them from traditional light-water reactors, establish a separate fee structure for these smaller facilities, and direct the Environmental Quality Board to determine reasonable site fees.
“I’m proud to see this bill pass the House today and grateful to my colleagues for supporting nuclear energy development in our state,” Giral said. “We have the expertise, workforce, and infrastructure to adapt to these new nuclear options. This is a significant step forward in bringing clean, renewable energy to more of our communities.”
The bill now heads to the Pennsylvania Senate for consideration.
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