Nuclear Plant Decommissioning Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator Peter Welch
Introduced
Summary
Strengthen host-state consultation and create predictable funding for local community advisory boards during nuclear plant decommissioning. This bill would add required consultations, public meetings, decision timelines for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and payment rules to support local oversight and advisory boards.
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- Host States and Tribes gain formal pre-submission consultation rights for Post-Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Reports and license transfers, a minimum 90-day public comment period with at least two in-state meetings, and a 60-day window to file support, conditional support, or nonsupport.
- Licensees and transferees would have to conduct mandatory consultations, publish PSDARs and transfer applications, meet NRC decision timelines generally within one year, follow more restrictive State environmental standards when applicable, and make PSDAR-related deposits including an initial $500,000 per reactor PSDAR.
- Communities get two grant tracks for Community Advisory Boards. A short-term program must be set up within 180 days and is authorized $12.5 million for FY2026–2028. A long-term Fund would receive PSDAR-related deposits without further appropriation and pay for experts, travel, communications, volunteer reimbursement, and similar local needs.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Host community recovery accounts and grants
If enacted, the bill would create a Treasury recovery account for each covered civilian nuclear plant. The Secretary would use each account to give grants to host communities inside the plant boundary for economic development planning or carrying out a comprehensive economic development strategy. The Secretary would have to start making grants by the earlier of five years before scheduled shutdown or the licensee’s certification of permanent cessation, and within one year for plants already decommissioning. Licensees would also need to transfer money so each account is at least 2 percent of a defined baseline, and plants already decommissioning would owe a one-time 2 percent transfer within one year.
Stranded waste grants to host governments
If enacted, the Secretary would set up a noncompetitive grant program within 60 days to pay local governments that host stranded spent fuel. Each grant would equal $15 for every kilogram of spent nuclear fuel stored at the eligible plant in the community. The Secretary may award only one grant per eligible local government per plant each fiscal year. Appropriations are authorized as needed for fiscal years 2026 through 2035, and the funds may not be used to offset other federal program funding.
Community advisory board funds and deposits
If enacted, the bill would create a Community Advisory Board Fund in the Treasury that collects PSDAR-related deposits and could be used for CAB grants without more appropriations. The Commission would set up a short-term CAB grant program within 180 days and a long-term program within one year, and $12.5 million is authorized for FY2026 through FY2028. The Commission would require licensees submitting a PSDAR to certify payment of $500,000 per affected power plant for deposit into the Fund when consultation is required. Merchant power plants could not use decommissioning trust funds to pay the deposit, and the Commission must also revise rules to try to keep trusts sufficient to cover both these deposits and legitimate decommissioning costs.
Public participation rules for decommissioning plans
If enacted, the bill would require licensees and transferees to consult each affected State and nearby State or Tribal units within 50 miles before filing a PSDAR or license transfer. After consultation, PSDARs and transfer applications would be made public with limited redactions, the Commission would take public comments for at least 90 days and hold at least two public meetings, and the host State would have 60 days to file support, conditional support, or nonsupport. The Commission would have to issue a decision within one year of submission, and it could require compliance with State air, water, soil, or radiological laws that are more restrictive than federal law.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Peter Welch
VT • D
Cosponsors
Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT]
VT • I
Sponsored 12/11/2025
Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY]
NY • D
Sponsored 12/11/2025
Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA]
MA • D
Sponsored 12/11/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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