Title 50 — War and National DefenseRelease 119-73not60

§2758 Improvements to Cost Estimates Informing Analyses of Alternatives

Title 50 › Chapter 42— ATOMIC ENERGY DEFENSE PROVISIONS › Subchapter VII— BUDGET AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT MATTERS › Part A— Recurring National Security Authorization Provisions › § 2758

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

Require that any cost estimate used to compare options for a project paid for with DOE national security funds must meet the goals in the mission needs statement approved at Critical Decision 0 under Department of Energy Order 413.3B or its replacement. If a project’s total estimated cost is more than $500,000,000 and it has not reached Critical Decision 1, the Administrator may use those funds for engineering and design to start a conceptual design to help build a cost estimate during the options analysis. The Administrator must decide this will improve the estimate and notify the congressional defense committees, and must wait 15 days after that notice.

Full Legal Text

Title 50, §2758

War and National Defense — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Administrator shall ensure that any cost estimate used in an analysis of alternatives for a project carried out using funds authorized by a DOE national security authorization is designed to fully satisfy the requirements outlined in the mission needs statement approved at critical decision 0 in the acquisition process, as set forth in Department of Energy Order 413.3B (relating to program management and project management for the acquisition of capital assets) or a successor order.

(b)In the case of a project the total estimated cost of which exceeds $500,000,000 and that has not reached critical decision 1 in the acquisition process, the Administrator may use funds authorized by a DOE national security authorization for project engineering and design to begin the development of a conceptual design to facilitate the development of a cost estimate for the project during the analysis of alternatives for the project if—

(1)the Administrator—

(A)determines that such use of funds would improve the quality of the cost estimate for the project; and

(B)notifies the congressional defense committees of that determination; and

(2)a period of 15 days has elapsed after the date on which such committees receive the notification.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

50 U.S.C. § 2758

Title 50 — War and National Defense

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60