The Department of Energy is requesting $1.53 billion for its Office of Nuclear Energy in fiscal 2027, a slight funding reduction, despite the Donald Trump administration’s push for more nuclear power.
The $1.53 billion request outlined in DOE’s fiscal 2027 budget justification document represents a $151 million or 9% budget cut from fiscal 2026, which ends Sept. 30, The subagency’s budget is $1.78 billion.
However, according to the document, $100 million of the Office of Nuclear Energy’s fiscal 2026 budget was repurposed for Infrastructure, Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding, $1.68 billion for Nuclear Energy.
The Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP) appears to receive $226 million, under the request, which would be way down from the $3.1 billion ultimately enacted by Congress for fiscal 2026, ADRP supports demonstration projects and small modular reactor projects, such as TerraPower’s Natrium reactor in Wyoming,
Fuel Cycle Research and Development, which contributes to DOE’s High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) Availability program, also would take a big hit – with the White House requesting $218 million, compared with the fiscal 2026 budget of $490 million. That would amount to a 55% reduction.
According to the document, the 55% cut comes as the agency removed the Used Nuclear Fuel Disposition Research and Development and Integrated Waste Management System from the Fuel Cycle Research and Development control point. The two sections have been put together to form the Used Nuclear Fuel Disposition Research and Development and High-Level Waste Disposition, which has a proposed budget of $102 million for fiscal 2027.
While the DOE’s Office of Nuclear is potentially looking at a smaller budget, the White House is still looking to invest in nuclear power, particularly in advanced reactors. In the Pentagon’s large $1.5 trillion fiscal 2027 request, under its research development, test and evaluation programs budget section, the White House is requesting $392 million for advanced nuclear power systems.
This request is an increase from the Pentagon fiscal 2026 budget amount of $343 million. Advanced nuclear power systems are advanced reactors, such as small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors, designed for smaller and safer for more convenient uses. The Pentagon has a growing interest in using microreactors to power energy systems at military bases and operations.
This week, the Air Force and Defense Innovation Unit picked the Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado and Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana as potential locations for microreactors. On March 25, the Air Force also released a request for information seeking the deployment of a microreactor or SMR at its bases. The response for the solicitation is due April 19.