AN ACT Relating to nuclear power generation in the state plan submitted to the United States environmental protection agency under the clean power plan; and adding a new section to chapter 70.94 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 70.94 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The legislature finds that in the clean power plan, the United States environmental protection agency determined that: (a) Electricity generation from new nuclear generating capacity can replace fossil fuel-fired generation and thereby reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and (b) any incremental zero-emitting generation from new or uprated nuclear capacity is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and can play a key role in state plans submitted for the purpose of complying with the clean power plan.

(2) Any state plan for Washington submitted to the United States environmental protection agency pursuant to the clean power plan, section 111(d) of the federal clean air act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 7411(d)), or any rule adopted under the clean power plan or section 111(d) of the federal clean air act, must provide for the use of new or uprated nuclear generation, including but not limited to small modular reactors, to the maximum extent allowable.

(3) For the purposes of this section, "small modular reactor" means a scalable nuclear power plant using reactors that each have a gross power output no greater than three hundred megawatts electric, and where each reactor is designed for factory manufacturing and ease of transport, such as by truck, rail, or barge.

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