Senators Carper and Capito Letter to NRC Chairman Applauds Work to Craft Regulatory Path for Fusion

On August 18, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee sent a letter to the Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission supporting the ongoing work of the NRC staff to craft a new framework for fusion energy.

The letter notes fusion’s inherent safety, saying “Leading scientists from around the world have determined that fusion does not pose safety concerns similar to fission. Unlike fission, fusion does not use or generate fissile material, raises minimal proliferation concerns, and can be turned off on demand.”

Furthermore, the letter encourages the NRC to examine how to fit fusion into the existing regulatory framework currently used for experimental fusion devices. The FIA has consistently advocated for just such an approach, using the Byproduct Materials framework under 10 CFR Part 30.

Finally, the letter requests, if the Commission identifies any need for changes in law to support a fusion regulatory approach, that they quickly inform the Senate EPW Committee.

The letter is embedded below.