AN ACT to provide for a legislative management study relating to advanced nuclear energy; and to provide an appropriation.
HB1025 directs the Legislative Management to conduct an interim study during 2025-26 on the feasibility, siting, and deployment of advanced nuclear power plants in North Dakota. The study is broad in scope and must examine potential greenfield and brownfield sites, grid connectivity and needed infrastructure upgrades, land use and zoning issues, economic effects such as jobs and tax revenue, temporary and permanent nuclear waste storage, the feasibility of small modular and micro reactors, and any Century Code restrictions that may affect advanced nuclear development.
The bill also requires the study to involve an institution of higher education to help evaluate social interests and community acceptance of possible sites. A study committee is established with representatives from the energy industry, state agencies, and both chambers of the Legislature, and the Legislative Management must report findings and any recommended legislation to the 70th Legislative Assembly. The bill includes a one-time appropriation of $300,000 from the general fund and $300,000 in matching special funds from grants or donations, to be used by the Legislative Council to contract for consulting services for the study.
HB1025 does not directly change substantive energy law or authorize construction of nuclear facilities; instead, it creates a formal legislative study process that could lead to future statutory changes. It affects the Legislative Council and Legislative Management by assigning them responsibility for organizing the study, paying committee expenses, and securing consulting and matching funds. It also potentially identifies existing North Dakota Century Code provisions that may restrict advanced nuclear development, which could inform later amendments affecting siting, regulation, land use, and energy infrastructure.
The bill appears to have broad support and a generally favorable reception. It passed the House 77-14 and the Senate 44-2, indicating strong bipartisan approval for exploring advanced nuclear energy as a future option for the state. The voting margins suggest that lawmakers were comfortable with funding a study rather than committing immediately to project development.
The main points of contention likely centered on the use of public funds for a planning study, the inclusion of private-sector matching funds, and the policy implications of advanced nuclear development, including waste storage, siting, and community acceptance. Potential concerns may also have involved whether North Dakota should pursue nuclear energy at all, and whether the study could identify legal or regulatory barriers that would later require controversial changes to state law. The relatively small number of dissenting votes suggests these concerns were present but not dominant.