HB 3565

This bill removes two major regulatory barriers for small modular reactor (SMR) nuclear facilities in Oregon, which are defined as advanced nuclear reactors with 300 megawatts or less capacity that can be factory-built and assembled on-site. Specifically, it exempts SMR facilities from existing Oregon laws that currently require: (1) the existence of a federally licensed repository for high-level radioactive waste disposal before any nuclear plant can be built, and (2) voter approval through a statewide ballot measure for any proposed nuclear facility. By eliminating these requirements that have effectively blocked nuclear development in Oregon since the 1980s, the bill would allow SMR facilities to proceed through the standard energy facility siting process without needing to first solve the federal nuclear waste storage issue or obtain direct voter consent.