Testimony of Dr. Edwin Lyman Senior Scientist, Global Security Program Union of Concerned Scientists on S. 512, “The Nuclear Power 2021 Act” and S. 1067, “The Nuclear Energy Research Initiative Improvement Act of 2011” Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources U.S. Senate

Dr. Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists testifies that small modular reactors (SMRs) do not offer clear economic advantages over large reactors and may introduce greater safety, security, and proliferation risks. He argues that S. 512 should require the Department of Energy to prioritize designs that significantly exceed current safety standards rather than those relying on weakened regulations. Additionally, he cautions against statutory deadlines for NRC licensing and suggests that S. 1067 explicitly link cost-reduction research with the enhancement of safety and security.

• Small modular reactors (SMRs) lack a clear capital cost advantage over larger reactors due to the principle of economies of scale. A 2007 study by Westinghouse scientists indicated that the capital cost of four 335 megawatt reactors was slightly higher than that of a single 1340 megawatt reactor, suggesting that benefits like reduced construction times do not fully offset the size penalty.
• SMRs may pose increased safety and security risks if regulatory requirements for emergency planning, staffing, and security are weakened. The author notes that even a 50-megawatt SMR contains significant radioactive fission products and that co-locating up to twelve SMRs at one site could create extreme management challenges during simultaneous crises, similar to those seen at Fukushima Daiichi.
• The distributed deployment of SMRs to remote areas, military bases, or countries without nuclear experience would strain the inspection resources of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the safeguarding capabilities of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
• The Union of Concerned Scientists recommends that S. 512 be amended to prohibit the Department of Energy from selecting reactor designs whose business cases depend on weakening NRC regulations. Furthermore, the author argues against statutory deadlines for NRC licensing certifications, as these could pressure the NRC to accelerate reviews and overlook complex technical issues.

APA

Lyman, E. (2011). Testimony of Dr. Edwin Lyman Senior Scientist, Global Security Program Union of Concerned Scientists on S. 512, “The Nuclear Power 2021 Act” and S. 1067, “The Nuclear Energy Research Initiative Improvement Act of 2011” Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources U.S. Senate. Union of Concerned Scientists. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/legacy/assets/documents/nuclear_power/lyman-testimony-06-07-2011.pdf

Chicago

Lyman, Edwin. Testimony of Dr. Edwin Lyman Senior Scientist, Global Security Program Union of Concerned Scientists on S. 512, “The Nuclear Power 2021 Act” and S. 1067, “The Nuclear Energy Research Initiative Improvement Act of 2011” Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources U.S. Senate. Union of Concerned Scientists, 2011. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/legacy/assets/documents/nuclear_power/lyman-testimony-06-07-2011.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Lyman |first1=Edwin |title=Testimony of Dr. Edwin Lyman Senior Scientist, Global Security Program Union of Concerned Scientists on S. 512, “The Nuclear Power 2021 Act” and S. 1067, “The Nuclear Energy Research Initiative Improvement Act of 2011” Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources U.S. Senate |publisher=Union of Concerned Scientists |date=7 June 2011 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/legacy/assets/documents/nuclear_power/lyman-testimony-06-07-2011.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{lyman2011testimony, author = {Lyman, Edwin}, title = {{Testimony of Dr. Edwin Lyman Senior Scientist, Global Security Program Union of Concerned Scientists on S. 512, “The Nuclear Power 2021 Act” and S. 1067, “The Nuclear Energy Research Initiative Improvement Act of 2011” Before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources U.S. Senate}}, publisher = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2011}, month = jun, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/legacy/assets/documents/nuclear_power/lyman-testimony-06-07-2011.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }