Budget & Policy

In a letter to Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, lawmakers wrote this week that Congress is investigating “recent unconfirmed public reporting on the disappearance and death of individuals with access to sensitive U.S. scientific information.” As of April 17, 10 scientists were recently reported either dead or missing. All 10 were involved in researching and […]

David Beck, deputy administrator for defense programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), told Congress this week he would give them a plan for spending fiscal 2026 reconciliation funds “within the next 30 days.” Beck was responding to a question by Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) while testifying in front of the Senate Armed Services […]

In a letter to Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, lawmakers wrote this week that Congress is investigating “recent unconfirmed public reporting on the disappearance and death of individuals with access to sensitive U.S. scientific information.” As of April 17, 10 scientists were recently reported either dead or missing. All 10 were involved in researching and […]

Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) April 15 pressed Energy Secretary Chris Wright over funding instability affecting key projects at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), warning that continued uncertainty could delay work central to the nation’s nuclear stockpile stewardship mission. Lee, speaking at the House Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee’s hearing on the White House’s Department […]

Sen. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), ranking member of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee, said it was “hard to see” a reason for the large spike in potential funding for the agency maintaining the nuclear weapons stockpile. “There’s a lot I can buy for $7 billion,” Moulton said, directing his question to Brandon Williams, head […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission told Democrats on a House Energy and Commerce panel that NRC can remain independent despite the chance of commissioners being terminated by the White House. Wednesday’s hearing of the House Energy and Commerce’s Energy subcommittee came four months after the NRC regained a full  five-member contingent. […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of Energy Chris Wright told a Senate panel Wednesday the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy fiscal 2027 budget request is pretty flat once the big picture is considered.  Wright talked about the request from the Donald Trump White House in a Wednesday Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development subcommittee […]

Sen. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), ranking member of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee, said it was “hard to see” a reason for the large spike in potential funding for the agency maintaining the nuclear weapons stockpile. “There’s a lot I can buy for $7 billion,” Moulton said, directing his question to Brandon Williams, head […]

Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) April 15 pressed Energy Secretary Chris Wright over funding instability affecting key projects at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), warning that continued uncertainty could delay work central to the nation’s nuclear stockpile stewardship mission. Lee, speaking at the House Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee’s hearing on the White House’s Department […]

Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright disagreed Tuesday over the severity of reduced funding for the Hanford Site in the Department of Energy’s fiscal 2027 budget request. Wright told Cantwell during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing that he considers the proposed Hanford cuts “modest.” Further, Wright said the […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a Tuesday Senate hearing, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright offered a briefing to an Arizona Democrat on what the Department of Energy is doing to fast-track reactor deployment. In the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee fiscal 2027 budget hearing, Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) said there have been concerns about a […]

In a letter to Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, lawmakers wrote Monday that Congress is investigating “recent unconfirmed public reporting on the disappearance and death of individuals with access to sensitive U.S. scientific information.” As of April 17, 10 scientists were recently reported either dead or missing. All 10 were involved in researching and working […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s fiscal year 2027 budget request will be the subject of a  House Energy panel hearing on Wednesday.  The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy subcommittee will also discuss NRC’s implementation of the Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act – or the ADVANCE Act and Executive Order 14300, during the hearing. All […]

David Beck, deputy administrator for defense programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), told Congress Monday he would give them a plan for spending fiscal 2026 reconciliation funds “within the next 30 days.” Beck was responding to a question by Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) while testifying in front of the Senate Armed Services Strategic […]

Tim Walsh, who heads the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management (EM), said Monday DOE’s Hanford Site in Washington state remains the program’s biggest nuclear cleanup challenge. But at the same time Hanford, which accounts for about 40% of EM’s budget, is primed for a “breakout year,” Walsh told a Senate Armed Forces panel […]

Here are events related to nuclear matters that Exchange Monitor staff are tracking:  APRIL: 20: Conference: The Nuclear in New Mexico Conference presented by the Clean Energy Association of New Mexico gets underway starting at 9 a.m. Mountain Time at the Hyatt Regency Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico.  21: Conference: The Energy Communities Alliance sponsors […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said Wednesday the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy has received 28 responses from states following DOE’s request for information for the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus program.  During a House Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee hearing on DOE’s fiscal 2027 budget request, Wright said the nuclear […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said during a House hearing this week that the Department of Energy will lean on its Office of Energy’s Office of Energy Dominance Financing once again to help fund new advanced nuclear projects. During a Wednesday House Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee hearing on DOE’s fiscal 2027 […]

Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Dave McCormick (R-Penn.) have introduced a bill this week that looks to expand the Department of Energy’s ability to accelerate the deployment of advanced nuclear technology The bill, Nuclear Energy Innovation and Deployment Act, was introduced to the Senate on Tuesday. The senators said in the press release that the […]

The Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy mishandled the funding and overall development of the Carbon-Free Power Project based near DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory, the DOE Office of Inspector General (OIG) found in a recent audit. In October 2020, the Office of Nuclear Energy issued a 10-year, $1.36 billion award to Carbon-Free Power Project […]

In a Sunday editorial, the Tri-City Herald newspaper in Richland, Wash., blasted the Donald Trump administration’s fiscal 2027 request that would cut by more than $390-million the Department of Energy’s nuclear cleanup budget for the Hanford Site. While Hanford would still receive around $2.9 billion, more than a third of the budget for the DOE […]

The Department of Energy’s $8.2-billion fiscal 2027 request for its nuclear cleanup branch, which includes a budget cut for the Hanford Site in Washington state, would not affect solidification of less radioactive tank waste, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright told a House panel Wednesday. Wright testified on behalf of the White House’s DOE budget request […]

The Department of Energy’s $8.2-billion fiscal 2027 request for its nuclear cleanup branch, which includes a budget cut for the Hanford Site in Washington state, would not affect solidification of less radioactive tank waste, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright told a House panel Wednesday. During an exchange with Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Wright said the […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said the Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy has received 28 responses from states following DOE’s request for information for the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campus program.  During a Wednesday House Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee hearing on DOE’s fiscal 2027 budget request, Wright said the nuclear […]

Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Dave McCormick (R-Penn.) have introduced a bill this week that looks to expand the Department of Energy’s ability to accelerate the deployment of advanced nuclear technology The bill, Nuclear Energy Innovation and Deployment Act, was introduced to the Senate on Tuesday. The senators said in the press release that the […]

In a Sunday editorial, the Tri-City Herald newspaper in Richland, Wash., blasted the Donald Trump administration’s fiscal 2027 request that would cut by more than $390-million the Department of Energy’s nuclear cleanup budget for the Hanford Site. While Hanford would still receive around $2.9 billion, more than a third of the budget for the DOE […]

Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio), ranking member of the House Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee, on April 8 unveiled a $19.2 million Department of Energy award to support a new nuclear safety training and workforce development program. Kaptur spoke of the initiative, led by the University of Toledo, during a visit to the Davis-Besse Nuclear […]

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright will testify on the Department of Energy’s fiscal 2027 budget request Wednesday in front of the House Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee. The hearing will take place at 2 p.m. Eastern time in the Rayburn House Office Building, room 2359. The livestream can be accessed here. This hearing comes after […]

Here are events related to nuclear matters that Exchange Monitor staff are tracking:  APRIL: 13: Meeting: The South Carolina Governor’s Nuclear Advisory Council meets starting at 1 p.m. Eastern Time in Columbia, S.C.  16: Meeting (hybrid): The Texas Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission meets starting at 10 a.m.Central Time at the Texas State Capitol […]

The House Appropriations subcommittee on energy and water development and related agencies scheduled a hearing for Wednesday, April 15 to review the Department of Energy’s budget request for fiscal 2027. This hearing comes after the White House issued a budget request for fiscal 2027 that would give $32.8 billion to the DOE’s semiautonomous National Nuclear […]