Session of 2025
SENATE BILL No. 274
By Committee on Federal and State Affairs
2-18
AN ACT concerning energy; relating to the state corporation commission;
requiring the commission to engage a consulting firm to conduct a
technical and legal feasibility study on new nuclear energy generation
in this state; making and concerning appropriations for the fiscal year
ending June 30, 2026, for the state corporation commission.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. (a) (1) To provide information that may assist future
legislative and regulatory efforts to craft forward-looking nuclear energy
policy, the state corporation commission shall engage an outside
consulting firm to conduct a technical and legal feasibility study regarding
the promotion of nuclear energy generation in this state. The commission
shall choose a consulting firm that:
(A) Is well-established in the nuclear industry and has been in
existence for more than 35 years;
(B) currently has or has had at least 90% of the existing nuclear
operators in the United States as a customer within the preceding 10 years;
(C) has earned 50% of the firm's revenue from nuclear licensing over
the preceding 20 years; and
(D) is staffed by a licensed attorney who has experience in assisting
entities with submitting and obtaining regulatory licenses, certifications
and approvals for new reactor designs pursuant to 10 C.F.R. part 52.
(2) In addition to the foregoing requirements, if competent to perform
such services as defined in K.S.A. 73-201(a)(2), and amendments thereto,
the commission shall give preference to a consulting firm that is managed
by and has at least 40% of the firm's assets owned by one or more
individuals who are military veterans and whose military service included
nuclear operating experiences.
(3) The provisions of K.S.A. 75-3739 et seq., and amendments
thereto, shall not apply to any contract established pursuant to this section.
(b) The feasibility study conducted by such firm shall consider the
following:
(1) The advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy generation in
this state, including, but not limited to, the economic and environmental
impacts;
(2) ways to maximize the use of workers who reside in this state and
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36 SB 274 2
products made in this state in the construction of nuclear energy generation
facilities;
(3) evaluations, conclusions and recommendations on the following:
(A) Design characteristics and evaluation, including specific
recommendations of optimal designs based on site characteristics and
possible industrial uses;
(B) environmental and ecological impacts;
(C) land and siting criteria, including specific areas that are best
suited for new nuclear generation based on the land and siting criteria;
(D) safety criteria;
(E) engineering and cost-related criteria; and
(F) small modular nuclear reactor and microreactor capability;
(4) socioeconomic assessment and impact analysis, including, but not
limited to, the following:
(A) Workforce education, training and development;
(B) local and state tax base;
(C) supply chains; and
(D) permanent and temporary job creation;
(5) the timeline for development, including areas of potential
acceleration or efficiencies and leveraging existing facilities within this
state;
(6) additional efficiencies and other benefits that may be gained by
coordinating with other advanced, clean energy technologies, including,
but not limited to, hydrogen, direct air capture of carbon dioxide and
energy storage;
(7) literature review of studies that have assessed the potential impact
of nuclear energy generation in supporting an energy transition; and
(8) assessment and recommendation of current and future policies
that may be needed to support or accelerate the adoption of nuclear energy
generation or may improve its cost-effectiveness, including a survey of
federal programs and other methods that could financially assist a nuclear
project in this state.
(c) The state corporation commission, public utilities, cooperatives
and municipally owned utilities shall cooperate in providing information
relevant to the feasibility study, as needed, subject to notifications to
stakeholders and reasonable safeguards to protect confidential information.
Any record provided to the consulting firm pursuant to this section shall be
confidential and not subject to the provisions of the Kansas open records
act, K.S.A. 45-215 et seq., and amendments thereto. The provisions of this
subsection shall expire on July 1, 2030, unless the legislature reviews and
reenacts this provision pursuant to K.S.A. 45-229, and amendments
thereto, prior to July 1, 2030.
(d) The feasibility study shall be prepared and submitted to the
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43 SB 274 3
legislature, the governor, the senate committee on utilities and the house of
representatives committee on energy, utilities and telecommunications on
or before April 1, 2026.
Sec. 2.
KANSAS CORPORATION COMMISSION
(a) There is hereby appropriated for the above agency from the state
general fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, the following:
Nuclear feasibility study..................................................................$375,000
Sec. 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10