DOE SECRETARY DEFENDS FY25 BUDGET REQUEST
ECA Staff | 03/21/2024 Wednesday, March 20, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm defended the Biden FY25 budget request at a House Energy-Water Appropriations Subcommittee hearing. Earlier this month the White House released their FY25 budget request. DOE’s proposed budget would increase spending over the FY24 by $1.8 billion to a total of $51 billion for FY25. Appropriators had the opportunity to ask Secretary Granholm further questions regarding the significant appropriations for certain programs, the status report of major missions, and reasoning for the cut of certain efforts. Below are highlights from the hearing: Secretary Granholm began by thanking appropriators yesterday, “Thanks to the bipartisan assistance we received from Congress, America is back to being the envy of the world.” Production of HALEU The Secretary expressed her concern about funding for uranium supply chains. FY24 appropriations approved earlier this month include a $2.7 billion in funding
for the domestic production of HALEU. However, that money is in limbo, due to the fact it is contingent on the federal government instituting a ban on Russian uranium imports. “I will say that the 2024 appropriations bill specifies that DOE cannot repurpose the [uranium] funds … until a law is enacted to ban those supplies from Russia,” Granholm said. “I strongly hope and encourage that Congress does that so that we can move with alacrity.” Subcommittee Chair Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn) said the funding could be utilized if the president issued an executive order that would ban Russian uranium imports. However, Granholm countered by stating that actual legislation would be the preferable option as it would be more
permanent. Office of Nuclear Energy Facing Cuts A major concern voiced yesterday came from Fleischmann, who inquired about the agency’s proposed cuts to its nuclear programs in the Office of Nuclear Energy. However, Granholm explained that DOE was shifting programs around and was indeed not cutting the nuclear programs. The FY25 budget puts the Advanced
Reactor Demonstration Program under the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations, instead of the Office of Nuclear Energy. Under the FY25 request, the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations is increased by nearly triple the amount. Community Involvement on Department Initiatives Representative Dan Newhouse (R-WA) also expressed concern on DOE’s Cleanup to Clean Energy
initiative. Newhouse asked the Secretary, how DOE would ensure that the voice of communities, such as the Hanford community are being heard throughout the process. He stated that many community members are concerned that short-term investments will be prioritized such as solar and wind, while long-term investments like nuclear and hydropower are not being considered. Newhouse also questioned why DOE was proposing to cut $40 million from the Water Power Technologies Office, The Secretary explained that the FY25 budget was tight and that DOE was forced to prioritize funds. However, DOE still supports hydropower and is
invested in exploring the clean energy source. To listen to the full FY25 Budget Request for DOE Hearing use this link.
SIX-BILL FUNDING PACKAGE RELEASED TO AVERT PARTICAL SHUTDOWN
ECA Staff | 03/21/2024 Earlier this morning, congressional negotiators released the remaining FY24 appropriation bills in a $1.2 trillion government-funding package. Lawmakers face a Friday night deadline to avert a partial government shutdown. This $1.2 trillion deal would keep most government agencies open through September 30. This package includes increases for defense spending, while nondefense funds are flat. This package also extends Section 170 of the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2210), also known as the Price-Anderson Act. The Price
Anderson Act which provides insurance to nuclear contractors has been extended to 2065 from 2025. It also increases the liability protection to $2 billion from $500 million. Below is a breakdown of the six-bill package: Defense: $824.3 billion; $26.8 billion increase Financial Services: $26.1 billion, $1.1 billion cut Homeland Security: $61.8 billion in discretionary funding; $1.1
billion increase Labor-HHS-Education: $225.4 billion; $200 million cut Legislative Branch: $6.8 billion; $150 million cut State and Foreign Operations: $58.3 billion; $3.4 billion cut This six-bill package can be expected to pass with no delay. However, procedural maneuvers may occur which would result in a delay and a short weekend lapse. To read the full text use this link.
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.
FIRST HOUSE NUCLEAR CLEANUP CAUCUS HOSTED LAST NIGHT
ECA Staff | 03/21/2024 Last night, in cooperation with the House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus, EFCOG, ETEBA and NEI hosted the first Nuclear Cleanup Caucus and Reception of 2024, Small Business Contributions to Department of Energy Success. The session was moderated by Bob Granata, President, ETEBA and featured Ike White, Senior Advisor, DOE-EM, Martin Schneider, President, Longenecker and Associates, and Susana Navarro, President, Navarro Research and Engineering. Congressman Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn) and Congresswoman Susie Lee (D-Nevada) also participated in last night’s conversation. The conversation highlighted the contribution that small businesses have in DOE’s mission and success. Ike White shared how groundbreaking the involvement of small businesses are to the DOE-EM program. About 1/3 of EM’s work is done by small businesses. Martin Schneider mentioned that small businesses bring two major factors to
the table on projects. Those are efficiency and innovation, which continues to result in success. ECA will continue to provide
information on future House Nuclear Cleanup Caucus events.
NEW MEDIA: Gone Fission Nuclear Report: Celebrating WIPP's 25th Anniversary March 11, 2024 | S4E5 This month, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in New Mexico celebrates its 25th Anniversary. Located in Southeast New Mexico about 26 miles east of Carlsbad, WIPP was constructed for disposal of
defense-generated transuranic or TRU-waste. WIPP is the nation’s only repository for the permanent disposal of TRU waste. In this week’s episode, Host Michael Butler talks with DOE Carlsbad Field Office Manager Mark Bollinger, Senior WIPP offiicial Tammy Hobbes, and Brandon Jones, Project Manager for the facility’s new underground venting system. They join us in looking back on WIPP’s history, starting with receipt of the first shipment of TRU waste from Los Alamos National Laboratory in March
1999. 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.
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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.
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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.
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