4 areas to watch in the Senate's new reconciliation bill
ECA Staff | 7/28/2022
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Last night, Senate Democratic leadership released a first draft of a reconciliation bill (Inflation Reduction Act of 2022), which includes new policies and funding related to taxes, health care, climate, and energy.
The agreement comes after months of negotiations between Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Joe Manchin (D-WV). In its current form, the bill would provide hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding for nuclear energy, National Laboratories, and the Department of Energy’s stakeholder engagement activities.
Nuclear Energy Provisions
The bill includes a Zero-Emission Nuclear Power Production Credit, for which existing nuclear reactors are eligible. Advanced nuclear facilities would not qualify for the credit.
The Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) would receive an additional $150 million over five years “to carry out activities for infrastructure and general plant projects…”
$700 million would be allocated through 2026 for programs related to the availability of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU).
National Laboratories
The bill would make significant investments in National Laboratory infrastructure through 2027, including:
- $133M for science laboratory infrastructure projects;
- $304M for high energy physics construction;
- $280M for fusion energy science construction;
- $217M for nuclear physics construction;
- $164M for advanced scientific computing research facilities;
- $295M for basic energy sciences projects; and
- $158M for isotope research and development facilities
DOE Stakeholder Engagement
Aiming to improve environmental reviews, the Department of Energy would receive $125 million in additional funding through 2031 for activities such as “stakeholder and community engagement” and “procurement of technical or scientific services for environmental reviews.”
Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grants
The bill includes $3 billion in block grants from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to “invest in community led projects in disadvantaged communities and community capacity building centers to address disproportionate environmental and public health harms related to pollution and climate change.” Grants would be made available to local government partnerships, community-based nonprofits, and more.
Next Steps
It is important to note that the bill text released this week is an initial agreement between Sen. Schumer and Sen. Manchin, and the content of the bill may change as Senate Republicans and the House become involved in further negotiations. According to Sen. Schumer, the Senate will vote on the bill next week.
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REGISTER NOW
August 3-5, 2022
Salt Lake City Marriott University Park
Recognizing the opportunity to address goals shared broadly among U.S. Department of Energy program offices and in frontline communities across the federal nuclear complex, the Energy Communities Alliance will host the ECA Forum: Hosting New Nuclear Development on August 3-5,
2022 at the Salt Lake City Marriott University Park.
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SAVE OUR DATES
September 21-23, 2022
NEW VENUE: CRYSTAL GATEWAY MARRIOTT IN ARLINGTON, VA!
We are pleased to host the 2022 National Cleanup Workshop at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, VA. Join us to discuss a new era of cleanup success. Hear from senior DOE officials, local government officials, and industry leaders about DOE's cleanup priorities, the future of the workforce, and more.
Additional information on registration and hotel room blocks is available here. We look forward to seeing you in September!
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Senate releases FY 2023 appropriations bills
ECA Staff | 7/28/2022
Following the House's passage of energy appropriations last week, the Senate Appropriations Committee released its version of the energy spending bill for FY 2023. The Senate's bill generally includes higher funding levels than the House bill, the President's budget request, and the FY 2022 bill.
How the Senate bill compares to FY 2022
- $402 million increase for the Office of Environmental Management ($8.3 billion total);
- $1.4 billion increase for the National Nuclear Security Administration ($22.1 billion total);
- $110 million increase for the Office of Nuclear Energy ($1.8 billion total);
- $625 million increase for the Office of Science ($8.1 billion total);
- $17 million increase for the Office of Legacy Management ($196 million total)
Environmental Cleanup and Waste Issues
The Senate Appropriations Committee noted that it "continues to strongly support the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future and believes that near-term action is needed to address the accumulating inventory of spent nuclear fuel. The Committee supports continued funding for consolidation of spent nuclear fuel from around the United States to one or more interim central storage facilities."
Additionally, the bill includes a provision that would create a pilot program for an interim storage facility for high-level waste and spent nuclear fuel. Prior to siting a facility, DOE would be required to obtain consent by the Governor of the host state, units of local governments, and affected Indian tribes.
Nearly across-the-board within EM, the bill would provide significant increases for cleanup sites in: Washington, Idaho, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Tennessee, and South Carolina.
Nuclear Energy
Explaining its increase in NE funding, the Committee noted that "funding continues to support the two advanced reactor demonstration projects and small modular reactors." Specifically, the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program would receive a $53 million increase for a total of $303 million in FY 2023.
More Information
The Senate's bill text is available here, and the bill report is available here.
To see how the House and Senate bills compare, visit ECA's federal budget tracker.
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Read about DOE's High Level Waste Interpretation
Have questions about DOE’s recent high-level waste (HLW) interpretation? Download ECA’s Key Points and FAQs on the issue to better understand what ECA believes are the potential benefits of implementation.
Interested in learning more? Read the ECA report “Making Informed Decisions on DOE's Proposed High Level Waste Definition” at www.energyca.org/publications
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Read the latest edition of the ECA Bulletin, a regular newsletter providing a detailed brief of ECA activities, legislative news, and major events from across the DOE complex. Have suggestions for future editions? Email bulletin@energyca.org.
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Learn More about Cleanup Sites with ECA's DOE Site Profiles
ECA's new site profiles detail DOE's 13 active Environmental Management cleanup sites and national laboratories, highlighting their history, missions, and priorities. The profiles are a key source for media, stakeholders, and the public to learn more about DOE site activities, contractors, advisory boards, and their surrounding local governments.
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