The following is a list of the oversight results by the Office of Inspector General regarding The Department's programs, grants, and projects funded under the Recovery Act.
Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act), the Department of
Energy's Geothermal Technologies Program received $400 million to promote the exploration
and development of new geothermal fields and innovative research into advanced geothermal
technologies. This funding represents an almost ten-fold increase over the $44 million originally
appropriated to the Geothermal Technologies Program for 2009. As of January 2011, the
Department had awarded $368 million in financial assistance agreements for 135 geothermal
technologies projects, with about $68 million having been expended.
Recovery Act funding supports geothermal projects undertaken by private industry, academic
institutions, tribal entities, local governments, and the Department's National Laboratories. The
projects, covering activities in 39 states, represent a significant expansion of the U.S. geothermal
industry and are intended to create or save thousands of jobs in drilling, exploration,
construction, and operation of geothermal power facilities and manufacturing of ground source
heat pump equipment.
We initiated this audit to determine whether the Department had effectively managed the
geothermal awards funded under the Recovery Act.
Energy's Geothermal Technologies Program received $400 million to promote the exploration
and development of new geothermal fields and innovative research into advanced geothermal
technologies. This funding represents an almost ten-fold increase over the $44 million originally
appropriated to the Geothermal Technologies Program for 2009. As of January 2011, the
Department had awarded $368 million in financial assistance agreements for 135 geothermal
technologies projects, with about $68 million having been expended.
Recovery Act funding supports geothermal projects undertaken by private industry, academic
institutions, tribal entities, local governments, and the Department's National Laboratories. The
projects, covering activities in 39 states, represent a significant expansion of the U.S. geothermal
industry and are intended to create or save thousands of jobs in drilling, exploration,
construction, and operation of geothermal power facilities and manufacturing of ground source
heat pump equipment.
We initiated this audit to determine whether the Department had effectively managed the
geothermal awards funded under the Recovery Act.
The Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies Programunder the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Recovery Act Funded Projects at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
The Department of Energy's Loan Guarantee Program for Clean Energy Technologies
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was enacted on February 17, 2009. The goals of the Recovery Act are to retain or create jobs, increase economic efficiency, and invest in infrastructure that will provide long-term economic benefits. The Recovery Act provided just over $36 billion for the Department of Energy (Department), including $198 million to be used by the Office of Science (Science) for infrastructure modernization initiatives. According to Science officials, modernization was needed to many Department laboratories, offices, and other facilities due to their age. Science's Recovery Act Infrastructure Modernization initiatives include:
• Science Laboratories Infrastructure (SLI) projects totaling $108 million to accelerate existing construction projects under Science's Infrastructure Modernization Initiative; and,
• General Plant Projects (GPP) totaling $90 million to improve high-priority facilities, increase economy and efficiency of laboratories, reduce safety hazards, and reduce operating costs at our national laboratories.
We initiated this audit to determine if the Department is efficiently and effectively managing its Recovery Act infrastructure modernization projects.
• Science Laboratories Infrastructure (SLI) projects totaling $108 million to accelerate existing construction projects under Science's Infrastructure Modernization Initiative; and,
• General Plant Projects (GPP) totaling $90 million to improve high-priority facilities, increase economy and efficiency of laboratories, reduce safety hazards, and reduce operating costs at our national laboratories.
We initiated this audit to determine if the Department is efficiently and effectively managing its Recovery Act infrastructure modernization projects.
The Department's Infrastructure Modernization Projects under the Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) the Department of Energy (Department) awarded Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS) approximately $324 million to accelerate completion of infrastructure upgrades for the Hanford Site's tank farms during the Fiscal Year (FY) 2009-2011 timeframe. These funds were applied by the Department's Office of Environmental Management to the existing contract with WRPS to manage the operations and construction activities necessary to store, retrieve, treat, and dispose of the 53 million gallons of Hanford tank waste.
Management of the Tank Farm Recovery Act Infrastructure Upgrades Project
The Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the Capital Area Community Action Agency – Agreed-Upon Procedures
In February 2009, the President signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of
2009 (Recovery Act) into law. Part of the Recovery Act's purpose, relevant to the
Department of Energy (Department), was to invest in environmental protection.
Accordingly, the Department's Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (EM)
received $216 million of Recovery Act funds to perform environmental cleanup activities at
the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Y-12 National Security Complex
(Y-12). These funds were allocated to seven projects addressing material disposition,
deactivation and demolition, and remediation. Y-12 is managed and operated by Babcox
&Wilcox Y-12 Technical Services, LLC (B&W Y-12). The NNSA Y-12 Site Office (Site
Office) is responsible for overseeing B&W Y-12, including its management of these
projects.
Due to the importance of the Recovery Act's investment in environmental protection, we
initiated this audit to determine whether Y-12 is effectively managing its environmental
cleanup activities funded by the Recovery Act. During the audit we reviewed three of
Y-12's seven EM Recovery Act funded projects, which accounted for $164 million of the
$216 million total funding. As of August 2010, Y-12 had awarded 428 subcontracts with a
total value of $39 million to support the three projects we reviewed. We analyzed nine of
these subcontracts valued at a total of $10 million.
2009 (Recovery Act) into law. Part of the Recovery Act's purpose, relevant to the
Department of Energy (Department), was to invest in environmental protection.
Accordingly, the Department's Oak Ridge Office of Environmental Management (EM)
received $216 million of Recovery Act funds to perform environmental cleanup activities at
the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Y-12 National Security Complex
(Y-12). These funds were allocated to seven projects addressing material disposition,
deactivation and demolition, and remediation. Y-12 is managed and operated by Babcox
&Wilcox Y-12 Technical Services, LLC (B&W Y-12). The NNSA Y-12 Site Office (Site
Office) is responsible for overseeing B&W Y-12, including its management of these
projects.
Due to the importance of the Recovery Act's investment in environmental protection, we
initiated this audit to determine whether Y-12 is effectively managing its environmental
cleanup activities funded by the Recovery Act. During the audit we reviewed three of
Y-12's seven EM Recovery Act funded projects, which accounted for $164 million of the
$216 million total funding. As of August 2010, Y-12 had awarded 428 subcontracts with a
total value of $39 million to support the three projects we reviewed. We analyzed nine of
these subcontracts valued at a total of $10 million.