To facilitate the development of a whole-of-government strategy for nuclear cooperation and nuclear exports, and for other purposes.
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
ReportedReported by Mr. Risch, with an amendment
Mr. Risch (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Lee, and Mr. …
Mr. Risch (for himself, Mr. Coons, Mr. Lee, and Mr. …
Summary
What This Bill Does
The International Nuclear Energy Act of 2025 creates a comprehensive U.S. government framework to promote American nuclear technology exports worldwide and counter Russian and Chinese dominance in the global nuclear energy market. The bill establishes new White House coordination offices, inter-agency working groups, and international initiatives specifically designed to help developing countries build nuclear power programs using American technology instead of turning to Russia or China.
Who Benefits and How
U.S. nuclear energy companies are the primary beneficiaries. They gain access to new export markets, receive government support for international deals, and can be designated by the Secretary of Energy for specific international arrangements with competition law waivers. Companies like Westinghouse, NuScale, and TerraPower would have federal agencies actively promoting their products abroad.
Nuclear consulting and advisory firms benefit from $50 million in authorized funding to place senior advisors in developing countries to help establish nuclear programs, creating direct revenue opportunities.
Developing nations seeking nuclear power (excluding adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea) can receive grants of up to $5.5 million each and technical assistance to develop their nuclear energy programs.
Allied nations (OECD members and India) gain access to cost-sharing arrangements for advanced reactor development and cooperative research facilities.
Who Bears the Burden and How
U.S. taxpayers fund approximately $65.5 million in authorized appropriations ($15.5 million for international cooperation programs and $50 million for direct assistance to developing nations), plus the costs of new offices, working groups, conferences, and diplomatic initiatives.
Federal agencies face significant new coordination, reporting, and oversight requirements across the Departments of Energy, State, and Commerce, as well as the Export-Import Bank and Inspector General offices.
Russian and Chinese nuclear companies (Rosatom, CNNC, and their affiliates) are explicitly targeted by provisions designed to reduce their market share and offer developing countries alternatives to their financing and technology.
Key Provisions
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Creates White House nuclear export office: Establishes an Office of the Assistant to the President and Director for International Nuclear Energy Export Policy within the National Energy Dominance Council to coordinate all U.S. civil nuclear export activities.
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10-year export strategy with targets: Requires development of a 10-year civil nuclear trade strategy with biennial targets for exporting reactors, equipment, and fuel.
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$50 million for developing country grants: Authorizes grants of up to $5.5 million per country (maximum 5 grants total per country) to help nations establish nuclear programs using U.S. technology.
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Competition law waivers: Allows the Secretary of Energy to designate specific U.S. companies for international arrangements and waive competition laws to promote U.S. nuclear exports.
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Biennial international conferences: Requires the President to hold biennial conferences on nuclear safety and sustainability, specifically aimed at developing alternatives to Chinese and Russian nuclear financing.
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India nuclear liability dialogue: Creates a formal mechanism to encourage India to align its nuclear liability rules with international norms, removing a major barrier to U.S. nuclear exports to India.
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Strategic Infrastructure Fund exploration: Establishes a working group to explore creating a fund to support civil nuclear technologies and microprocessors as strategic investments.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
Primary Purpose
Establishes a comprehensive framework to promote U.S. civil nuclear energy exports to allied nations and developing countries, counter Russian and Chinese nuclear influence abroad, and create financing and coordination mechanisms to support American nuclear industry competitiveness globally.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Counter Russian and Chinese influence in global nuclear energy markets by creating a coordinated U.S. government apparatus to promote American nuclear technology exports, provide financing assistance to developing nations, and establish international cooperation frameworks favoring U.S. industry."
Likely Beneficiaries
- U.S. nuclear energy companies (reactor manufacturers, fuel suppliers, service providers)
- Nuclear industry exporters and contractors
- OECD member nations and India seeking nuclear cooperation
- Developing nations seeking alternatives to Russian/Chinese nuclear programs
- Nuclear technology training and consulting firms
Likely Burden Bearers
- U.S. taxpayers (funding grants, financial assistance, and coordination infrastructure)
- Federal agencies (new coordination, reporting, and oversight requirements)
- Russian and Chinese nuclear companies (loss of market access)
- Countries excluded from the program (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, etc.)
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_assistant"
- → Assistant to the President and Director for International Nuclear Energy Export Policy
- "the_president"
- → President of the United States
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Energy
- "secretary_of_state"
- → Secretary of State
- "secretary_of_commerce"
- → Secretary of Commerce
- "the_office"
- → Office of the Assistant to the President and Director for International Nuclear Energy Export Policy
- "working_group"
- → Nuclear Exports Working Group
- "the_president"
- → President of the United States
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Energy
- "secretary_of_state"
- → Secretary of State
- "the_president"
- → President of the United States
- "working_group"
- → Strategic Infrastructure Fund Working Group
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A nuclear fission reactor with significant improvements compared to reactors operating on October 19, 2016, including inherent safety features, lower waste yields, improved fuel performance, increased proliferation resistance, increased thermal efficiency; also includes fusion reactors and radioisotope power systems.
Government of any OECD member country, the Government of India, or any country designated by the Secretary of State for purposes of this Act.
An entity owned, controlled, or operated by an ally or partner nation or associated individual, or organized under the laws of such a country.
Activities relating to nuclear plant construction, fuel services, financing, operations, regulation, medicine, safety, community engagement, infrastructure, decommissioning, liability, spent fuel storage/disposal, environmental safeguards, nonproliferation, and related technology.
A country without a civil nuclear program or in the process of developing/expanding one, including those developing regulatory frameworks, selecting reactor technologies, or eligible for World Bank development lending. Excludes China, Russia, Belarus, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Burma, and countries with blocked property or designated as terrorism supporters.
A company organized under U.S. laws or subject to U.S. jurisdiction that is involved in the nuclear energy industry.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology