A package of legislation intended to spur the development of small modular nuclear reactors in Michigan while attracting workers in the nuclear field has been approved by a state House committee.
State Representative Pauline Wendzel, chair of the House Energy Committee, tells us the package creates a research and development tax credit for SMRs. She says the committee vote on Tuesday to advance the package was bipartisan.
“We’ve got the great American Nuclear Renaissance, is what it’s been been coined, here,” Wendzel said. “There’s a lot of talk around nuclear, but today we had a bipartisan vote, which is great, and we’re showing that Michigan is not just going to embrace these technologies, but we are really going to truly be the leaders.”
Wendzel says the legislation also funds a new higher education grant to help colleges train nuclear workers and creates a tax credit for those workers.
“Then it provides support for the workers who do complete these programs to commit them to staying and working in Michigan, which is a really important part of it. Instead of going all over the country and the world, they’re training here and they’re staying here.”
Wendzel says the legislation is built around the idea that if Michigan wants to lead the world in nuclear energy, then it needs to invest in the industry. She tells us most of the bills in the package got unanimous support in the committee.
The package now goes on to the full Michigan House.
