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.
See the DOE FY 2024 Budget Request.
Office of Nuclear Energy FY 2020-23 Budget
Dollars in Thousands
FY 2021
|
FY 2022
|
FY 2023
|
FY 2024
|
|
---|---|---|---|---|
Integrated University Program | $5,000 | $6,000 | $6,500 | $6,630 |
Supercritical Transformational Electric Power (STEP) R&D | $5,000 | (included within Advanced Reactor Technologies) | (included within Advanced Reactor Technologies) | 0 |
Reactor Concepts RD&D | ||||
Advanced Small Modular Reactor RD&D | $115,000 | $150,000 | $165,000 | $20,000 |
Light Water Reactor Sustainability | $47,000 | $48,000 | $45,000 | $35,000 |
Advanced Reactor Technologies | $46,000 | $59,000 | $49,000 | $43,200 |
Reactor Concepts RD&D -- subtotal | $208,000 | $257,000 | $259,000 | $98,200 |
Fuel Cycle R&D | ||||
Mining, Conversion and Transportation | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $1,500 |
Civil Nuclear Enrichment | $40,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Materials Recovery and Waste Form Development | $25,000 | $30,000 | $45,000 | $39,000 |
Accident Tolerant Fuels | $105,800 | $115,000 | $114,000 | $108,900 |
TRISO Fuel and Graphite Qualification | $36,000 | $37,000 | $32,000 | $25,000 |
Fuel Cycle Laboratory R&D | $20,000 | $23,150 | $29,000 | $29,000 |
High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) Availability | $45,000 | $100,000 | $120,000 | |
Used Nuclear Fuel Disposition R&D | $62,500 | $50,000 | $47,000 | $46,875 |
Integrated Waste Management System | $18,000 | $18,000 | $53,000 | $53,000 |
Fuel Cycle R&D -- subtotal | $309,300 | $320,150 | $422,000 | $423,275 |
Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies | ||||
Crosscutting Technology Development | $28,000 | $29,000 | $32,000 | $32,778 |
Joint Modeling and Simulation Program | $35,000 | $30,000 | $28,500 | $28,500 |
Nuclear Science User Facilities | $30,000 | $33,000 | $35,000 | $35,000 |
Transformational Challenge Reactor | $29,869 | $25,000 | 0 | 0 |
Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies -- subtotal | $122,869 | $117,000 | $95,500 | $96,278 |
Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program | ||||
National Reactor Innovation Center | $30,000 | $53,000 | $70,000 | $34,000 |
Demonstration 1 (Xe) | $80,000 | $30,000 | 0 | 0 |
Demonstration 2 (Natrium) | $80,000 | $30,000 | 0 | 0 |
Demonstration Reactors | 0 | 0 | $60,000 | 0 |
Risk Reduction for Future Demonstrations | $40,000 | $115,000 | $120,000 | $120,000 |
Regulatory Development | $15,000 | $15,000 | $10,250 | $11,000 |
Advanced Reactor Safeguards | $5,000 | $5,000 | $4,750 | $6,000 |
23-E-200, LOTUS, INL | 0 | $2,000 | $20,000 | $32,000 |
Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program -- subtotal | $250,000 | $250,000 | $285,000 | $203,000 |
Versatile Test Reactor Project | ||||
Other Project Costs | $43,000 | 0 | $45,000 | 0 |
21-E-200, Versatile Test Reactor | $2,000 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Versatile Test Reactor Project -- subtotal | $45,000 | 0 | $45,000 | 0 |
Infrastructure | ||||
INL Facilities Operations & Maintenance | $280,000 | $295,000 | $318,924 | $318,924 |
ORNL Infrastructure Facilities O&M | $20,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | 0 |
Research Reactor Infrastructure | $11,500 | $15,000 | 0 | 0 |
16-E-200, Sample Preparation Laboratory | $26,000 | $41,850 | $7,300 | 0 |
Infrastructure -- subtotal | $337,500 | $371,850 | $346,224 | $318,924 |
Idaho Sitewide Safeguards and Security | $149,800 | $149,800 | $150,000 | $177,733 |
International Nuclear Energy Cooperation | $3,000 | [$3,000] | $13,000 | |
Program Direction | $75,131 | $80,000 | $85,000 | $85,500 |
Total, Nuclear Energy R&D | $1,507,600 | $1,654,800 | $1,773,000 | $1,562,620 |
Nuclear Waste Fund Oversight | $27,500 | $27,500 | $10,205 | $12,040 |
NR Transfer | $91,000 | $92,747 | $99,747 | 0 |
TOTAL, OFFICE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY | $1,626,100 | $1,775,047 | $1,783,205 | $1,574,660 |