Findings and sense of Congress regarding Taiwan’s use of nuclear energy

(a) Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, nuclear energy— (A) is the second safest source of energy; (B) is one of only 2 clean energies that offer non-stop baseload power required for sustainable economic growth and improved human welfare; and (C) when compared with other sources of electricity from cradle to grave, has the lowest carbon footprint, uses fewer materials, and takes up less land. (2) A nuclear fuel assembly lasts up to 6 years, making supply more resistant to maritime disruption. (3) Taiwan has built a robust civilian nuclear capability over previous decades that has shown the potential to provide clean, reliable power to Taiwan. (4) On May 17, 2025, the Maanshan-2, Taiwan’s last operating nuclear power plant, was shut down after its 40-year operating license expired. (5) There are compelling economic and security reasons to evaluate placing existing infrastructure back in service to ensure Taiwan has clean, reliable power that is more resilient in a contingency. (6) As a result of Taiwan’s substantial use of energy in industrial manufacturing and production, and emerging energy requirements for electrification, artificial intelligence, and data center support, there is considerable benefit for Taiwan to evaluate new small modular reactors technology to augment its energy capacity and resilience. (7) As Taiwan modernizes its military, the power demand from command-and-control systems, intelligence platforms, drone operations, and joint battlespace integration will continue to increase. (b) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) it is in the interests of both the United States and Taiwan for the Government of Taiwan to consider— (A) maintaining nuclear power as an energy source; and (B) utilizing new nuclear technologies, including Gen III+ nuclear reactors and small modular reactor technology; and (2) the United States should prioritize assistance and cooperation with Taiwan on nuclear energy to improve technology exports and job creation in the United States and energy security and resilience in Taiwan.