{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-simpson-celebrate-idaho-nuclear-tech-hub-designation", "Crapo, Risch, Simpson Celebrate Idaho Nuclear Tech Hub Designation", "2026-07-20", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "Senate", "ID", "Mike Crapo", "C000880", "www.crapo.senate.gov", "crapo", "https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch and U.S. Representative Mike Simpson (all R-Idaho) celebrated the U.S. Economic Development Administration\u2019s (EDA) announcement to award approximately $31 million to the Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Corridor (INEC) Tech Hub, a regional initiative of more than 45 organizations across Idaho and Wyoming, led by the Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium (IAEC). The Tech Hub will help position the Idaho and Wyoming nuclear energy innovation corridor as global leaders in advanced small modular reactors. The EDA announced Monday, July 20, it would award approximately $169 million across six Tech Hubs.\n\nThe INEC Tech Hub aims to leverage the region\u2019s existing nuclear manufacturing ecosystem to accelerate the deployment and commercialization of next-generation nuclear reactors, strengthen domestic nuclear supply chains and enhance U.S. energy security.\n\n\"This $31 million award is a significant investment in Idaho\u2019s future and further establishes our state as a national leader in advanced nuclear energy,\u201d said Crapo. \u201cThe INEC Tech Hub, led by the Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium, will build on Idaho\u2019s unmatched expertise and innovation in small modular reactors and reinforce our nation\u2019s technological leadership while reducing reliance on foreign adversaries for critical energy capabilities. I congratulate the many public and private partners whose collaboration has helped make this achievement possible.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe future of American nuclear energy is being developed in Idaho,\u201d said Risch. \u201cToday\u2019s investment by the U.S. Department of Commerce in the Intermountain-West Nuclear Energy Consortium Tech Hub capitalizes on Idaho\u2019s deep nuclear history and will expand opportunities for the West to maintain this strong reputation.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m thrilled to celebrate the Department of Commerce\u2019s $31 million investment in the INEC Tech Hub,\u201d said Simpson. \u201cAfter my Idaho colleagues and I expressed our strong support for this application, it is exciting to see this investment become a reality. This funding will strengthen American nuclear energy while reinforcing Idaho\u2019s leadership in nuclear innovation. Today\u2019s announcement is an important step toward advancing American energy dominance and strengthening our energy security.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat we\u2019re building here is bigger than any one organization, any one company, or any one community,\u201d said Hope Morrow, IAEC Vice President and Workforce and Economic Development Manager at INL. \u201cThe INEC Tech Hub is what American innovation looks like when everyone brings their best \u2014 and the people of the Intermountain West are going to see the benefits in jobs, opportunity, and long-term energy security.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe demand for nuclear energy is on the rise, and the Trump Administration is providing the energy industry with the resources it needs to meet that demand, including more nuclear reactors,\u201d said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. \u201cThis award will position Idaho and Wyoming as global leaders in advanced small modular reactors and leverage the region\u2019s existing nuclear manufacturing capabilities to accelerate reactor deployment, speed commercialization of next-generation reactors, and enhance U.S. energy security.\u201d\n\nThe Idaho Advanced Energy Consortium is expected to receive nearly $31 million to:\n\nsupport advanced fuel fabrication, testing and transportation;\n\ntrain workers in nuclear construction, manufacturing, fuel fabrication and operations; and\n\nsupport firms to enter the nuclear supply chain.\n\nThe IAEC estimates its projects could create more than 900 high-paying jobs and generate approximately $190 million in regional economic impact over five years.\n\nBackground:\n\nCongress enacted the Regional Technology and Innovation Hub (Tech Hubs) Program, administered by the U.S. Economic Development Administration, as part of the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act of 2022. The Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 National Defense Authorization Act made $220 million available to limited eligible Tech Hubs, including the INEC. The application was rigorous and applicants were required to submit project proposals that demonstrated ability to strengthen U.S. economic competitiveness and maximize taxpayer returns. Senator Crapo joined Senator Jim Risch and U.S. Representative Mike Simpson (all R-Idaho) in support of the IAEC\u2019s application for the funding.\n\nTech Hubs seek to strengthen America\u2019s economic competitiveness and national security by investing in regions with the talent and assets to become global leaders in the critical technologies of the future. Tech Hub investments accelerate technology commercialization, moving breakthroughs out of labs, through manufacturing lines, and into the marketplace faster, and at greater scale.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-21T07:32:02Z", "2026-07-21T07:33:33Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.crapo.senate.gov/media/newsreleases/crapo-risch-simpson-celebrate-idaho-nuclear-tech-hub-designation"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.2551100701093674, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}