Nuclear Energy Policy

Nuclear energy policy issues facing Congress include the implementation of federal incentives for new commercial reactors, radioactive waste management policy, research and development priorities, power plant safety and regulation, and security against terrorist attacks. The Bush Administration has called for an expansion of nuclear power. For Department of Energy DOE nuclear energy research and development and infrastructure, the Administration is requesting 801.7 million for FY2008, a nearly 30 increase from the FY2007 appropriation. The request would boost funding for the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative AFCI from 167.5 million in FY2007 to 395.0 million in FY2008 as the primary component of the Administrations Global Nuclear Energy Partnership GNEP. The House Appropriations Committee recommended cutting AFCI to 120.0 million while providing a total funding level of 835.2 million H.R. 2641, H.Rept. 110-185. The Senate Appropriations Committee recommended 242.0 million for AFCI and 795.5 million for nuclear energy overall S. 1751, S.Rept. 110-127. Significant incentives for new commercial reactors are included in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 P.L. 109-58, signed by the President on August 8, 2005. These include production tax credits, loan guarantees, insurance against regulatory delays, and extension of the Price-Anderson Act nuclear liability system. Together with higher fossil fuel prices and the possibility of greenhouse gas controls, the federal incentives for nuclear power have helped spur renewed interest by utilities and other potential reactor developers. Plans for about 30 reactor license applications have been announced, although no commitments have been made to build the plants. No reactor has been ordered in the United States since 1978, and all orders since 1973 were subsequently canceled.