Directs BPU to study feasibility of developing advanced reactors Statewide.

A1334

ASSEMBLY, No. 1334

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman CODY D. MILLER

District 4 (Atlantic, Camden and Gloucester)

Assemblyman DAN HUTCHISON

District 4 (Atlantic, Camden and Gloucester)

Assemblyman DAVID BAILEY, JR.

District 3 (Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Karabinchak, Assemblywoman Murphy, Assemblymen
Guardian, Freiman, Assemblywoman Drulis and Assemblyman Calabrese

SYNOPSIS

���� Directs BPU to study feasibility of developing
advanced reactors Statewide.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act

directing the Board of Public Utilities to conduct a study concerning the
development of advanced reactors throughout the State.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� The Legislature finds
and declares that:

���� a.� Nuclear energy currently
provides over 40 percent of New Jersey�s electricity and represents a reliable,
zero-emission baseload power source.

���� b. New Jersey is committed to
reducing greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring safety, energy reliability,
affordability, and security.

���� c.� Nuclear reactors offer a
carbon-free, safe, and scalable energy solution that complements the State�s
energy and environmental goals.

���� d.� In order to successfully
deploy advanced reactors, the State must conduct feasibility studies to ensure
regulatory clarity, engage with the public, and gain private-sector investment.

���� e.� It is therefore in the
public interest for New Jersey to establish a structured process to assess the
viability of advanced reactor development throughout the State.

���� 2.��� � As used in this act:

���� �Advanced reactor� means a
nuclear reactor, including a prototype plant, as defined in 10 C.F.R. s.50.2
and s.52.1, with significant improvements compared to reactors operating on
December 27, 2020, including improvements such as: (1) additional inherent
safety features; (2) lower waste yields; (3) improved fuel and material
performance; (4) increased tolerance to loss of fuel cooling; (5) enhanced
reliability or improved resilience; (6) increased proliferation resistance; (7)
increased thermal efficiency; (8) reduced consumption of cooling water and
other environmental impacts; (9) the ability to integrate into electric
applications and nonelectric applications; (10) modular sizes to allow for
deployment that corresponds with the demand for electricity or process heat;
and (11) operational flexibility to respond to changes in demand for
electricity or process heat and to complement integration with intermittent
renewable energy or energy storage.

���� �Board� means the Board of
Public Utilities.

���� �Nuclear reactor� means an
apparatus required to be licensed by the United States Nuclear Regulatory
Commission that is designed or used to sustain nuclear fission in a
self-supporting chain reaction.

���� �Small modular reactor� or
�SMR� means an advanced reactor that: (1) has a rated electric generating
capacity of no more than 1,000 megawatts thermal; (2) may be of modular design;
and (3) is capable of being constructed and operated either alone or in
combination with one or more similar reactors if additional reactors are or
became necessary at a single site.

���� 3.��� a.� The Board of Public
Utilities, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Protection and
the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, shall conduct a study and
prepare and submit, within 18 months of the effective date of this act, to the
Governor and to the Legislature, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, c.164
(C.52:14-19.1), a written report concerning the feasibility of developing advanced
reactors throughout the State, including recommendations for the feasibility
of, need for, and design of a program for developing small modular or advanced
reactors.

���� b.� In conducting the study,
the board shall:

���� (1)� determine suitable
locations for deploying advanced reactors, including former industrial sites
and retired fossil fuel generation facilities;

���� (2)� consult the United States
Nuclear Regulatory Commission for regulatory and permitting requirements;

���� (3)� examine the economic
viability and potential cost-saving mechanisms available for advanced reactors,
including any federal programs, private investments, and State funding
opportunities;

���� (4)� consider safety
precautions and environmental impacts, including, but not limited to compliance
with applicable laws and regulators, emergency preparedness and response,
biohazard waste management, cyber security, and water usage;

���� (5)� evaluate the ability to
integrate advanced reactors with existing energy infrastructure and associated
cost recovery mechanisms to pay for upgrades or other non-wire alternatives;

���� (6)� conduct a minimum of
three public stakeholder sessions in order to assess public perception,
environmental impacts, and stakeholder value in the Statewide development of advanced
reactors;

���� (7)� provide a recommendation
on the feasibility of, need for, and design of a program in the State for
deploying advanced reactors Statewide; and

���� (8)� publish its findings on
the board�s Internet website.

���� c.� The board may secure any
sources of funding provided by federal and State grants, private-sector
investments, and public-private partnerships in order to effectuate the
provisions of this act.

���� 4.� This act shall take effect
immediately and shall expire 30 days after the board submits the report
required pursuant to subsection a. of section 3 of this act.

STATEMENT

���� This bill directs the Board of
Public Utilities (board), in consultation with the Department of Environmental
Protection and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, to study,
prepare, and submit, to the Governor and the Legislature, within 18 months of
the effective date of this bill, a written report concerning the feasibility of
developing advanced reactors throughout the State and the feasibility of, need
for, and design of a program in the State for developing small modular or
advanced reactors.�

���� In conducting the study, the
board is directed to: (1) determine suitable locations for deploying advanced
reactors, including former industrial sites and retired fossil fuel generation
facilities; (2) consult the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission for
regulatory and permitting requirements; (3) examine the economic viability and
potential cost-saving mechanisms available for advanced reactors, including any
federal programs, private investments, and State funding opportunities; (4)
consider safety precautions and environmental impacts, including, but not
limited to, compliance with applicable laws and regulators, emergency
preparedness and response, biohazard waste management, cyber security, and
water usage; (5) evaluate the ability to integrate advanced reactors with
existing energy infrastructure and associated cost recovery mechanisms to pay
for upgrades or other non-wire alternatives; (6) conduct a minimum of three
public stakeholder sessions in order to assess public perception, environmental
impact, and stakeholder value in Statewide development of advanced reactors;
(7) provide a recommendation on the feasibility of, need for, and design of a
program in the State for deploying advanced reactors Statewide; and (8) publish
its findings on the board�s Internet website.