The primary mission of the Nuclear Energy (NE) program is to advance nuclear power as a resource capable of contributing toward the nation’s energy supply, environmental, and national security needs. To ensure that nuclear energy remains a viable energy option for the nation, NE supports research, development, and demonstration activities, when appropriate, designed to resolve the technical, cost, safety, waste management, proliferation resistance, and security challenges of increased use of nuclear energy. NE leads the federal research effort to develop nuclear energy technologies, including generation, safety, waste storage and management, and security technologies to help meet energy security, proliferation resistance, and climate goals.
Office of Nuclear Energy FY 2019-21 Budget
Dollars in Thousands
FY 2019 Enacted with Enrichment | FY 2020 | FY 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated University Program | $5,000 | $5,000 | 0 |
| Supercritical Transformational Electric Power (STEP) R&D | $5,000 | $5,000 | 0 |
| Reactor Concepts Research, Development and Demonstration | |||
| Advanced Small Modular Reactor Research and Development | $100,000 | $100,000 | $10,000 |
| Light Water Reactor Sustainability | $47,000 | $47,000 | $30,500 |
| Advanced Reactor Technologies | $111,500 | $55,000 | $71,000 |
| Versatile Advanced Test Reactor | $65,000 | $65,000 | 0 |
| Reactor Concepts Research, Development and Demonstration -- subtotal | $323,500 | $267,000 | $111,500 |
| Fuel Cycle Research and Development | |||
| Mining, Conversion and Transportation [Uranium Mining] | $2,000 | $2,000 | |
| Civil Nuclear Enrichment | $30,200 | $40,000 | $40,000 |
| Materials Recovery and Waste Form Development | $36,700 | $30,000 | $12,000 |
| Advanced Fuels | $112,708 | 0 | 0 |
| Accident Tolerant Fuels | 0 | $95,600 | $36,000 |
| TRISO Fuel and Graphite Qualification | 0 | $30,000 | $34,000 |
| Fuel Cycle R&D | 0 | $20,000 | $3,000 |
| Systems Analysis and Integration | $6,376 | 0 | 0 |
| Materials Protection, Accounting and Control Technology | $4,716 | 0 | 0 |
| Used Nuclear Fuel Disposition Research and Development | $50,715 | $62,500 | $60,000 |
| Integrated Waste Management System | $22,500 | $25,000 | 0 |
| Fuel Cycle Research and Development -- subtotal | $263,915 | $305,100 | $187,000 |
| Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies | |||
| Crosscutting Technology Development | $50,000 | $25,000 | $28,000 |
| Modeling and Simulation Hub | $27,585 | 0 | 0 |
| Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation | $31,000 | $35,000 | $30,000 |
| Nuclear Science User Facilities | $44,000 | $30,000 | $28,000 |
| Transformational Challenge Reactor | 0 | $23,450 | $30,000 |
| Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies -- subtotal | $152,585 | $113,450 | $116,000 |
| Radiological Facilities Management | |||
| Oak Ridge National Laboratory Infrastructure | $20,000 | 0 | 0 |
| Research Reactor Infrastructure | $9,000 | 0 | $11,500 |
| Radiological Facilities Management -- subtotal | $29,000 | 0 | $11,500 |
| Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program | |||
| National Reactor Innovation Center | $20,000 | $10,000 | |
| Demonstration 1 | $80,000 | 0 | |
| Demonstration 2 | $80,000 | 0 | |
| Risk Reduction for Future Demonstrations | $30,000 | 0 | |
| Regulatory Development | $15,000 | $7,500 | |
| Advanced Reactor Safeguards | $5,000 | $2,500 | |
| Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program -- subtotal | $230,000 | $20,000 | |
| Versatile Test Reactor Project | |||
| Other Project Costs | $33,000 | ||
| 21-E-200, Versatile Test Reactor | $262,000 | ||
| Versatile Test Reactor Project -- subtotal | $295,000 | ||
| Infrastructure | |||
| INL Facilities Operations & Maintenance | $280,000 | 0 | |
| ORNL Infrastructure Facilities O&M | $20,000 | 0 | |
| Research Reactor Infrastructure | $9,000 | 0 | |
| Construction | |||
| 16-E-200, Sample Preparation Laboratory | $25,450 | 0 | |
| Infrastructure -- subtotal | 0 | $334,450 | 0 |
| Idaho Facilities Management | |||
| Operations & Maintenance | $288,000 | 0 | $208,000 |
| 16-E-200, Sample Preparation Laboratory | $30,000 | 0 | $18,000 |
| Idaho Facilities Management -- subtotal | $318,000 | 0 | $226,000 |
| Idaho Sitewide Safeguards and Security | $146,090 | $153,408 | $137,800 |
| International Nuclear Energy Cooperation | $3,000 | 0 | 0 |
| Program Direction | $80,000 | $80,000 | $75,131 |
| Total, Nuclear Energy R&D | $1,326,090 | $1,493,408 | $1,179,931 |
| Storage and NWF Oversight | 0 | 0 | $27,500 |
| Uranium Reserve | $150,000 | ||
| NR Transfer | $85.500 | $88,500 | 0 |
| TOTAL, OFFICE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY | $1,411,590 | $1,581,908 | $1,357,431 |
See the DOE FY 2021 Budget Request.