Differences still to be settled in 2004 Energy and Appropriations bills
There are currently two very important pieces of legislation moving through the federal legislative process which have a tremendous impact on ANS members: the comprehensive energy bill and the 2004 Energy and Water Appropriations bill.
I. Energy bill
House and Senate conferees to the energy bill have been working through the fall, chiefly through their staff members, to resolve the differences in the House and Senate bills so that a conference report can be passed and sent to the President for his signature this year. To date, no final conference meeting has been held.
The conferees have been unable to agree on the tax component of the bill and there is no conference meeting scheduled this week. At the earliest, a conference could occur sometime next week, providing the differences between the tax portion developed by the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee are addressed.
The available drafts contain several items important to ANS members, including:
Extension of Price-Anderson Indemnification through 2023;
Development of an Advanced Reactor Cogeneration Project in Idaho;
Authorizes federal funding for various Department of Energy Nuclear Research and Development programs, including the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI), the Nuclear Energy Plant Optimization program (NEPO), Nuclear Power 2010, Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative, and University Nuclear Science and Engineering Support;
The elevation of the position of Director of the DOE Office of Nuclear Engineering, Science and Technology to Assistant Secretary;
A draft from the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee related to financial incentives for new plants has not been distributed.
II. Energy and Water Appropriations bill
While both the House and Senate have passed their respective versions of the 2004 Energy and Water Appropriations bill, a conference committee to resolve the differences in the two versions has not convened. That meeting could occur early next week. Meanwhile, House and Senate staff have been meeting to work out the issues in disagreement.
The major sticking point is the disparate level of funding for the Yucca Mountain project. The House bill includes $765 million for Yucca Mountain in 2004, a significant increase over the budget request. The Senate bill would only provide $425 million. Funding differences in the R&D programs can be found in previous articles placed on the website.
