An amendment to the Senate’s nearly $900 billion defense budget proposed for the 2023 fiscal year would, if made law, direct the Department of Energy to ensure that the U.S. civilian nuclear fleet can run on domestically-sourced fuel.
Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.V.) proposed add to the Senate’s $847 billion version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which the senator floated in late September alongside thousands of other amendments, would require DOE to expand its American Assured Fuel Supply program “to ensure the availability of domestically produced, converted, and enriched uranium in the event of a supply disruption.”
The Assured Fuel Supply Program, which DOE established in 2011, is the nation’s backup supply of low-enriched uranium fuel to be used in nuclear reactors in the event global supply chains are disrupted.
According to Manchin’s amendment, expanding the domestic supply of nuclear fuel is aimed at “eliminat[ing] reliance” on nations such as the Russian Federation for uranium and other energy fuels. Russia has been the target of worldwide sanctions since it invaded Ukraine, for the second time in fewer than 10 years, on Feb. 24.
The proposed amendment would also direct DOE to establish a new program to secure high-assay, low enriched uranium (HALEU) fuels for future advanced reactor projects until the U.S. has access to domestic HALEU enrichment capabilities. The department could work with the private sector or “partner nations” to acquire the material, Manchin said.
DOE is currently supporting ten companies under its Advanced Reactors Demonstration Program. One of those companies, New Jersey-based Holtec International, has said that its SMR-160 reactor design could be built at decommissioned nuclear power facilities.
Meanwhile, the Senate won’t be back in Washington to vote on the NDAA for another month or so. The next votes on the defense spending plan are scheduled for Nov. 14. The House passed its version of the NDAA in July on a 329 to 101 vote.
If the upper chamber passes its version in November, a bicameral conference committee will convene to reconcile the differences.
