NARUC EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT FINANCING IN NUKE WASTE BILL

With the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee set to hold a hearing tomorrow on the Nuclear Waste Administration Act, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners sent a letter to Committee leaders yesterday detailing some concerns with the bill. While the group applauded the creation of a Nuclear Waste Administration and the use of a consent-based approach to siting waste facilities, NARUC took issue with the lack of details in the funding mechanism. The legislation does not address the issue of reforming the Nuclear Waste Fund, financed by payments from electricity ratepayers, which was called for by the Blue Ribbon Commission. The bill also does not clarify how money in the Fund will be transferred to a new organization, according to the letter. “Let us express some apprehension over how a Nuclear Waste Administration might be difficult to form if it cannot attract top-tier talent because of concerns over its financial stability. Potential applicants for the NWA Administrator position do want to see a secure financial foundation underlying the NWA or other organization,” states the letter to Committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).