Oklahoma § 17-803

§ 17-803.

Nuclear energy generation feasibility study.

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 17. Corporation Commission

A. Not later than ninety (90) days after the effective date of

this act, the Corporation Commission shall start the process to

engage an outside consulting firm to conduct a technical and legal

feasibility study on nuclear energy generation in this state. This

engagement shall be exempt from the state procurement process under

Section 85.1 et seq. of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes and follow

the Corporation Commission process to retain expert witnesses on

behalf of the agency to ensure the ability to timely conduct the

study and complete the requirements of this section. The consulting

firm shall be well-established in the nuclear industry.

B. The feasibility study shall evaluate and consider:

1. Advantages and disadvantages of generating nuclear energy in

this state, including, but not limited to, the economic and

environmental impacts;

2. Methods to maximize existing workforce and products made in

this state for the construction of nuclear energy generation

facilities;

3. Design characteristics, including recommendations for design

specification and site selection;

4. Environmental and ecological impacts;

5. Land and siting criteria, including specific geographic

areas that are best suited for new nuclear generation, as well as

cities near military bases that may use new nuclear electric

generation to meet the military resiliency requirements of 10

U.S.C., Section 2920;

6. Safety criteria;

7. Engineering and cost-related information;

8. Small modular nuclear reactor and microreactors capability;

and

9. Socioeconomic factors, including, but not limited to:

a.

workforce education, training, and development,

b.

local and state tax base,

c.

supply chain capability,

d.

permanent and temporary job creation,

e.

timeline for development, including areas of potential

efficiencies, and potential leveraging of existing

facilities within this state,

f.

literature review of studies that have assessed the

potential impact of nuclear energy generation, and

g.

policy recommendations to support nuclear energy

generation, including a survey of federal programs to

financially assist the development of a nuclear

project in this state.

C. The Corporation Commission in conjunction with retail

electric suppliers and municipally owned electric utilities shall

cooperate in providing information relevant to the feasibility

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 17. Corporation Commission

study, providing for reasonable safeguards to protect confidential

information.

D. Not later than nine (9) months after the effective date of

this act, the Corporation Commission shall electronically deliver

the feasibility study findings to the President Pro Tempore of the

Oklahoma State Senate, the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of

Representatives, and the Governor.

E. In the event the Corporation Commission is unable to hire a

consultant to complete the report, the Commission is authorized to

conduct a notice of inquiry and utilize the information received

from the stakeholders in conjunction with a consulting firm to

reduce the cost of gathering information for the purpose of the

study and report.

Added by Laws 2025, c. 491, § 1, emerg. eff. June 9, 2025.