42 U.S.C. § 13494 — Prototype demonstration of advanced nuclear reactor technology

(a) Solicitation of proposals. Within 3 years after October 24, 1992, the Secretary^* had to ask for proposals for the preliminary engineering design of no more than 2 prototype advanced nuclear reactor technologies^* developed by the Department of Energy — not counting advanced light water reactor technologies — needed to support a decision on whether to recommend building a prototype demonstration reactor with the features described in section 13493(a). Proposals had to cover modular design concepts large enough to address the requirements for certifying a standardized design^*.

(b) Recommendation to Congress. By September 30, 1998, the Secretary had to give Congress recommendations on whether to build one or more prototype demonstration reactors. The recommendations had to: (A) name a preferred technology or technologies; (B) include detailed milestones for construction and operation; (C) estimate the funding needed; and (D) specify how much and what kind of non-federal financial support is expected. In developing these recommendations, the Secretary had to give the public notice and a chance to comment, and had to ask for the Commission's views and those of other technically expert parties the Secretary found useful. The prototype demonstration program had to be run, as much as practical, with private-sector funding; at least 50 percent of its funding had to be non-federal, and how much non-federal cost-sharing^* a project^* offered was a factor in choosing it.

(c) Selection of technology. Any technology the Secretary picked for prototype demonstration had to, as much as possible, have the features described in section 13493(a).