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.
Review of the Department of Energy's Plan for Obligating Remaining Recovery Act Contract and Grant Funding
Management Controls over the Development and Implementation of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Performance and Accountability for Grants in Energy System
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was enacted in February
2009, to strengthen the U.S. economy, create jobs and spur investments in the Nation's energy
future. Under the Recovery Act, the Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program
(Weatherization Program) received about $5 billion, a ten-fold increase over the Fiscal Year
2009 funding, to weatherize over 590,000 homes owned or occupied by low-income persons.
The Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) manages the
Weatherization Program with support from field offices at the National Energy Technology
Laboratory and the Golden Field Office. Through these offices, and based on an allocation
formula published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), the Department awarded
Weatherization funding to all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 5 U.S. territories. The
formula considers a variety of factors and includes a calculation designed to compensate for
climate conditions. Given the risk associated with significant program changes, dramatic
increases in funding and demands related to weatherizing hundreds of thousands of homes, we
have initiated a series of audits to assess the Weatherization Program's ability to effectively
allocate, award and monitor Weatherization funds. This report, one in the series, discusses the
Department’s use of the formula to allocate Recovery Act funds.
2009, to strengthen the U.S. economy, create jobs and spur investments in the Nation's energy
future. Under the Recovery Act, the Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program
(Weatherization Program) received about $5 billion, a ten-fold increase over the Fiscal Year
2009 funding, to weatherize over 590,000 homes owned or occupied by low-income persons.
The Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) manages the
Weatherization Program with support from field offices at the National Energy Technology
Laboratory and the Golden Field Office. Through these offices, and based on an allocation
formula published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), the Department awarded
Weatherization funding to all 50 states, the District of Columbia and 5 U.S. territories. The
formula considers a variety of factors and includes a calculation designed to compensate for
climate conditions. Given the risk associated with significant program changes, dramatic
increases in funding and demands related to weatherizing hundreds of thousands of homes, we
have initiated a series of audits to assess the Weatherization Program's ability to effectively
allocate, award and monitor Weatherization funds. This report, one in the series, discusses the
Department’s use of the formula to allocate Recovery Act funds.
The Department of Energy's Use of the Weatherization Assistance Program Formula for Allocating Funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
The Department of Energy's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act -Florida State Energy Program
The Department of Energy's (Department) Weatherization Assistance Program received $5 billion
under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) to improve the
energy efficiency of homes, multi-family rental units and mobile homes owned or occupied by
low-income persons. Subsequently, the Department awarded a three-year Weatherization
Assistance Program grant for $94 million to the Commonwealth of Virginia (Virginia). This
grant provided more than a ten-fold increase in funds available to Virginia for weatherization over
that authorized in Fiscal Year (FY) 2009. Corresponding to the increase in funding, the Recovery
Act increased the limit on the average amount spent to weatherize a home (unit) from $2,500 to
$6,500.
under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) to improve the
energy efficiency of homes, multi-family rental units and mobile homes owned or occupied by
low-income persons. Subsequently, the Department awarded a three-year Weatherization
Assistance Program grant for $94 million to the Commonwealth of Virginia (Virginia). This
grant provided more than a ten-fold increase in funds available to Virginia for weatherization over
that authorized in Fiscal Year (FY) 2009. Corresponding to the increase in funding, the Recovery
Act increased the limit on the average amount spent to weatherize a home (unit) from $2,500 to
$6,500.
Management Controls over the Commonwealth of Virginia's Efforts to Implement the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Weatherization Assistance Program
The Department of Energy's Office of Environmental Management's (EM), Richland Operations Office (Richland), is responsible for disposing of the Hanford Site's (Hanford) transuranic (TRU) waste, including nearly 12,000 cubic meters of radioactive contact-handled TRU wastes. Prior to disposing of this waste at the Department's Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), Richland must certify that it meets WIPP's waste acceptance criteria. To be certified, the waste must be characterized, screened for prohibited items, treated (if necessary) and placed into a satisfactory disposal container.
In a February 2008 amendment to an existing Record of Decision (Decision), the Department announced its plan to ship up to 8,764 cubic meters of contact-handled TRU waste from Hanford and other waste generator sites to the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP) at Idaho's National Laboratory (INL) for processing and certification prior to disposal at WIPP. The Department decided to maximize the use of the AMWTP's automated waste processing capabilities to compact and, thereby, reduce the volume of contact-handled TRU waste. Compaction reduces the number of shipments and permits WIPP to more efficiently use its limited TRU waste disposal capacity. The Decision noted that the use of AMWTP would avoid the time and expense of establishing a processing capability at other sites.
In a February 2008 amendment to an existing Record of Decision (Decision), the Department announced its plan to ship up to 8,764 cubic meters of contact-handled TRU waste from Hanford and other waste generator sites to the Advanced Mixed Waste Treatment Project (AMWTP) at Idaho's National Laboratory (INL) for processing and certification prior to disposal at WIPP. The Department decided to maximize the use of the AMWTP's automated waste processing capabilities to compact and, thereby, reduce the volume of contact-handled TRU waste. Compaction reduces the number of shipments and permits WIPP to more efficiently use its limited TRU waste disposal capacity. The Decision noted that the use of AMWTP would avoid the time and expense of establishing a processing capability at other sites.
Waste Processing and Recovery Act Acceleration Efforts for Contact-Handled Transuranic Waste at the Hanford Site
Management Controls over the Department of Energy’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – Louisiana State Energy Program