42 U.S.C. § 18751 — Infrastructure planning for micro and small modular nuclear reactors

(a) Definitions "Advanced nuclear reactor" has the meaning given in section 16271(b) of this title. "Isolated community" has the meaning given in section 17392(a) of this title. "Micro-reactor" means an advanced nuclear reactor that produces no more than 50 megawatts of electricity. "National Laboratory" has the meaning given in section 15801 of this title. "Small modular reactor" means an advanced nuclear reactor rated below 300 electrical megawatts that can be built and run together with similar reactors at one site. (b) Report Within 180 days of November 15, 2021, the Secretary must send a report to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and on Science, Space, and Technology. The report must explain how the Department could make its energy supply more resilient and cut carbon emissions using micro-reactors and small modular reactors. (c) Elements The report must cover: 1. Whether the Department's current rules for energy resilience and carbon reduction need to change to address: keeping power running at Department facilities for at least 3 days during grid failures; protecting against cyberattacks and electromagnetic pulses; and surviving extreme natural events, including earthquakes, volcanic activity, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, lahars, landslides, seiches, heavy snowfall, and extreme temperatures. 2. The Department's strategy for using nuclear energy to meet its resilience and carbon-reduction goals. 3. A strategy for partnering with private industry to deploy micro-reactors and small modular reactors in remote communities to replace diesel generators and other fossil fuels. 4. An assessment of the value of switching Department facilities to power from micro-reactors and small modular reactors -- including nuclear facilities built next to them that could supply dedicated power during a grid outage. 5. The Department's plans to deploy a micro-reactor and a small modular reactor at a U.S. facility by 2026, deploy a small modular reactor at a U.S. facility by 2029, and factor micro-reactors and small modular reactors into future facility energy planning. (d) Financial and technical assistance for siting micro-reactors, small modular reactors, and advanced nuclear reactors The Secretary must offer money and technical help to entities running feasibility studies that find good locations for micro-reactors, small modular reactors, and advanced nuclear reactors in isolated communities. Before giving that help, the Secretary must reach out to and engage those communities to gauge their interest. No more than half of this assistance money can go to the National Laboratories.