The ECA Nuclear Development Forum: Building Capacity and Opportunity, May 17-19 in Paducah, Kentucky will focus on issues of clean energy, adding nuclear to the energy mix in current coal communities, funding for such projects, and more. To view the agenda and learn more, click here.

President Joe Biden’s administration is making $450 million available for solar farms and other clean energy projects across the country at the site of current or former coal mines, part of his ongoing efforts to combat climate change.

As many as five projects nationwide will be funded through the 2021 infrastructure law, with at least two projects set aside for solar farms, the White House said Tuesday.

The White House also said it will allow developers of clean energy projects to take advantage of billions of dollars in new bonuses being offered in addition to investment and production tax credits available through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The bonuses will “incentivize more clean energy investment in energy communities, particularly coal communities,″ that have been hurt by a decade-plus decline in U.S. coal production, the White House said.

The actions are among steps the Biden administration is taking as the Democratic president moves to convert the U.S. economy to renewable energy such as wind and solar power, while turning away from coal and other fossil fuels that produce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

The projects are modeled on a site Biden visited last summer, where a former coal-fired power plant in Massachusetts is shifting to offshore wind power. Biden highlighted the former Brayton Point power plant in Somerset, Massachusetts, calling it the embodiment of the transition to clean energy that he is seeking but has struggled to realize in the first two years of his presidency.

“It’s very clear that ... the workers who powered the last century of industry and innovation can power the next one,″ said Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, whose agency will oversee the new grant program.

Former mining areas in Appalachia and other parts of the country have long had the infrastructure, workforce, expertise and “can-do attitude” to produce energy, Granholm told reporters on Monday. “And now, thanks to President Biden’s investments in America, we have the resources that can help them bring this new energy economy to life.″

Up to five clean energy projects will be funded at current and former mines, Granholm said. The demonstration projects are expected to be examples for future development, “providing knowledge and experience that catalyze the next generation of clean energy on mine land projects,″ the Energy Department said.

Applications are due by the end of August, with grant decisions expected by early next year.

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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released its Fiscal Year 2024 budget request, which includes more than $1.56 billion for the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE).   

NE is requesting more than $660 million for nuclear energy research and development activities that enables the current reactor fleet to keep operating, advances the commercial deployment of advanced reactors, addresses major gaps in the nation’s nuclear fuel cycle, and strengthens international partnerships with like-minded nations worldwide as they work to secure a trusted source of carbon-free power to meet their future energy goals.  

Here are five key takeaways from the Department’s latest budget request for nuclear energy.

Access to HALEU

NE is requesting $120 million for the Advanced Nuclear Fuel Availability subprogram and $28 million within the Material Recovery and Waste Form Development subprogram to secure a domestic supply of high-assay low-enriched uranium—a crucial material needed to develop and deploy advanced reactors.

Near-term efforts will focus on a variety of actions, including downblending DOE-owned legacy fuel and conducting enrichment operations in Piketon, OH to fuel advanced reactor demonstration projects and support fuel qualification testing.

The funding also complements $700 million provided through the Inflation Reduction Act to support a long-term, sustainable, diverse, and market-driven commercial HALEU supply.

Commercial SMR Demonstration

NE is requesting $10 million to support the commercial demonstration of NuScale Power’s small modular reactor technology at a proposed location on the Idaho National Laboratory site.

The company’s 50 megawatt-electric power module recently became the first SMR design certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

NuScale Power expects to have their first power module operational by 2029 through the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems’ Carbon Free Power Project.

Advanced Reactor Testing Capabilities

NE is requesting $54 million for new testing capabilities at its national laboratories to support research on advanced reactors.

The funding will help establish several facilities, including DOME, LOTUS, and MARVEL testing platforms, to help demonstrate microreactor technologies and the world’s first molten chloride fast reactor that is being supported through DOE’s Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.

Securing the INL Lab Complex

The FY 2024 Budget provides $178 million for safeguards and security measures at INL.  

The funding will help maintain physical security systems and staffing levels at the lab complex and further enhance INL's cybersecurity program. It will also be used to initiate new capital projects to meet increased operations and security needs from growing NE programs focused on fuel and reactor technologies.

Strengthening International Partnerships

Finally, NE is requesting $13 million to strengthen international partnerships around nuclear energy to help promote global decarbonization efforts. The funding will support U.S. nuclear exports and U.S. leadership in nuclear energy, primarily focusing on Central European, Eastern European, and African countries interested in boosting their regional energy security and clean energy production.

Read the FULL FY24 Budget Request for nuclear energy.

For more information on the federal budget, visit ECA's Federal Budget Tracker webpage.