A nuclear industry organization this week gave the Nuclear Regulatory Commission higher marks for transparency in making the case for its fees for the current 2020 federal fiscal year.
In the proposed fee schedule issued in February, the NRC said it would require $728.5 million in fees for the 12-month period ending Sept. 30. That is intended to cover 90% of its funding, with the remaining 10% coming from congressional appropriations.
Within the total fee take, the regulator would collect $230.6 million from service fees and $497.9 million from annual fees on reactor, fuel cycle, and materials licensees.
In proposals for prior years, the Washington, D.C.-based Nuclear Energy Institute has expressed concerns about the “basis for the budget,” NEI Vice President Jennifer Uhle wrote in a March 16 letter to Annette Vietti-Cook, secretary of the commission. This year, the agency has clarified and improved the type of data included in fee documents, she said.
“There has been a marked improvement in the level of detail provided to stakeholders on the NRC budget,” Uhle stated, “however, we urge that additional steps be taken. In particular, we believe that additional detail should be provided on budgeted work activities, including a level of planned effort for each activity, how this level compares with the prior year, and the rationale for the change.”
The Nuclear Energy Institute also would like more data to make clearer what work is funded through service fees and what via annual fees on licensees, according to Uhle. There would also be benefit to industry stakeholders in more comprehensively explaining major hikes or reductions in spending in certain budget line items, she said.
Today is the last day to submit comments on the proposed fee schedule. The final fee schedule is generally issued in June, an NRC spokesman said Wednesday.
