President Trump Releases 2018 Budget Proposal
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The Trump administration has released its proposed Budget of the U.S. Government for Fiscal Year 2018. The request includes a high-level summary of the Department of Energy (DOE) proposal.
"It is clear that the White House budget recommendations for Department of Energy, particularly within the Office of Nuclear Energy, would negatively impact ongoing U.S. nuclear research, development and education efforts. However, the power of the purse strings lies on Capitol Hill, and we are confident Congress will a take thoughtful approach to funding these programs which are so important to our long-term energy and national security," said ANS President Andy Klein.
The DOE's fact sheet includes the following:
- $703 million for Nuclear Energy, $283 million below FY 2016 Enacted, focusing on early-stage R&D. The request includes $20 million for R&D to explore different Small Modular Reactor designs.
- $120 million for the Yucca Mountain and Interim Storage Program to accelerate progress on fulfilling the federal government's obligations to address nuclear waste. This entails restarting NRC licensing activities for the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository and establishing a robust interim storage program to develop a capability for earlier acceptance of spent nuclear fuel.
