Why It Matters
The House Subcommittee on Energy has scheduled a hearing on nuclear spent fuel policy for Tuesday, September 15. Legislators will examine nuclear lifecycle innovation campuses, which modernize the nuclear fuel cycle by co-locating fuel fabrication, enrichment, reprocessing, and waste disposition functions.
The hearing comes as Congress has already moved to accelerate the shift. The House Subcommittee on Energy approved the Nuclear REFUEL Act in 2026 to streamline licensing for spent fuel reprocessing plants. Five states signed Memorandums of Understanding with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in July, and decommissioning cannot be completed until spent fuel is offsite.
Context
Innovation Campuses are designed to be established through voluntary federal-state partnerships to advance manufacturing and regional economic growth, enhance national energy security and build a coherent end-to-end nuclear strategy. The effort co-locates functions such as fuel fabrication, enrichment, reprocessing used nuclear fuel, and disposition of waste.
In July, Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Idaho signed Memorandums of Understanding with the U.S. Department of Energy regarding the initiative. The Department of Energy is also planning on establishing a federal consolidated interim storage facility to manage spent nuclear fuel until a permanent repository is available.
The San Onofre nuclear plant in California was retired in 2013, but decommissioning cannot be completed until spent fuel is offsite. Southern California Edison supports the Department of Energy's initiative. Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA-49) applauded the Department of Energy's announcement of the five states as potential sites.
Spent fuel typically needs to be cooled in pools for 10 years, which is the industry standard, though the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved a timeline as short as one year for spent fuel pool cooling. The NRC grants 40-year licenses for dry cask storage facilities.
Nuclear Energy Institute Inc. filed a lobbying disclosure for Q3 2025 reporting $30,000 in lobbying expenses through DS2 Group LLC, and in Q3 2025 lobbied on nuclear fuel supply issues; Pacific Gas and Electric Co. filed a lobbying disclosure for Q4 2025 reporting $40,000 in lobbying expenses through Forbes Tate Partners LLC, and in Q4 2025 lobbied on energy issues related to spent nuclear fuel policy, cybersecurity, and physical security; Entergy Corp. filed a lobbying disclosure for Q4 2025 reporting $20,000 in lobbying expenses through DS2 Group LLC, and in Q4 2025 lobbied on nuclear power, energy infrastructure issues and nuclear used fuel issues. Fasken Oil and Ranch Ltd. has lobbied on Energy and Water Appropriations legislation dealing with storage of spent nuclear fuel in the Permian Basin and on transportation issues regarding the movement of spent nuclear fuel by rail, barge or truck.
The Hearing
The subcommittee operates under the Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2), with Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ-6) as Ranking Member.
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