Nuclear lifecycle innovation

TO THE HONORABLE BOB FERGUSON, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF 1
WASHINGTON: 2
We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of 3
the state of Washington, in legislative session assembled, 4
respectfully represent and petition as follows: 5
WHEREAS, The United States department of energy has issued a 6
request for information inviting states to express interest in 7
hosting nuclear lifecycle innovation campuses, a proposed new 8
federal-state initiative that could modernize the nation's full 9
nuclear fuel cycle and strengthen America's leadership in advanced 10
nuclear energy; and 11
WHEREAS, As described in the department of energy's announcement, 12
these proposed campuses could support activities across the full 13
nuclear fuel lifecycle, including fuel fabrication, enrichment, 14
reprocessing of used nuclear fuel, and disposition of waste, and 15
could also encompass advanced reactor deployment, power generation, 16
advanced manufacturing, and colocated data centers depending on state 17
and regional priorities; and 18
WHEREAS, The establishment of innovation campuses is intended to 19
support regional economic growth, attract private investment, 20
encourage workforce development, catalyze technology leadership, and 21
help build a coherent, end-to-end energy strategy to meet future 22
power demands; and 23
H-3561.1
HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4016
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Barnard, Klicker, Ybarra, Walsh, Dye, Stuebe,
Connors, Keaton, Rude, and Schmidt
Read first time 02/14/26. Referred to Committee on Environment &
Energy.
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WHEREAS, Nuclear energy is a nonemitting, reliable, and resilient 1
source of baseload power that can contribute to energy security, grid 2
stability, and the reduction of carbon emissions while supporting 3
high-wage jobs in manufacturing, engineering, research, and 4
operations; and 5
WHEREAS, Participation in the department of energy's request for 6
information process by states will help ensure that local and 7
regional priorities — such as workforce training, infrastructure 8
readiness, economic diversification, and technology innovation — are 9
fully considered in federal-state partnerships shaping the future of 10
nuclear energy infrastructure; and 11
WHEREAS, Washington state has existing strengths in nuclear 12
science and technology, a skilled energy workforce, and communities 13
interested in expanding opportunities related to advanced energy 14
industries; 15
NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully request the 16
Governor to: 17
(1) Express the state's interest in response to the United States 18
department of energy's request for information on hosting one or more 19
nuclear lifecycle innovation campuses and to communicate that 20
interest to the secretary of energy and appropriate federal officials 21
in a timely manner; 22
(2) Direct the appropriate state agency or interagency task force 23
to prepare and submit a response to the department of energy's 24
nuclear lifecycle innovation campuses request for information, 25
articulating Washington's priorities, capabilities, and proposed 26
scope of activities the state could host, including strategies for 27
workforce development, infrastructure investment, technology 28
leadership, and economic growth; 29
(3) Communicate to the secretary of energy the state's support 30
for nuclear innovation and interest in partnering on a nuclear 31
lifecycle innovation campus that aligns with Washington's economic, 32
energy, and workforce goals; and 33
(4) Work with the state legislature, regional stakeholders, local 34
governments, higher education institutions, and industry partners to 35
develop a coordinated vision and plan that can maximize the economic 36
and energy security benefits of participating in a federal-state 37
nuclear innovation initiative. 38
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