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Oklahoma Legislature· SB 131Placed on General Order

An act relating to nuclear energy, the official text

Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1                           STATE OF OKLAHOMA

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2                 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)

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3 SENATE BILL 131            By: Burns
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6                            AS INTRODUCED

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7   An Act relating to nuclear energy; defining terms;

7   requiring certain notice and report to the

8   Corporation Commission prior to retirement of a coal-

8   fired electric generation facility; specifying

9   contents of certain report; requiring issuance of

9   final order by the Commission for replacement

10  findings; directing rule promulgation; authorizing an

10  entity to construct a nuclear power plant under

11  certain circumstances; requiring entity to establish

11  secondary facility for certain purpose within certain

12  postal code; requiring certain entity to submit

12  letter of intent and application to the Department of

13  Environmental Quality; establishing application

13  contents; providing for codification; and providing

14  an effective date.

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16 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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17  SECTION 1.     NEW LAW   A new section of law to be codified

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18 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 158 of Title 17, unless there is
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19 created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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20  A. As used in this act:

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21  1. "Advanced nuclear reactors" means nuclear reactors,

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22 including small modular reactors or any necessary ancillary
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23 facilities or structures, that are authorized by the United States
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    Req. No. 202                                                Page 1
1 Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Department of Environmental
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2 Quality as prescribed in Section 2 of this act; and
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3   2. "Retire" means the closure of or the complete and permanent

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4 cessation of operations at an electric generation facility.
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5   B. 1. If an electric utility doing business in this state

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6 elects to retire a coal-fired electric generation facility, the
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7 utility shall submit a written notice and report to the Corporation
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8 Commission, in the form and manner prescribed by the Commission, of
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9 the retirement and disclose any preliminary plans regarding the
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10 replacement of the coal-fired electric generation facility. The
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11 notice and report shall include a cost study of replacement options
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12 for the coal-fired electric generation facility.
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13  2. The electric utility shall prioritize the replacement of the

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14 coal-fired electric generation facility with an advanced nuclear
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15 reactor. If the utility does not intend to replace the facility
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16 with an advanced nuclear reactor, the utility shall submit in
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17 writing the reasoning and evidence supporting the findings of the
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18 utility. The Corporation Commission shall issue a final order
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19 approving or disapproving the replacement option submitted for a
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20 retiring coal-fired electric generation facility.
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21  C. If an electric utility intends to establish an advanced

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22 nuclear reactor, either through the retirement of a coal-fired
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23 electric generation facility or other means, the utility shall
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24 comply with the provisions of Section 2 of this act.
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    Req. No. 202                                               Page 2
1   D. The Corporation Commission shall promulgate rules to

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2 effectuate the provisions of this section.
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3   SECTION 2.    NEW LAW      A new section of law to be codified

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4 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2-7-501 of Title 27A, unless
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5 there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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6   A. For the purposes of this section, "qualified entity" or

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7 "entity" means an entity that has complied with federal and state
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8 requirements for constructing a nuclear power plant and has had its
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9 application approved by the Department of Environmental Quality
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10 pursuant to this section. An entity that seeks to construct a
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11 nuclear power plant in this state shall be deemed a qualified entity
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12 under this section provided that the entity follows the regulations
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13 and guidance of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission and
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14 is granted the necessary licenses under 10 C.F.R., Part 50.
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15  B. The Department of Environmental Quality and the Corporation

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16 Commission shall promulgate rules in accordance with federal
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17 regulations for the purpose of creating a regulatory environment for
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18 a qualifying entity to construct a nuclear power plant.
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19  C. 1. An entity seeking to construct a nuclear power plant

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20 under this section shall also construct a facility, either at the
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21 plant location or within the same five-digit zip code of the
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22 proposed plant location, with sufficient capacity to receive the
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23 spent fuel from the plant.
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    Req. No. 202                                                Page 3
1   2. An entity seeking to construct a nuclear power plant under

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2 this section shall, in a form to be prescribed by the Department,
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3 submit a letter of intent to construct the plant and facility and an
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4 application for approval of the construction. The application shall
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5 include but not be limited to:
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6   a. the projected dates for beginning and completing

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7                 construction,

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8   b. the location of the proposed nuclear power plant and

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9                 facility,

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10  c. copies of any applications, correspondence, or forms

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11                submitted in accordance with the requirements of the

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12                United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission,

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13  d. any statistics or information conveying the cost-

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14                effectiveness, efficiency, and energy-saving potential

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15                of the proposed facility, and

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16  e. any other information deemed necessary by the

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17                Department for approval.

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18  D. The Department shall promulgate any rules necessary to

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19 effectuate the provisions of this section.
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20  SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.

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22  60-1-202      RD             12/27/2024 1:41:07 PM

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    Req. No. 202                                                Page 4
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