Lummis: Bill would cut cost of building nuclear plants

CHEYENNE (WNE)  — U.S. Sens. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., and Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., along with U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., this week introduced the Build Nuclear with Local Materials Act, legislation that would direct the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to issue a rule allowing commercial-grade concrete and steel to be used in non-safety-related structures of nuclear power plants.

“As nuclear technology evolves, our regulations should evolve with it,” Lummis said in a news release. “Requiring nuclear-grade materials in parts of a plant that have nothing to do with safety drives up costs and locks out local construction crews who are more than capable of doing the job. This legislation fixes that by requiring the NRC to allow commercial-grade concrete and steel where it’s safe to do so. The result is simple: lower costs, more local jobs, and zero compromise on safety.”

The Build Nuclear with Local Materials Act builds on a precedent the NRC already established for TerraPower’s Natrium reactor in Kemmerer.

The bill does not eliminate nuclear-grade standards, the release said — it directs the NRC to identify where commercial-grade materials can be safely used while fully preserving the safety and integrity of nuclear power plants.

This story was published on May 16, 2026.