2025-2026 Bill 936 Text of Previous Version (Apr. 29, 2026)

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A joint Resolution

TO AFFIRM THE COMMITMENT OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO SECURING SOUTH CAROLINA'S ROLE AS THE NATION'S PREMIER HOST FOR A NUCLEAR LIFECYCLE INNOVATION CAMPUS; TO RECOGNIZE SOUTH CAROLINA'S UNMATCHED LEADERSHIP IN NUCLEAR ENERGY, NATIONAL SECURITY, AND ADVANCED MANUFACTURING; AND TO DIRECT A UNIFIED, COMPETITIVE STATE RESPONSE TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY'S REQUEST FOR INFORMATION.

Amend Title To Conform

Whereas, on January 28, 2026, the U.S. Department of Energy issued a Request for Information seeking state partners to host integrated Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses spanning the full civilian nuclear value chain, representing one of the most consequential federal economic and national security initiatives in a generation; and

Whereas, a series of Presidential Executive Orders signed in 2025, addressing domestic nuclear fuel supply chains, advanced reactor deployment, critical infrastructure resilience, and modernization of federal regulatory processes, have established as a matter of urgent national priority the rebuilding of America's nuclear industrial base and the restoration of American global leadership in nuclear technology, making this moment a defining opportunity for states positioned to lead, and no state is better positioned to seize that opportunity than South Carolina; and

Whereas, South Carolina's decades-long partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy through the Savannah River Site and the Savannah River National Laboratory has produced an unparalleled record of safe, mission-critical nuclear operations and has established the State as a trusted steward of the nation's most sensitive nuclear assets; and

Whereas, South Carolina ranks first in the nation in nuclear employment concentration, with a deep and proven workforce spanning nuclear engineering, fuel cycle services, materials management, nuclear-grade precision manufacturing, and radiochemical processing, all of which is supported by the state's research universities, technical college system, registered apprenticeship programs, and a veteran workforce; and

Whereas, South Carolina produces approximately fifty percent of the nation's nuclear fuel, making the State not merely a participant in the domestic nuclear supply chain but its backbone, and a critical bulwark against foreign energy dependence; and

Whereas, nuclear energy generates approximately half of South Carolina's electricity, one of the highest shares in the nation, demonstrating the state's enduring commitment to reliable baseload power, grid stability, and long-term energy security; and

Whereas, the South Carolina Energy Security Act of 2025 provides a durable policy foundation for nuclear development, signaling to federal partners and private investors that South Carolina is serious, stable, and ready; and

Whereas, the South Carolina General Assembly, through Senate Bill S. 51, ratified in May 2025 as Act 73, encouraged Santee Cooper to solicit competitive private sector bids for the restart and completion of V.C. Summer Nuclear Units 2 and 3, the partially constructed reactors at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Jenkinsville, South Carolina, that were abandoned in 2017; and

Whereas, acting pursuant to Act 73, Santee Cooper conducted a competitive solicitation process and awarded a contract to Brookfield Renewable Partners for the restart and completion of V.C. Summer Units 2 and 3, marking an historic recommitment to domestic nuclear construction and positioning South Carolina as the site of what would be the first new nuclear reactors completed in the United States in a generation; and

Whereas, the restart and completion of V.C. Summer Units 2 and 3 will add approximately 2,200 megawatts of new, carbon-free baseload nuclear generating capacity to South Carolina's grid, further deepening the state's already exceptional concentration of nuclear generation assets and operational expertise; and

Whereas, the decision to restart and complete V.C. Summer Units 2 and 3 demonstrates South Carolina's unique capacity to support the full nuclear lifecycle, from fuel production and reactor construction to long-term operations and workforce development, and provides compelling additional evidence that South Carolina is ideally qualified to serve as the site of a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus, where the full civilian nuclear value chain can be advanced in a state that is not merely planning for a nuclear future, but actively building one; and

Whereas, the Savannah River Site currently stores more than 33 million gallons of legacy high-level radioactive waste as well as substantial quantities of spent nuclear fuel, and while the General Assembly opposes any expansion of the State's role as a destination for nuclear waste beyond its existing legal obligations, the legacy materials stored at the Savannah River Site and the nuclear materials the State is already obligated to receive under existing agreements represent longstanding remediation obligations that the State has an interest in discharging as completely and efficiently as possible; and

Whereas, a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus designation would position South Carolina to deploy advanced nuclear fuel cycle technologies, including, without limitation, electrochemical reprocessing, pyroprocessing, and molten salt extraction, to convert waste streams and nuclear materials already present at the Savannah River Site and those the State is otherwise obligated to receive into usable fuel for advanced reactors, thereby reducing stored waste volume and toxicity while generating economic value; and

Whereas, hosting a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus would bring to South Carolina high-wage employment, billions in private capital investment, advanced manufacturing growth, and sustained economic development extending across urban centers and rural communities near the state's existing federal and industrial assets, and opportunity that South Carolina must not allow to pass to another state; and

Whereas, strengthening domestic nuclear capabilities is not merely an economic matter but a strategic imperative that reduces reliance on foreign fuel services, reinforces America's defense posture, and restores the technological leadership that underpins our nation's security and global influence; and

Whereas, South Carolina's record of safe nuclear operations, rigorous environmental monitoring, and transparent community engagement provides the foundation of public trust essential to the long-term success of a federal initiative of this magnitude; and

Whereas, the South Carolina Department of Commerce, through SC Nexus, has convened a steering committee of leaders drawn from state agencies, research universities, the Savannah River National Laboratory, private industry, utilities, workforce institutions, and economic development organizations, demonstrating that South Carolina does not merely express interest but is already organized, aligned, and moving; and

Whereas, South Carolina stands ready to advance national security, energy security, and economic prosperity through full and competitive participation in this federal initiative, and the General Assembly is determined that South Carolina shall make the strongest possible case.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. This joint resolution may be cited as the "South Carolina Nuclear Innovation Campus Support Joint Resolution."

SECTION 2. For purposes of this joint resolution:

(1) "Request for Information" means the solicitation issued January 28, 2026, by the U.S. Department of Energy seeking state partners to host Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses.

(2) "Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus" means an integrated environment supporting one or more elements of nuclear research, development, demonstration, deployment, fuel cycle services, materials management, advanced manufacturing, and workforce development.

(3) "State response" means a coordinated submission developed by the State of South Carolina in response to the Request for Information.

(4) "V.C. Summer Units 2 and 3" means the partially constructed nuclear reactor units at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Jenkinsville, South Carolina, the restart and completion of which was encouraged pursuant to Act 73 of 2025.

SECTION 3. The General Assembly finds that South Carolina's nuclear infrastructure, workforce, research institutions, and proven operational record make it uniquely suited to host a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus, and that doing so would advance national security by reducing dependence on foreign nuclear fuel and services, support defense-related missions and critical infrastructure, reinforce American technological leadership, generate high-wage employment, attract transformative private investment, and strengthen advanced manufacturing throughout the State.

The General Assembly further finds that the enactment of Act 73 of 2025, encouraging Santee Cooper to solicit private sector bids for the completion of V.C. Summer Units 2 and 3, and Santee Cooper's subsequent award of that contract to Brookfield Renewable Partners, reflects South Carolina's demonstrated willingness to act decisively to advance nuclear energy development, and that the active restart and completion of those reactors will provide a singular operational asset - new nuclear construction underway within the state's borders - that no other prospective host state can offer to the federal government in connection with a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus.

The General Assembly further finds that the convening of a public-private steering committee by the South Carolina Department of Commerce reflects the coordinated, collaborative approach this initiative demands, and that the General Assembly's formal expression of support strengthens South Carolina's competitive position before the federal government.

The General Assembly further finds that a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus designation presents a singular opportunity to more fully and efficiently address the more than 33 million gallons of legacy high-level radioactive waste at the Savannah River Site and the nuclear materials South Carolina is already obligated to receive under existing agreements, and that the advanced reprocessing technologies such a campus would bring offer the prospect of converting those materials into usable nuclear fuel, reducing stored waste volume and toxicity, and accelerating the State's remediation timeline.

The General Assembly further finds and declares that its support for advanced reprocessing technologies is limited in scope to nuclear materials already present at the Savannah River Site and materials South Carolina is obligated to receive under existing legal agreements; that deploying these technologies to manage this universe of materials serves the State's direct interest in discharging its existing obligations more completely and reducing long-term storage burdens; and that nothing in this joint resolution shall be construed as consent to receive, process, or store nuclear waste beyond what South Carolina is already legally obligated to accept.

SECTION 4. The General Assembly expresses its support for the development of the strongest possible competitive State response to the U.S. Department of Energy's Request for Information, and affirms South Carolina's readiness, capability, and commitment to serve as a premier host for an integrated Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus or one or more components thereof consistent with federal guidance. The General Assembly further affirms that the restart and completion of V.C. Summer Nuclear Units 2 and 3, undertaken pursuant to Act 73 of 2025, exemplifies the type of bold, forward-looking action that distinguishes South Carolina from other states and that makes this State the preeminent candidate to host a Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus.

Nothing in this joint resolution shall be construed as committing the State to a specific site, geographic region, fuel cycle activity, or financial obligation, and any future decisions regarding siting, funding, or formal agreements shall require separate legislative authorization and appropriate oversight. Each agency or subdivision of the state to which this joint resolution applies shall take all necessary actions to ensure that costs associated with the development of the State response and any subsequent actions taken to implement the State response are not unreasonably borne by South Carolina taxpayers or utility ratepayers.

SECTION 5. Within thirty days after the effective date of this joint resolution, each agency or subdivision of the State to which this joint resolution applies shall receive a copy of this resolution and shall take all necessary actions to ensure full collaboration in furtherance of its purposes. This section does not apply to units of local government.

SECTION 6. The provisions of this joint resolution shall be liberally construed to effectuate its purposes.

SECTION 7. This joint resolution takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

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