§16023 Project Organization

Summary

Requires a project to develop and test advanced nuclear and hydrogen technologies. The project has five main parts: high‑temperature hydrogen production, energy conversion, nuclear fuel work, materials work, and reactor and plant design and safety. It will run in two phases. Phase one must pick and validate the hydrogen technology, do research and demonstrations on the other parts, decide if one prototype plant should make both electricity and hydrogen, and start prototype design and safety studies. Phase two must keep developing the technologies, hold a competition to choose the final prototype design, apply to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for construction and operating licenses, and build and start the prototype and its hydrogen or electricity facilities. The Secretary must set up the project to get ideas and technology from the nuclear industry, the chemical processing industry, and international efforts on hydrogen. The Secretary must seek international cooperation, participation, and funding. The Secretary may have Idaho National Laboratory hire experts or use facilities from Generation IV International Forum members, the Russian Federation, or other partners if they give cost‑effective help. The project may test some goals in a partner country and must be coordinated with the Generation IV International Forum. The Nuclear Energy Research Advisory Committee (NERAC) must review all plans and progress, add outside experts or subpanels as needed, and make sure scientific, technical, safety, and program management issues are handled. NERAC must review existing plans not later than 180 days after August 8, 2005, using the June 30, 2004 report as guidance. When the Secretary thinks phase one is nearly done, the Secretary must ask NERAC whether to move to phase two. The Secretary must send any NERAC report to the relevant House and Senate committees within 60 days, with any additional views.