§16273 Fuel Cycle Research, Development, Demonstration, and Commercial Application

Summary

The Secretary must run a research, development, demonstration, and commercial application program to make used nuclear fuel handling better, safer, and less harmful to people and the environment. The work can cover things like dry cask storage, consolidated interim storage, deep geological disposal (including mined repositories), transportation, integrated waste management, vitrification, fuel recycling and transmutation (including advanced reprocessing methods), advanced materials, and other areas the Secretary chooses. The Secretary must use modern safeguards to lower the risk of weapons spread, work with the National Nuclear Security Administration to build security in from the start, think about effects on civilian nuclear use, public health and safety, and national security (including public consent), and consider whether the projects make economic sense. Congress authorized $60,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025 for this program. The Secretary must also run an advanced fuels program for next‑generation light water and advanced reactor fuels to improve performance, accident tolerance, resistance to proliferation, resource use, environmental impact, and economics. The focus is on new fuel technologies and fabrication methods that improve accident tolerance and cost, with a goal of first commercial use by December 31, 2025. By 180 days after December 27, 2020, the Secretary must send a report to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate describing how these technologies would affect reactor economics, the fuel cycle, operations, safety, proliferation, and the environment. Congress authorized $125,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 2025 for this program.