Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
applications for submission to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Nuclear Power 2010 also regulates the risk insurance authorized by the
Energy Policy Act of 2005 that protects industry from certain regulatory
delays during licensing and construction.
•
The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership program--an extension of the
Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative--develops proliferation-resistant nuclear
fuel cycles that maximizes energy output and minimizes waste.
Specifically, the program is designed to reduce the threat of global
nuclear proliferation by developing advanced technologies for
reprocessing spent nuclear fuel in the 2030 time frame. One of the critical
elements of this effort is to develop a sodium-cooled fast reactor designed
to burn a wide variety of nuclear fuels to reduce the total amount,
temperature, and radiotoxicity of the spent fuel that might otherwise have
to be stored for thousands of years in a repository.
•
Beginning in fiscal year 2008, the Generation IV Program is focusing
solely on the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), designed as a
versatile, efficient, high-temperature reactor capable of generating
electricity and producing hydrogen. DOE collaborates with 12 other
international partners on R and D related to fuels, materials, and design
methodologies as part of the Generation IV International Forum.
C
ONCLUDING
O
BSERVATIONS
In the current wake of higher energy costs and the growing recognition that
fossil energy consumption is contributing to global climate change, the nation is
once again assessing how best to stimulate the deployment of advanced energy
technologies. While still considerably below its peak in the late 1970s, DOE's
budget authority for renewable, fossil, and nuclear energy R and D has rebounded
to $1.4 billion during the past 10 years after hitting a low point in fiscal year
1998. However, despite DOE's energy R and D funding of $57.5 billion over the
last 30 years, the nation's energy portfolio remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels.
Many technical, cost and environmental challenges must be overcome in
developing and demonstrating advanced technologies before they can be deployed
in the U.S. market. Our December 2006 report suggested that the Congress
consider further stimulating the development and deployment of a diversified
energy portfolio by focusing R and D funding on advanced energy technologies.
However, because it is unlikely that DOE's energy R and D funding alone will be
sufficient to significantly diversify the nation's energy portfolio, coordinating
