The Nuclear Waste Fund grew $3.2 billion from fiscal year 2013 to fiscal year 2014 despite the hiatus in the collection of the NWF fee, according to the annual audit conducted by the Department of Energy’s Inspect General Office, obtained by WC Morning Briefing yesterday. The fund currently stands at $39.8 billion, up from $36.6 billion reported in last year’s audit. The $3.2 billion increase marks a substantial growth in the fund— especially considering the fund stopped collecting fees in May. Last year, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, along with the Nuclear Energy Institute, successfully petitioned a federal appeals court to eliminate the fee due to DOE’s failure to make progress in its waste management program. The fee amounted to one-tenth of a cent per kilowatt hour of energy generated by nuclear power, and was mandated under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act to pay for the ultimate disposal of spent fuel in a repository, designated as Yucca Mountain. According to the audit, the increase included $1.4 billion in interest generated from investment income and net gains from the maturity of securities.
Nuclear Waste Fund at Approximately $40B, DOE IG Audit Says
House Energy panel plans to look at DOE’s Nuclear Lifecycle centers
The House Energy and Commerce Committee’’s Energy subcommittee plans a Tuesday hearing on the Department of Energy’s Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses that would co-locate fuel cycle activities with advanced nuclear energy projects. Announced Sept. 8, the hearing, titled: “Nuclear Spent Fuel Policy: Examining Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses”, will be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. Eastern […]