December 17, 2025
Mr. Moore of North Carolina introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
To amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to expand the scope of the advanced reactor demonstration program to test and develop fourth-generation nuclear reactors, small modular reactors, and micro-reactors, and for other purposes.
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Next Generation Nuclear Deployment Act
.
Sec. 2. Advanced reactor demonstration program
(a) Establishment
Section 959A(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16279a(b)) is amended—
(1)
by redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as paragraphs (3) and (4); and
(2)
by inserting after paragraph (1), the following:
(2)
prioritizing testing and development of, on at least 10 different sites, advanced reactor designs of which one shall be a specialized micro-reactor described in subparagraph (C), including—
(A)
fourth-generation nuclear reactors, such as sodium-cooled fast reactors, high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, and molten salt reactors;
(B)
small modular reactors and factory-produced nuclear reactors with a generation capacity of not more than 500 megawatts of electricity; and
(C)
specialized micro-reactors that are—
(i)
capable of producing up to 10 megawatts of electricity; and
(ii)
designed for deployment in remote locations or for specialized applications;
(b) Demonstration projects
Section 959A(c) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16279a(c)) is amended—
(1)
in paragraph (9)(C), by striking and
at the end;
(2)
in paragraph (10)(F), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and
; and
(3)
by adding at the end the following:
(11)
test and develop an advanced reactor design, as described in subsection (b)(2), on any site regardless of whether it is owned or operated by the Department of Energy.
(c) Private sector partnerships
The Secretary of Energy shall seek to enter into cost-sharing arrangements with private industry and research institutions to enhance the effectiveness and reach of testing and developing of advanced nuclear designs under section 959A(b)(2) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 16279a(b)), as amended by subsection (a).