Charleston Leader

The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee convened today to deliberate on the nomination of Matthew Marzano as a member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Ranking Member Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) delivered her opening statement, acknowledging the significance of September 11 and expressing gratitude for the Chairman's tribute to that day.

Capito extended her thanks to Marzano and his family for attending the hearing. She highlighted Marzano's background, noting his tenure with the EPW Committee beginning in 2022 as an American Nuclear Society Glenn Seaborg Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow. She emphasized the importance of his fellowship with the committee, which actively addresses nuclear energy issues.

Following his fellowship, Marzano worked on energy policy at the Idaho National Laboratory before rejoining Chairman Carper’s staff as a lab detailee. Capito noted that during this period, they discussed critical energy project developments across the country.

Capito criticized the Biden-Harris Administration’s climate agenda, particularly targeting the "Inflation Reduction Act," arguing it harms American competitiveness and consumers by imposing regulatory strategies that restrict fossil-fuel energy. She expressed concerns about reliability challenges and increased costs resulting from these policies.

Emphasizing America's need for reliable and affordable energy sources, Capito advocated for preserving conventional energy generation while deploying innovative technologies like advanced nuclear reactors. She stressed that nuclear energy should remain a significant part of America’s energy portfolio.

Capito referenced global events underscoring U.S. energy leadership needs, citing Russia's geostrategic dependencies through state-backed nuclear contracts and China's plans to significantly increase its nuclear power capacity. These developments pose challenges to U.S. leadership in nuclear energy policy.

To address these challenges, Capito highlighted bipartisan efforts leading to the enactment of the "Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act" (ADVANCE Act), aimed at streamlining NRC’s licensing process. The law intends to ensure safe use of nuclear energy without regulatory obstacles.

Capito underscored that successful implementation requires effective policy decisions, leadership within NRC staff, resolution of licensing issues, and modernization reflecting current energy outlooks. She stressed prudent resource management by NRC Commissioners to prioritize high-value licensing and oversight activities.

Addressing Marzano directly, Capito acknowledged his experience as a licensed reactor operator working under NRC regulations and expressed interest in understanding how he would approach critical policy matters if confirmed.

She concluded by thanking Chairman Carper for advancing Marzano's nomination.