- Lipman: NEI encouraged by strong support from administration, but more to be done
- Rep. Johnson: Civil nuclear exports play vital role in strengthening geopolitical ties
- DOE’s McGinnis: DOE focused on revitalizing U.S. nuclear sector, including for export
The U.S. civil nuclear industry is encouraged by the Trump administration’s recognition of the strategic value of U.S. nuclear technology exports and by its efforts to advocate for U.S. industry and to promote exports, NEI Vice President of Suppliers, New Reactors and International Programs Dan Lipman said this week.
However, “much work remains to be done to level the playing field,” Lipman added.
Speaking at the annual Pillsbury-NEI Seminar on “Hot Button Issues in International Nuclear Trade,” Lipman noted that Russia and China have been making great strides in developing their nuclear industries both domestically and for the global export market.
Unless the U.S. government and industry work closely to ensure American competitiveness, those countries “will be poised to take leading roles in the establishment of global nuclear safety, security and nonproliferation norms and standards,” he warned.
Lipman said strong executive branch leadership informed by strategic thinking about global nuclear energy development is urgently needed to ensure long-term U.S. success.
Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) is developing legislation to support more effective nuclear export controls. He said the widening gap in export license processing times not only disadvantages U.S. nuclear exporters but also undermines U.S. leadership in global nuclear safety, security and nonproliferation. He praised the administration for its recognition of the “huge role” played by nuclear energy in U.S. energy security and global national security.
It is imperative that our civil nuclear industry remains both an important part of our domestic energy portfolio, as well as a vital tool in forging and strengthening strategic relationships with our friends and allies around the world.
One of the major “self-inflicted wounds” that does great harm to U.S. competitiveness is the lengthy time needed for the U.S. Department of Energy to issue Part 810 specific authorization export licenses, Lipman said. A new report issued by the Nuclear Innovation Alliance noted that the time required to process a Part 810 application has ballooned steadily since 1990 to the current average of 400 days. This is in stark contrast to the five weeks to three months that other leading nuclear supplier countries take to provide equivalent export authorizations, as a recent Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman report showed.
Lipman noted that the problem of inefficient export licensing is hardly new and that DOE recently set a new standard by processing Part 810 export licenses to Saudi Arabia in an extremely short timeframe. “We applaud that effort and urge the department to address, in a more systematic manner, the burden that Part 810 imposes on U.S. exports and American jobs,” he said.
Another area that needs urgent attention to bolster U.S. competitiveness is in export financing. While other countries have the full support and backing of their national export credit agencies, the Export-Import Bank of the United States has not had the full quorum of its board of directors required to authorize large financial packages since July 2015. Although the Senate banking committee approved nominees to the board last December, they have yet to be confirmed by the full Senate.
“The future of U.S. nuclear leadership turns on whether we can improve U.S. competitiveness in global markets,” Lipman said.
Edward McGinnis, DOE principal deputy assistant secretary for nuclear energy, echoed Lipman’s remarks on the support for nuclear energy coming from the Trump administration.
Thanks to that support, McGinnis said his job is “focused on revitalizing the entire U.S. nuclear sector—fuel cycle infrastructure, the supply chain for large light water reactors, preserving our operating fleet, enhancing our manufacturing base and advancing new nuclear technologies.”
The advances in safety and performance promised by U.S. small modular reactor (SMR) technologies, such as the design being developed by NuScale Power LLC will be a “game-changer for U.S. competitiveness, a step change above any SMR designs from China or Russia,” McGinnis said. “Once the U.S. SMR designs prove out, incredible new markets will open up,” he added.
Nuclear exports will continue to be of strategic geopolitical value to all countries that engage in it, McGinnis said.
“Nuclear energy’s many value assets continue to make it important for states as a national asset,” he noted.