WASHINGTON – The Department of Energy could consider using the Nuclear Waste Fund to help fund waste management-related facilities to go online at Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses.
During the House Energy and Commerce’s Energy subcommittee hearing Tuesday, DOE’s Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish told the panel that the department and Congress need to work together to get the campuses online. Garrish said DOE has been considering using the Nuclear Waste Fund to help fund part of the initiative, including reprocessing facilities.
The Nuclear Waste Fund is a federal government account of the U.S. Treasury formed to fund the country’s efforts to build storage and permanent disposal of high-level radioactive waste. Created through the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, the fund is estimated to be around $51 to $56 billion.
Many of the lawmakers questioned Garrish on what funding would look like for the hubs, as the fund has been solely focused on permanent disposal of radioactive waste. Vice Chair of the House Energy Subcommittee Randy Weber (R-Texas) asked Garrish whether he agreed that Congress should not raise rates on the developing innovation campus program.
Garrish told Weber DOE could consider $56 billion from the Nuclear Waste Fund to kickstart the program, but also understands the reluctance to restart the fees for a program if it does not serve its purpose, which is to permanently store waste. He emphasized that Congress and DOE need to work together on best stewarding the funds and how the program would approach waste management towards disposal.
The collection of the Nuclear Waste Fund fees was put on hold in 2014 after a federal appellate court ordered the suspension because the plans for the Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada were canceled during the Barack Obama administration.
A second panel of nuclear industry officials and representatives succeeding Garrish chimed in on the use of the Nuclear Waste Fund. Maria Korsnick, Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) president and CEO, said restarting the fees should not be considered as of now. With over $50 billion in the Nuclear Waste Fund, Korsnick told Weber that NEI believes the money, if spent wisely, could address all the waste from the current and future fleet.