Nuclear energy-related groups urge Energysec Wright to address spent fuel

Several nuclear and energy groups urged Secretary of Energy Chris Wright this week to take action to address the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle in the United States.

The Nuclear Energy Institute, Energy Communities Alliance (ECA), Nuclear Industry Council, American Nuclear Society, Decommissioning Plant Coalition, Nuclear Waste Strategy Coalition (NWSC), National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and Sustainable Fuel Cycle Task Force Science Panel sent a letter requesting to sit down with Wright to discuss the matter.

An ECA official informed ExchangeMonitor that it expects to meet with the Department of Energy (DOE) to discuss the topic. The organization has informally heard back from DOE and expects an official response soon, an ECA official said. 

According to a NWSC official, DOE Office of Nuclear Energy deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel and high-level waste disposition Paul Murray confirmed to the organization that he received the joint letter. Murray was sent a carbon copy of the message as outlined in the bottom of the letter.

NWSC is optimistic that DOE will take action with the back-end of the fuel cycle and meet with the eight organizations, a NWSC official told ExchangeMonitor.

The organizations call for the Department of Energy to produce a program to address the disposal of United States commercial and legacy defense spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste.

The Nuclear Waste Policy Act allowed for the establishment of a national program for nuclear waste management. It is the DOE’s legal responsibility to manage and dispose of the nation’s nuclear waste, the groups said.

According to the Tuesday letter, the federal financial liabilities for inaction are estimated to be between $37.6 billion and $44.5 billion for commercial waste. The inability to dispose of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel from DOE sites were estimated to be around $23 billion in fiscal 2023 and is growing.

The planned Yucca Mountain deep geologic repository in Nevada was cancelled during the Barack Obama administration. 

With recent successes in Canada, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland in pursuing nuclear waste solutions, the industry and policy groups said the “opportunity exists for refreshing our own program.”

“The hurdles that have thus far prevented progress can be overcome, leading to greater

confidence in the nation’s ability to manage current and future waste and facilitating the

deployment of new, advanced nuclear technologies,” the nuclear organizations wrote.