May 2012 ECA Bulletin

Published: Fri, 06/01/12

 
The May 2012 ECA Bulletin is available here.
 
Also, see the breaking press release, "Court Decision in Nuclear-Waste Fee Case an 'Important Victory:' NARUC" at the bottom of this message.
 
May 2012 Bulletin Stories Include:
  • ECA Members Meet in Richland to Discuss Manhattan Project Historical Park
  • ECA Hosts Peer Exchange on "Defining a Nuclear Energy Future"
  • Executive Director's Message: Here We Go Again... DOE and the "Risk" Discussion
  • SMR Update from the National Laboratories
  • Legislative Update
  • DOE IG Criticizes DOE for Not Producing Renewable Energy on Federal Land--ECA Calls on DOE to Follow DoD's Leadership
  • Paul Seidler named EM Director of Office of External Affairs
  • Cynthia Anderson Stepping Down from Asset Revitalization Initiative Post
  • NRC Chairman Jaczko Resigns; BRC Commissioner Allison Macfarlane Nominated to Replace Him
  • NE Receives 2011 Nuclear Energy Advocate of the Year Award
  
Court Decision in Nuclear-Waste Fee Case an 'Important Victory:' NARUC
NARUC Press Release
June 1, 2012

"Today's decision by the court is an important victory for nuclear-power consumers. The court made clear that the Energy Department has not justified continued payments into the Nuclear Waste Fund. Although the court did not suspend these payments, the Energy Department is on notice that they must do a thorough and complete assessment within six months as to whether the fees--charged to nuclear utilities and passed through to their consumers--are necessary. If the Department does not, the court stated that they have the authority to suspend the payments into the Fund. Nuclear-power utilities and their consumers have paid more than $30 billion into the Nuclear Waste Fund for nearly 30 years. To date they have nothing to show for their investment except political delays, bureaucratic red tape, and a hole in the Nevada desert. Today's decision will force the Energy Department to do its job and prove why it should continue fees for a nuclear-waste program that it says no longer exists. We believe the evidence demonstrates that until and unless a new nuclear-waste policy is developed, consumers should be given a break."
 
--NARUC President David Wright of South Carolina 
 
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