HB 3548

This bill removes two major regulatory barriers to building nuclear power plants in Oregon by repealing the requirement that a licensed high-level radioactive waste disposal repository must exist before a nuclear plant can receive a site certificate, and eliminating the requirement that voters must approve any proposed nuclear power plant. The legislation effectively streamlines the approval process for nuclear power development in the state by removing both the waste disposal precondition and the mandatory public referendum that have historically prevented new nuclear facilities from being built in Oregon. However, the bill itself must be approved by Oregon voters in a statewide referendum at the next general election before these changes would take effect, meaning voters will ultimately decide whether to remove their own future voting power over individual nuclear plant proposals.