Hearing Of The Subcommittee On Energy And Water Development Of The House Committee On Appropriations - Department Of Energy- Nuclear Energy FY2011 Budget

Statement

Good afternoon. We have before us today Dr. Warren "Pete"
Miller, Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy. This is his first time
before the Subcommittee. He brings impressive experience to this job
and we look forward to working with him. He will be presenting the
President's fiscal year 2011 budget request for the Office of Nuclear
Energy.
The Office of Nuclear Energy comes to us today proposing a
revised portfolio for fiscal year 2011. The President's request includes
$824 million for Nuclear Energy, $37 million above fiscal year 2010.
However, these figures are misleading without considering that all
activities related to Yucca Mountain are included in the Office of
Nuclear Energy, albeit at a drastically reduced level, and the Nuclear
Power 2010 program has been completed. The proposal includes
research into nuclear reactor Enabling Technologies, Small Modular
Reactors, and Advanced Reactor Concepts. While we have yet to see
the Nuclear Energy Strategic Plan promised to us, we hope to see it
soon. This budget proposal raises questions regarding the
Administration's approach to Nuclear Energy. On its face, it appears
that the Administration is spreading its investment into a growing
number of activities, at the possible expense of making substantial
progress on anything. I look forward to your defense of the choices
made.
The most significant revision proposed for the Office of Nuclear
Energy is its leading role in nuclear waste disposal. The
Administration's termination of Yucca has created a great deal of
uncertainty when it comes to how the nation will dispose of its nuclear
waste. To say the least, the Administration could have communicated
these major policy decisions in a more forthright manner. Your
organization, Dr. Miller, would be responsible for executing the
Department's responsibility under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act and
informing the Blue Ribbon Commission that will be looking at
alternatives for the back-end of the nuclear fuel cycle. We have
questions regarding how your organization would support the
termination process and the path forward.
Your full written testimony will be entered into the record.
After the hearing, we may have some questions for you to answer for
the record--Assistant Secretary Miller, I ask that you ensure the
responses, and any supporting information requested by the
Subcommittee, are delivered in final form no later than four weeks
from today.
If Members have additional questions they would like to submit
for the record, please provide them to the Subcommittee by 5:00 PM
tomorrow.
With those opening comments, I would like to yield to our
ranking member, Mr. Frelinghuysen, for any opening comments that
he would like to make.

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