The Nuclear Energy Innovation and Deployment Act of 2026 expands the Department of Energy's authority to license and regulate commercial nuclear facilities on federal land or for federal purposes, a responsibility previously held by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, while requiring the NRC to update its regulations within one year to align with this shift. The bill also transfers administration of the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program to DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy within 30 days of enactment and establishes a new Surplus Plutonium for Commercial Reactors Program to convert excess government plutonium into fuel for advanced nuclear reactors through a competitive selection process. Under this program, participating companies must meet security and technical requirements before receiving material, with distribution beginning January 1, 2028 and concluding by January 1, 2035. The legislation terminates the existing Dilute and Dispose Program that had been destroying plutonium and redirects those funds to support the new initiative, while requiring DOE to resume operations at South Carolina's Savannah River Site facility to enable plutonium conversion activities.
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