42 USC 16281 - Advanced nuclear fuel availability

U.S Code last checked for updates: Jan 18, 2025

§ 16281.

Advanced nuclear fuel availability

(a)

Program

(1)

Establishment

(2)

Program elements

In carrying out the program under paragraph (1), the Secretary—

(A)

shall develop, in consultation with the Commission, criticality benchmark data to assist the Commission in—

(i)

the licensing and regulation of special nuclear material fuel fabrication and enrichment facilities under part 70 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations; and

(ii)

certification of transportation packages under part 71 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations;

(B)

shall conduct research and development, and provide financial assistance to assist commercial entities, to design and license transportation packages for HA–LEU, including canisters for metal, gas, and other HA–LEU compositions;

(C)

shall, to the extent practicable—

(i)

by January 1, 2024, support commercial entity submission of such transportation package designs to the Commission for certification by the Commission under part 71 of title 10, Code of Federal Regulations; and

(ii)

encourage the Commission to have such transportation package designs so certified by the Commission within 24 months after receipt of an application;

(D)

shall consider options for acquiring or providing HA–LEU from a stockpile of uranium owned by the Department, or using enrichment technology, to make available to members of the consortium established pursuant to subparagraph (F) for commercial use or demonstration projects, taking into account cost and amount of time required, and prioritizing methods that would produce usable HA–LEU the quickest, including options for acquiring or providing HA–LEU—

(i)

that—

(I)

directly meets the needs of an end user; and

(II)

has been previously used or fabricated for another purpose;

(ii)

that meets the needs of an end user after having radioactive or other contaminants that resulted from a previous use or fabrication of the fuel for research, development, demonstration, or deployment activities of the Department removed;

(iii)

that is produced from high-enriched uranium that is blended with lower assay uranium to become HA–LEU to meet the needs of an end user;

(iv)

that is produced by Department research, development, and demonstration activities;

(v)

that is produced in the United States by—

(I)

a United States-owned commercial entity operating United States-origin technology;

(II)

a United States-owned commercial entity operating a foreign-origin technology; or

(III)

a foreign-owned entity operating a foreign-origin technology;

(vi)

that does not require extraction of uranium or development of uranium from lands managed by the Federal Government, cause harm to the natural or cultural resources of Tribal communities or sovereign Native Nations, or result in degraded ground or surface water quality on publicly managed or privately owned lands; or

(vii)

that does not negatively impact the availability of HA–LEU by the Department to support the production of medical isotopes, including the medical isotopes defined under the American Medical Isotopes Production Act of 2012 (Public Law 112–239; 126 Stat. 2211);

(E)

not later than 1 year after December 27, 2020, and biennially thereafter, shall conduct a survey of stakeholders to estimate the quantity of HA–LEU necessary for domestic commercial use for each of the 5 subsequent years;

(F)

shall establish, and from time to time update, a consortium, which may include entities involved in any stage of the nuclear fuel cycle, to partner with the Department to support the availability of HA–LEU for civilian domestic demonstration and commercial use, including by—

(i)

providing information to the Secretary for purposes of surveys conducted under subparagraph (E);

(ii)

purchasing HA–LEU made available by the Secretary to members of the consortium for commercial use under the program; and

(iii)

carrying out demonstration projects using HA–LEU provided by the Secretary under the program;

(G)

if applicable, shall, prior to acquiring or providing HA–LEU under subparagraph (H), in coordination with the consortium established pursuant to subparagraph (F), develop a schedule for cost recovery of HA–LEU made available to members of the consortium using HA–LEU for commercial use pursuant to subparagraph (H);

(H)

shall, beginning not later than 3 years after the establishment of a consortium under subparagraph (F), have the capability to acquire or provide HA–LEU, in order to make such HA–LEU available to members of the consortium beginning not later than January 1, 2026, in amounts that are consistent, to the extent practicable, with—

(i)

the quantities estimated under the surveys conducted under subparagraph (E); plus

(ii)

the quantities necessary for demonstration projects carried out under the program, as determined by the Secretary;

(I)

shall, for advanced reactor demonstration projects, prioritize the provision of HA–LEU made available under this section through a merit-based, competitive selection process; and

(J)

shall seek to ensure that the activities carried out under this section do not cause any delay in the progress of any HA–LEU project between private industry and the Department that is underway as of December 27, 2020.

(3)

Applicability of USEC Privatization Act

(A)

Sale or transfer to consortium

(B)

Demonstration

(4)

National security needs

(5)

DOE acquisition of HA–LEU

The Secretary may not make commitments under this section (including cooperative agreements (used in accordance with section 6305 of title 31), purchase agreements, guarantees, leases, service contracts, or any other type of commitment) for the purchase or other acquisition of HA–LEU unless—

(A)

funds are specifically provided for such purposes in advance in subsequent appropriations Acts, and only to the extent that the full extent of anticipated costs stemming from such commitments is recorded as an obligation up front and in full at the time it is made; or

(B)

such committing agreement includes a clause conditioning the Federal Government’s obligation on the availability of future year appropriations.

(6)

Sunset

The authority of the Secretary to carry out the program under this subsection shall expire on the earlier of—

(A)

September 30, 2034; or

(B)

90 days after the date on which HA–LEU is available to provide a reliable and adequate supply for civilian domestic advanced nuclear reactors in the commercial market.

(7)

Limitation

(b)

Reports to Congress

(1)

Commission report on necessary regulatory updates

Not later than 12 months after December 27, 2020, the Commission shall submit to Congress a report that includes—

(A)

identification of updates to regulations, certifications, and other regulatory policies that the Commission determines are necessary in order for HA–LEU to be commercially available, including—

(i)

guidance for material control and accountability of special nuclear material;

(ii)

certifications relating to transportation packaging for HA–LEU; and

(iii)

licensing of enrichment, conversion, and fuel fabrication facilities for HA–LEU, and associated physical security plans for such facilities;

(B)

a description of such updates; and

(C)

a timeline to complete such updates.

(2)

DOE report on program to support the availability of HA–LEU for civilian domestic demonstration and commercial use

(A)

In general

(B)

Coordination and stakeholder input

In developing the report under this paragraph, the Secretary shall consult with—

(i)

the Commission;

(ii)

suppliers of medical isotopes that have converted their operations to use HA–LEU;

(iii)

the National Laboratories;

(iv)

institutions of higher education;

(v)

a diverse group of entities from the nuclear energy industry;

(vi)

a diverse group of technology developers;

(vii)

experts in nuclear nonproliferation, environmental safety, safeguards and security, and public health and safety; and

(viii)

members of the consortium created under subsection (a)(2)(F).

(C)

Cost and schedule estimates

(D)

Required evaluations

The report under this paragraph shall evaluate—

(i)

the actions required to establish and carry out the program under subsection (a)(1) and the cost of such actions, including with respect to—

(I)

proposed preliminary terms for contracting between the Department and recipients of HA–LEU under the program (including guidelines defining the roles and responsibilities between the Department and the recipient); and

(II)

the potential to coordinate with recipients of HA–LEU under the program regarding—

(aa)

fuel fabrication; and

(bb)

fuel transport;

(ii)

the potential sources and fuel forms available to provide uranium for the program under subsection (a)(1);

(iii)

options to coordinate the program under subsection (a)(1) with the operation of the versatile, reactor-based fast neutron source under section 16279a of this title (as added by section 2003);

(iv)

the ability of uranium producers to provide materials for advanced nuclear reactor fuel;

(v)

any associated legal, regulatory, and policy issues that should be addressed to enable—

(I)

implementation of the program under subsection (a)(1); and

(II)

the establishment of an industry capable of providing HA–LEU; and

(vi)

any research and development plans to develop criticality benchmark data under subsection (a)(2)(A), if needed.

(3)

Alternate fuels report

(c)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out research, development, demonstration, and transportation activities in this section—

(1)

$31,500,000 for fiscal year 2021;

(2)

$33,075,000 for fiscal year 2022;

(3)

$34,728,750 for fiscal year 2023;

(4)

$36,465,188 for fiscal year 2024; and

(5)

$38,288,447 for fiscal year 2025.

(d)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Commission

(2)

Demonstration project

(3)

HA–LEU

(4)

High-assay low-enriched uranium

(5)

High-enriched uranium

(6)

Secretary

(Pub. L. 116–260, div. Z, title II, § 2001, Dec. 27, 2020, 134 Stat. 2453.)

cite as: 42 USC 16281