Audit Report: IG-0444

The U.S. Department of Energy's Large-Scale Demonstration and Deployment Projects

Office of Inspector General

May 19, 1999
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May 19, 1999

The U.S. Department of Energy's Large-Scale Demonstration and Deployment Projects

The Department of Energy has about 7,000 surplus buildings that will eventually require deactivation and decommissioning (D&D). The estimated cost of D&D for the Department's surplus facilities is over $11 billion with an additional $20 billion to stabilize, deactivate and decommission facilities which are currently active. The Office of Environmental Management is responsible for assuring that adequate technologies are available to address these D&D needs. Through the development and widespread deployment of new technologies, the Department has established a goal of reducing D&D costs by approximately $1 billion by 2006. Environmental Management uses Large-Scale Demonstration and Deployment Projects to identify and promote deployment of improved technologies throughout the Department.

  • The Department of Energy has about 7,000 surplus buildings that will eventually require deactivation and
    decommissioning (D&D). The estimated cost of D&D for the Department's surplus facilities is over $11
    billion with an additional $20 billion to stabilize, deactivate and decommission facilities which are currently
    active. The Office of Environmental Management is responsible for assuring that adequate technologies
    are available to address these D&D needs. Through the development and widespread deployment of new
    technologies, the Department has established a goal of reducing D&D costs by approximately $1 billion by
    2006.
    Environmental Management uses Large-Scale Demonstration and Deployment Projects to identify and
    promote deployment of improved technologies throughout the Department. These projects are intended to
    provide an opportunity to compare the cost and performance of new or improved technologies against
    established technologies. To date, the projects have demonstrated many technologies which offer cost and
    performance improvements over established technologies. Environmental Management uses a concept of
    Integrating Contractor Teams to manage each project. The objective of our audit was to determine if
    opportunities exist to increase D&D technology deployments within the Department and to reduce the cost
    of managing technology demonstration projects.nd
    A