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ClearPath Action Rundown 
May 23rd, 2025

Happy Friday!

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced several nominations, including Conner Prochaska’s nomination to become director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) by a 13-7 vote.

1. House passage of H.R.1, the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act

ClearPath Action released a statement after the House passed its budget reconciliation package, H.R.1, the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act. The bill moves to the Senate, where changes could be made to improve and sustain some tax incentives that help America achieve energy dominance.

The bill includes tax provisions that will help build nuclear projects that begin construction by the end of 2028. More projects could benefit from an extension beyond 2028 as we expect construction to begin on some technologies in the early 2030s. Other nascent technologies like enhanced geothermal energy systems would benefit from similar treatment.

Several Governors and DOE Secretary Wright agree:

• Govs. Mike Braun (R-IN) and Henry McMaster (R-SC) each sent a letter to Congressional leadership, urging them to keep federal incentives for new nuclear plants in place.
• “I’m in favor of every nudge, every incentive we can get from the federal government to restart this industry,” said DOE Secretary Chris Wright when talking about energy tax incentives for technologies like advanced nuclear and geothermal.

2. Progress for permitting

The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform advanced the Full Responsibility and Expedited Enforcement Act (FREE Act) out of committee. Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT) introduced this bill to modernize permitting across all federal agencies by codifying “permit-by-rule” or PBR. 

If passed, the FREE Act would:

• Reduce permit approval timelines from years to months; 
• Increase transparency and predictability;
• Boost project investment and innovation; and
• Green-light needed infrastructure projects.

Plug in: President Trump identified this approach as a potential solution to streamline permitting in his Unleashing American Energy executive order. Under this system, if applicants meet specific standards and certify compliance, agencies must issue permits. Agencies are then responsible for enforcing compliance and ensuring all federal environmental and safety laws are upheld.

3. EPA proposes AZ Class VI primacy

The EPA proposed approving Arizona's primacy application for all underground injection wells, including Class VI wells for carbon storage, acting on Administrator Zeldin's commitment to fast-track state primacy applications. Once a final rule is issued, Arizona will: 

• Become the fifth state with Class VI primacy; and
• Leverage local expertise to review carbon storage permits efficiently. 

Last week, Administrator Zeldin also held a signing ceremony with Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ).  

What’s clear: This announcement “marks a major win for the state's energy independence and furthers President Trump's mission to unleash America's untapped energy potential,” said co-leader of the National Energy Dominance Council and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum.

4. Build nuclear domestically, sell globally

The International Nuclear Energy Act, which would establish a robust civil nuclear export strategy to get more American nuclear energy into the global market, was reintroduced this week. 

The bill, introduced by Sens. James Risch (R-ID), Mike Lee (R-UT), Christopher Coons (D-DE) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) would:

• Establish an Executive Office of the Assistant to the President and Director for International Nuclear Energy Export Policy;
• Direct engagement with allied nations to deploy financing, research facilities and project development resources; and 
• Promote the safety, security and safeguards necessary to lay the foundation for a competitive U.S.-led nuclear export program.

ClearPath Action endorsed the bill. 

What’s clear: “While the U.S. remains the foremost nuclear power in the world, developing countries have more recently looked to Russia and China for their new nuclear needs. INEA wisely puts new tools in America's energy tool belt to support domestic technologies racing to the global marketplace to compete,” said ClearPath Action CEO Jeremy Harrell.

Plug in: ClearPath’s Niko McMurray testified before Congress about what else the U.S. can do to lead.

5. Development for American enriched uranium

Urenco USA will begin producing enriched uranium in its newest gas centrifuge cascade, marking the next phase of expansion at its enrichment facility in New Mexico.

Urenco USA:

• Is America’s only commercial producer of enriched uranium; and
• Currently has the capacity to meet approximately one-third of the enrichment needs of U.S. commercial nuclear power plants.

What’s clear: This new supply will strengthen the U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain and will support a much-needed transition away from reliance on Russian supply. 

Plug in: Supporting energy infrastructure in the U.S. is vital to the health and success of the growing nuclear energy industry. From uranium enrichment to power production and waste disposal, nuclear facilities are an important and beneficial piece of America’s clean energy future.

6. Transformative regulatory reform for new reactors

ClearPath, Clean Air Task Force, and Veriten sent a letter to the NRC Commissioners proposing how to accelerate the licensing of reactors that pose a very small risk. A recent NRC rulemaking enabled reactors that can demonstrate specific safety criteria to be subject to more appropriate regulatory requirements.

What's clear: This could be the most timely and effective way to deploy new reactors because it does not require additional statutory changes by Congress, near-term rulemaking or guidance development by the NRC, or the creation of a new program.

Plug in: Improving the regulatory process while maintaining predictability under the current regulatory framework, along with targeted energy incentives, will unlock energy dominance.

7. Speeding up nuclear reactor licensing

The Efficient Nuclear Licensing Hearings Act aims to increase the efficiency of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) by eliminating outdated processes for reviewing new nuclear reactor applications.

Currently, the NRC is required to hold a public hearing on every reactor license application before it, even when the hearing is uncontroversial and “uncontested”. The legislation, introduced by Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Chris Coons (D-DE), would:

• Save up to 1,500 NRC staff hours per hearing;
• Save reactor license applicants millions of dollars in preparation work and fees; and
• Speed application processes by up to 6 months. 

What’s clear: Many are looking to new nuclear power to help meet rapidly increasing demand, and this bipartisan legislation will help accelerate the process with better efficiencies at the NRC.

8. The Ciruit

9. ICYMI

• Occidental and ADNOC’s investment arm, XRG, announced a deal to explore a $500M joint venture to develop the South Texas direct air capture hub, which was made possible by DOE support.
• DOI launched a public comment period to support the Administration’s efforts to streamline federal regulations and reduce unnecessary red tape. The public comment period will remain open for at least 30 days, from May 20.

ClearPath believes America must lead the world in innovation over regulation…markets over mandates…providing affordable, reliable, clean energy. 

That's all from us. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

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