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Witnesses urge the Senate to embrace advanced nuclear as 'green energy' under HB 308
Summary
Proponents testified that House Bill 308’s proposed definition of 'green energy' should include advanced nuclear technologies. Witnesses said Gen‑IV and molten‑salt reactors offer low‑CO2, reliable baseload power, lower waste profiles, and potentially reduced costs, and urged passage to restore U.S. leadership in nuclear tech.
Experts testifying on House Bill 308 urged the Senate Energy and Public Utilities Committee to recognize advanced nuclear technologies as a form of green energy and to support policies that would facilitate their demonstration and deployment in Ohio.
Dr. William Thesling, who said he holds a doctorate in electrical engineering and serves on the board of the Ohio Nuclear Development Authority, testified that HB 308 would classify low‑CO2 energy sources — including next‑generation nuclear designs — as green energy. He argued advanced nuclear designs such as certain molten‑salt and Gen‑IV reactors offer inherent safety improvements, lower operating pressures, passive cooling, and the potential for lower capital costs compared with today’s generation‑3 reactors.
David Amorine, a 47‑year nuclear industry veteran and former president of Nuclear Fuel Services, read excerpts of written testimony stressing the United States’ historical leadership in nuclear safety and operations. Amorine said recent generation‑4 designs could reduce waste and cost, citing factory construction, modular assembly, and passive safety features that proponents say could cut costs significantly. He urged the committee to pass HB 308 to help Ohio participate in advanced reactor development and related industry activity.
During questioning, Senator Serino asked what has changed to make some environmental advocates more accepting of nuclear energy; Thesling pointed to growing power demands — for example from data centers — and nuclear’s advantage as reliable, on‑demand generation. Senator Cerino asked follow‑ups about whether past opponents mispredicted demand growth; Thesling reiterated his view that nuclear can produce larger amounts of reliable, low‑CO2 electricity and advocated for policy support.
Witnesses emphasized education, interagency cooperation, and research coordination among the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Naval Reactors, utilities, industry, and universities as HB 308 moves forward. The committee accepted written testimony from additional submitters and closed the second hearing with no recorded committee vote that day.
Next steps and timetable for HB 308 were not specified in the hearing record.
