Rep. John Joyce Provides Updates on Nuclear, SPEED for BEAD

WASHINGTON, March 11, 2025 – Rep. John Joyce, R-Penn., shared updates on broadband and energy initiatives during the INCOMPAS Policy Summit on Tuesday.

Speaking alongside INCOMPAS CEO Chip Pickering, Joyce said he didn’t see House Republicans trying to reclaim for the U.S. Treasury a portion of the $42.5 billion in Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment program funding allocated to states.

“I don’t look to bring that money back,” Joyce said. “I look to see that money being rolled out so it’s effectively used in the areas where it’s desperately needed.”

Another major highlight for Joyce was recommissioning of the Three Mile Island Nuclear plant in Pennsylvania, a project led by Microsoft and Constellation Energy. According to Joyce, the plant’s restart is progressing significantly faster than expected. 

“Joe Dominguez, the CEO of Constellation, just told me in the past two weeks that they are a year ahead of schedule. Music to my ears to hear how important that is. We have to be able to utilize [nuclear energy],” Joyce said. 

He also commended Microsoft for its work in advancing nuclear, emphasizing that “we wanna see more innovation.” Joyce expressed hope that Pennsylvania would see further development in both nuclear and data centers in the coming years.

The future of BEAD 

In addition to nuclear advancements, Joyce also discussed the future of the BEAD program, which would be renamed the Broadband Expansion, Access and Deployment program under the SPEED for BEAD Act. Introduced last Wednesday by Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., the bill aims to accelerate broadband deployment under BEAD.

“The SPEED for BEAD Act is something that should be able to pass in a bipartisan fashion,” Joyce said. “We don’t care if you’re a Republican or a Democrat, we want you to be connected.”

Joyce said that SPEED for BEAD will primarily aim to remove bureaucratic hurdles that slow down deployment and allow BEAD money to be used in an effective manner.