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Inspector General Semiannual Report to Congress, April 1, 2006 - September 30, 2006

SCADA Test Bed introduction to managers and operators in the field- To establish a National capability to support industry and government in addressing control system cyber security and vulnerabilities in the energy sector

SCADA Test Bed introduction to managers and operators in the field- To establish a National capability to support industry and government in addressing control system cyber security and vulnerabilities in the energy sector

Application from Montana Alberta Tie Ltd to construct, operate, and maintain electric transmission facilities at the U.S-Canda border.

Project scope: Comparative analysis of recent resource plans filed by 14 utilities in the Western U.S. and Canada. Analyze treatment of conventional & emerging resource options—including energy efficiency (EE)-Assess risk analysis & portfolio management -Develop more standardized methods and conventions for resource assessment-Summarize how issues are handled in resource plans; identify “best practices” and offer recommendations-Create information tools for CREPC that facilitate work on related projects (e.g. regional transmission planning)

Minutes of the September 27, 2006 Board meeting at Santa Fe Community College Presentation LANL, Transuranic Waste Program, Lee Lucero

The Department cf Energy's Sandia National Laboratories are refurbishing the Spin Rocket Motor, a 1:rime component of the B61 nuclear weapon system. Both the originai motor produced i2 i906 and the version last produced in 1991 are the subjects of the refurbishment. Rvth motors, which are essentially identical, produce thrust to arm thz weapon. In Deceinber 2001, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) received Nuclear Weapons Council Standing and Safety Committee (NWCSSC) approval to study the feasibility and cost of replacement options. In April 2003, ihe MWCSSC approved the development of a new Spin ~ o c k e t h ~ o tboarse d on Sandia's assei-tiolls that test data collected between 1997 and 2002 showed the motors. due in largc: part to "detrimental aging," were not performing according to specifications. Detrimental aging occurs when a component's age prevents it from perfo~mingto meet military requirements. The first production unit for this refurbishment effort 1s scheduled to be completed in December 2006, at an estimated overall project cost of about $60 rnilllcn. NNSA's 6.X process for managing refurbishrne~itsr equires the examination of various design options and their cost impacts before proceeding to the development-engineering phase. Pursuant to the 6.X process, a rationale for replacing components is to be supported by test evidence indicating weapon defects and aging trends. In ~ r d etro be used as part of a justification, test results must be obtained under "War Reserve" conditions, that is, conditions similar to those experienced in wartime (e.g., climate factors such as temperature). Furthermore, refurbishments are to be supported by evidence indicating the cause and impact of any reported anomalies. The Office of Inspector General received allegations raising serious questions concerning the Department of Energy's decision to proceed with the B6 1 Spin Rocket Motor project. As a consequence, we initiated this audit to evaluate the Department conclusion about the performance of the motor.