DETAILED DOE DISCRETIONARY BUDGET REQUEST DOCUMENT SUMMARY RELEASED
Last Friday (May, 30), the Department of Energy (DOE) Appendix for the President’s Discretionary Budget Request was released, as a part of Technical Supplement to
the 2026 Budget (Request) Appendix. In conjunction, DOE released a summary of its funding, the Budget in Brief. See below for a summary of the budget request line items that are relevant to ECA members and energy communities compared to previous years for DOE. This
includes an in-depth dive into the Office of Environmental Management (EM) Defense and Non-Defense Cleanup Budgets. As noted, this is the President’s REQUEST for a budget. Congress will be holding budget hearings over the next couple of weeks to “mark-up” the President’s request and develop the actual budget for all federal agencies. Congress typically amends President budget
requests. The House and Senate Energy and Water Development Subcommittees on Appropriations is responsible for appropriations pertaining to DOE and NNSA programs. Below we have included a breakdown by site for EM budget request. We suggest that you review the budget brief for additional analysis by site. We note that one the largest cuts in the EM program is to the WIPP site, which
is relied on heavily by every other EM site and by NNSA for disposal for national defense TRU waste – a critical national defense mission.
Source: Department of Energy FY2026 Congressional Justification: Budget in
Brief Total discretionary requested funding for DOE in FY2026 is $46,320,000,000 with $33,840,000,000 of that number being allocated to Defense programs, and $12,480,000,000 to non-defense programs. This is a decrease of $3,500,000,000 billion, or 7 percent, from the FY2025 Enacted Level. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) would see a topline of $25,260,000,000 for FY2026, that number rising to $30,042,000,000 when accounting for Reconciliation resources, an increase of 24% over FY2025. NNSA would experience the following funding adjustments to its programs: - Weapons Activities would see an increased budget and staffing of $24,856,400,000, up from $19,293,000,000 in FY2025.
- Defense
Nuclear Nonproliferation would see a decreased budget of 2,284,000,000, down from 2,396,000,000 in FY2025.
- Naval Reactors would see an increased budget of $2,346,000,000 up from $1,946,000,000 in FY2025.
The Office of Environmental Management (EM) would see a decreases in funding of $389,249,000, down to $8,092,751,000 in FY2026 from 8,428,000,000 in
FY2025. A question that is always asked is what the impact is, if any, to state cleanup agreements and to the attempt to accelerate cleanup if the budget is decreased at the sites below (there are also increases in the request). See a breakdown of cleanup line items by site below:
Source: Department of Energy FY2026 Congressional Justification: Budget in
Brief The Office of Science budget request for FY2026 is $7,092,000,000, down from $8,240,000,000 in FY2025. The Legacy Management Program would see an increase in funding to $200,258,000 in FY2026, up from $196,302,000 in FY2025. Activities include support for Light Water Reactor Sustainability through cost-shared efforts to extend the life and improve the economic competitiveness of the existing commercial nuclear reactor fleet through research in the areas of materials aging and degradation, safety margin characterization, safety technologies, and instrumentation and controls; research into other Advanced Reactor Technologies, such as fast reactor technologies and high temperature reactor technologies for the
production of electricity and high temperature process heat to improve the economic competitiveness and flexibility of nuclear energy as a resource capable of meeting the Nation's energy goals; and Integrated Energy Systems. The Request supports R&D on advanced fuel cycle technologies that have the potential to accelerate progress on managing and disposing of the nation’s spent fuel and high-level waste, including
efforts to improve resource utilization and energy generation, reduce waste generation, and limit proliferation risk. Advancements in fuel cycle technologies support the enhanced availability, economics, and security of nuclear-generated electricity in the United States, further enhancing U.S. energy independence and economic competitiveness. This program also contributes to the Department’s policies and programs for ensuring a reliable and economic nuclear fuel supply including the availability
of High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU), with funding provided in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). Also included in this program are R&D efforts investigating options for the permanent disposition of spent nuclear fuel. The Request supports R&D and strategic investments in research capabilities to develop innovative and crosscutting nuclear energy technologies essential for nuclear
energy to be a major contributor to unleashing America’s energy dominance. This program funds high-priority R&D on advanced manufacturing methods, fabrication, and instrumentation technologies that includes strong investments in modeling and simulation tools and provides access to unique nuclear energy research capabilities through its Nuclear Science User Facilities and the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative (sub-program. The Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) focuses Departmental and non-federal resources on expediting development, demonstration, and deployment of commercial reactor technologies. The program partners with U.S. based teams to address
technical, operational, and regulatory challenges to enable commercialization of a diverse set of advanced nuclear reactor designs. $20 million is included for two existing demonstration projects. Click here to
review the Appendix document published by the OMB, and click here to review the DOE Budget in Brief. The Department of Energy Appendix can be found in the Appendix document beginning on Page 281. To
learn more about how the budget and appropriations process impacts DOE programs, visit ECA’s website. ECA looks forward to providing updates on the budget as they develop, so be sure to subscribe to the ECA Bulletin for future updates!
SENATE ENERGY AND WATER SUBCOMMITTEE TO HOLD HEARING ON NNSA BUDGET REQUEST
The Senate Energy and Water Development Subcommittee will hold a hearing on
June 4 at 2:30pm ET to review the President's discretionary fiscal year 2026 budget request for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). Acting Administrator Teresa Robbins will appear as a witness before the Subcommittee. To watch the hearing live on that date, click here!
ROGER JARRELL, ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR EM, TO SPEAK AT THE NATIONAL CLEANUP WORKSHOP
September 23 - 25, 2025 | Crystal Gateway
Marriott | Arlington, VA
Join us for the 11th annual National Cleanup Workshop (NCW), to be held September 24-25, 2025 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott - Arlington, VA. Hear from Roger Jarrell, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary (PDAS) and Acting Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management (EM), and a growing list of federal representatives, industry officials and state and local leaders. Hosted by ECA with the cooperation of the Energy Facility Contractors
Group and DOE-EM; this is one of the largest events in the country dealing with the issues tackled by the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (EM). TAKE A FIRST LOOK AT WHO'S SPEAKING!
Roger Jarrell | Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and Acting Assistant Secretary, DOE-EM
Brent Gerry | Mayor, City of
West Richland, WA; Chair, ECA
Rebecca Casper | Mayor, City of Idaho Falls, ID; Vice-Chair, ECA
David "DJ" Johnson | Vice President, Honeywell Federal Solutions; EFCOG Board Chair
Heatherly Dukes | President, Technical Service Group, BWX Technologies, Inc.
Carol Johnson | President and Program Manager, Hanford Tank Waste Operations & Closure (H2C)
Jeff Kendall | President,
AtkinsRéalis US Nuclear
Mark Whitney | President, Energy and Environment, Amentum
... and more!
Make sure to register before July 1, 2025, to receive the early bird discount rate! The cost of registration will increase after July 1.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Wednesday, September 24 8:00am National Cleanup Workshop 5:30pm Evening Reception for all NCW Attendees Thursday, September 25
8:00am National Cleanup Workshop SPONSORSHIP
NCW sponsorships offer an excellent opportunity to showcase your company, maximize networking opportunities with attendees, and host
an exhibit booth during the forum. Click here to learn more!
The National Cleanup Workshop is hosted by the Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) with the cooperation of the Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG) and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Environmental Management (EM)*.
WHAT YOU'VE MISSED: NRC issues Palisades’ final environmental assessment of no significant findings The Palisades nuclear power
plant received a final “clean bill” of environmental assessment impact from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission today. The findings of the NRC staff's EA showed no significant environmental impact for the Covert, Mich., plant, which plans to restart after operations were halted three years ago this month due to economic hardships in the energy market. After Holtec announced last year its intent to bring the 777-MWe pressurized water reactor back on line to help meet growing energy demand, NRC staff conducted the review. While this is another step forward for the project, the NRC has yet to issue the operating license that Holtec needs
to actually restart the plant, which the company hopes to do by the end of
2025. Read the full story Even Industry Insiders Find It Hard To Keep Up With Wyoming
Nuclear Boom The dizzying, supercollider pace of energy investment in Wyoming — especially nuclear — is bringing waves of new faces into the state. It’s happening so fast that state trade associations and industry insiders find it hard to keep up. "There's a whole microculture of these guys running around in Wyoming right now," Dale Steenbergen, president of the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce, told Cowboy State Daily recently.
Steenbergen was referring to a growing tribe of specialized investors and their tech experts looking to be part of Wyoming's growing nuclear industry. Read the full story Illinois lawmakers eye remedy for soaring electric bills Just weeks before ComEd customers are about to get hit with higher bills, Illinois
lawmakers are considering ways to generate and conserve more power with a plan to push for additional solar and wind energy and end a state ban on new nuclear plants. Read the full story
GoneFission Nuclear Report - Oak Ridge Nuclear Center
of Excellence May 13, 2025 | S5 E2 Dr. Stephen Nagy discusses Japan's strategic positioning in a complex geopolitical landscape, particularly in relation to the U.S.-China rivalry. He explores Japan's economic ties with China, the challenges posed by regional security
threats, and the evolving strategies Japan is employing to navigate these issues. The conversation delves into Japan's historical pacifism, the potential for nuclear deterrence discussions, and the importance of trade agreements and technological cooperation in ensuring regional stability. https://gonefissionpodcast.com/ NucleCast - Dr. Stephen Nagy: Navigating Japan's Strategic Landscape May 27, 2025 | S02 E220 In this episode of NucleCast, Adam interviews Tom Summers, the acting chairman of the Defense Nuclear Facility Safety Board (DNFSB). They discuss the DNFSB's mission to ensure safety in nuclear operations, the balance between safety and mission accomplishment, the challenges of aging
infrastructure, and the board's commitment to modernization and technological advancements. Tom emphasizes the importance of safety oversight in the context of national security and the need for a next generation of nuclear safety leaders. https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/
Spring into Strategy: Radiation Messaging and Outreach - Organized by NNSA Office of Nuclear Incident Policy & Cooperation Virtual | Multiple Dates Register Here National Cleanup Workshop 2025 Arlington, VA | September 23 - 25 Learn More Here
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