Legislation intended to encourage the development of small modular nuclear reactors in Michigan has received its first state House committee hearing.

State Representative Joey Andrews tells us the House Energy Committee last week heard from a wide range of supporters.

“The utilities all came out in support,” Andrews said. “DTE, I&M locally, Consumers — all supportive. The laborers and the carpenters on the union side came out in support, and then representatives from the University of Michigan and the nuclear department there. So, a lot of really strong support for the bills.”

The bipartisan legislation creates incentives for the design and construction of SMRs while offering tax credits to workers in the nuclear industry. It would also create grants for colleges to train students in the nuclear field. Andrews says that’s attracted the support of Lake Michigan College, which was also represented at the hearing.

“Because they ran a nuclear certification program for a number of years and want to do so again. So, a lot of interest in being able to train the workforce in Michigan and retain the workforce in Michigan.”

Andrews says the University of Michigan also has one of the top nuclear engineering departments in the country. It’s complained that it trains the best nuclear scientists in America, but then they leave and go work somewhere else. He says this legislation could help fix that by putting Michigan at the forefront of the nuclear industry.

Andrews is expecting fairly quick passed of the legislation in the House once it’s moved to the floor. He says that could happen as soon as next week, depending on when House Energy Committee Chair Pauline Wendzel calls for a committee vote.