LAWMAKERS REACH DEAL TO AVERT SHUTDOWN (FOR NOW); DOE GAINS ONE WEEK OF FUNDING ECA Staff | 02/29/2024 Yesterday, U.S. congressional leaders reached a deal to avoid a March 1 partial
government shutdown. Initially Congress was facing two deadlines of March 1 and March 8. Four bills- including the Energy and Water Appropriations which funds DOE and NNSA activities- make up about 20% of the discretionary funding faced the March 1 deadline, and the remaining eight bills faced the later March 8 deadline. However, at the last-minute Congressional leaders agreed on a deal that will provide temporary funding for agencies facing the March 1 deadline and some full-year funding for others (Environmental Protection Agency, and the departments of Commerce, Justice and Interior). The stopgap
measure extends the March 1 deadline to March 8, and the March 8 deadline to March 22. The stopgap will allow the technical work on the package to be finalized. This agreement is in line with a $1.59 trillion top-line spending level for FY24 agreed to by Republican and Democratic negotiators earlier in January. While details of the bill-by-bill allocation agreement have not been made public, House Energy and Water Subcommittee Chair Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) reported that the bill’s defense and nondefense allocations are in good shape and that subcommittee leaders should be able to work out
funding levels. H.R. 2872 would provide funding for energy and water programs in FY24, prioritizing programs that
boost national and energy security. This includes, funding for nuclear energy research and development of SMRs, microreactors, HALEU programs and accident-tolerant fuels. Energy and Water appropriations would also include funding for Environmental Cleanup for the nation's defense sites and weapons activities. This agreement also includes temporary funding for the departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Veteran Affairs, Food and Drug Administration, and Energy. While this deal is a step in the right direction, funding for the remainder of the government will be more difficult. ECA will continue to provide updates on these matters as they progress.
REGISTRATION IS LIVE FOR ECA's New Nuclear Forum: Building Nuclear Partnerships and Projects, May 8-9, 2024 in Kennewick,
WA
ECA is excited to be hosting its third New Nuclear Forum, the only meeting designed to bring together DOE, federal, state, local and tribal governments and policymakers with developers, utilities,
regulators, industry, and academia to identify opportunities, challenges and to build the partnerships necessary to support nuclear development. Communities across the country are considering nuclear projects for many reasons - from diversifying regional economies, creating clean energy jobs or meeting carbon reduction goals, to increasing energy security and rebuilding the U.S. supply chain. Some communities have a familiarity with nuclear energy projects, while others are just beginning to evaluate potential interest. The ECA
Forum is designed to enable shared learning so that local, State and Tribal governments evaluating nuclear projects can be meaningfully engaged - and prepared - to match the strengths and needs of their communities with new nuclear opportunities.
INTERESTED IN BEING A SPONSOR? To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Autumn Bogus, ECA Forum Staff, at abogus@la-inc.com.
QUESTIONS?
For any questions, comments, or to learn more about the ECA New Nuclear Forums, please contact Kara Colton,
ECA Director of Nuclear Policy, at kara.colton@energyca.org or Faith Sanchez, ECA Program Director, at faiths@energyca.org.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ISSUES REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ON POTENTIAL CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS AT WASTE ISOLATION PILOT PLANT
SITE
DOE-EM | 02/27/2024 The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today issued a request for information (RFI) to identify industry partners interested in developing commercial clean energy projects on DOE land in southeast New Mexico. DOE is considering leasing land located at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site. The RFI is open
to industry, government and community members who wish to comment on the potential use of WIPP land for carbon-free electricity (CFE) projects. Comments must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. MDT on March 20. This RFI is part of DOE’s Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative to increase clean energy production by making DOE land available for potential CFE projects. DOE is also holding a Cleanup to Clean Energy WIPP Information Day on March 27, and inviting leaders in nuclear energy, wind, solar, geothermal, net-zero microgrids and other clean energy technologies to participate. Attendees will have a chance to learn more about the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative, the RFI and the WIPP site. At WIPP, DOE has identified approximately 9,000 acres of contiguous land that could potentially be used for industrial activities including CFE generation and storage. DOE may decide to lease part or all the available
land for CFE, or award leases to one or multiple entities for CFE. Potential CFE projects include solar, wind and nuclear projects. More information on Cleanup to Clean Energy can be found here. To read full release use this link.
DOE ISSUES FINAL REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR PORTSMOUTH/PADUCAH PROJECT OFFICE TECHNICAL SUPPORT SERVICES CONTRACT
DOE-EM | 02/27/2024 Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued a Final Request for Proposal (RFP), 89303324REM000120, for the Portsmouth/Paducah Project Office (PPPO) Technical Support Services (TSS) procurement. The contractor will be required to provide technical and administrative support to assist DOE with the oversight and management of: - Clean-up activities;
- Decontamination and Decommissioning activities;
- Depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6 ) operations;
- All aspects of on-site contractor operations, including:
- General construction activities;
- On-Site Waste Disposal Facility project related investigative and construction activities;
- Geotechnical and design documents;
and
- Regulatory compliance activities at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant (GDP)/site in Pike County, Ohio; the Paducah GDP/site in Paducah, Kentucky; and DUF6/Operation and Site Mission Support offices in Lexington, Kentucky; and to provide services for the PPPO federal office located in Lexington, Kentucky.
The contractor will also be required to provide services to the following: - Various technical engineering support functions;
- Information technology infrastructure and cybersecurity support;
- Safeguards and security oversight support; and
- General administrative support for all the PPPO sites.
Additional information regarding the project is available at: /em/portsmouth and /em/paducah. To read full release use this link.
NEW MEDIA: ECA Webinar: Advanced Nuclear Technology Deployment: An Introductory Conversation with U.S. DOE & U.S. NRC February 21, 2024 | In coordination with the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE-NE) and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), ECA hosted the first in a new series of educational webinars, "Advanced Nuclear Technology Deployment: An Introductory Conversation with U.S. DOE & U.S. NRC". ECA's Director of Nuclear Policy, Kara Colton, along with Dr. Kathryn
Huff, Assistant Secretary, Office of Nuclear Energy, DOE and John Lubinski, Director, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, NRC discussed advanced reactor development, demonstrations, and deployments. Gone Fission Nuclear Report:
Desegregating Oak Ridge Schools February 26, 2024 |
S4E4 As we near the end of Black History Month, this week’s podcast features the story of the Scarboro 85. In August 1955, 85 young African American students entered all-white classrooms in the Oak Ridge High School and the Robertsville Junior High School in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This desegregation
stands as an important milestone in American civil rights history.
|
Check out ECA's latest
report! DISPOSAL DRIVES CLEANUP: RE-ENERGIZING MOMENTUM FOR DISPOSAL SOLUTIONS FOR RADIOACTIVE WASTE
This report calls on the Department of Energy to launch the initiative to develop the actual waste disposition approaches. The Department could potentially save hundreds of billions of dollars in cleanup costs by using its available tools and implementing the report’s recommendations.
Interactive guide for communities and governments to help navigate nuclear waste cleanup The Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) recently released the Guide to Successful Environmental Cleanup, an interactive online resource that provides frequently asked questions, case studies, and recommendations regarding nuclear waste cleanup. To assist local government officials, their communities, and federal agencies in deciphering
the complexities of the environmental cleanup process, ECA developed this guide to facilitate future successful cleanups.
|
|
|
Stay Current on Activities in the DOE World 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. |
Learn More about Cleanup Sites with ECA's DOE Site Profiles ECA's new site profiles detail DOE's 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.
|
|
|
|
