; and (D) pays approximately $83,000,000 annually in Federal, State, and local taxes; (5) nuclear energy is of critical importance to United States energy security and worldwide influence on nonproliferation; (6) nuclear energy uses widely available fuel resources to enable scientific progress, emissions-free and reliable electricity generation, heat generation for industrial applications, and power for deep space exploration; (7) the private sector, the National Laboratories (as defined in section 2 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ( 42 U.S.C. 15801 )), and institutions of higher education are pursuing innovations in nuclear energy technology that will play a crucial role in— (A) the future global and United States energy supply; and (B) the exports, manufacturing, and economy of the United States; (8) eventual deployment of commercial advanced nuclear reactors will require— (A) modernizing the regulatory framework; and (B) making other necessary changes to facilitate the efficient, predictable, and affordable deployment of advanced nuclear reactor technologies; (9) 2 impediments to the commercialization of advanced nuclear reactors are the high costs and long durations associated with applying the existing nuclear regulatory framework to advanced nuclear reactors; (10) license application reviews should be as predictable and efficient as practicable without compromising safety or security; (11) the development of advanced nuclear reactors would benefit from the early identification of policy issues for timely consideration and resolution by the Commission to improve the efficient development of designs as well as preparing for design review and licensing; (12) the existing nuclear regulatory framework and the requirements of that framework have not adapted to advances in scientific understanding or the features and performance characteristics of advanced nuclear reactor designs