On behalf of the nuclear energy industry, I thank you for your support of a comprehensive long-term solution to our energy needs, including the Department of Energy’s nuclear technology-related programs. I also commend you for your continued oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for fiscal 2005. My statement for the record addresses three key points:

1. The industry urges continued support for DOE’s nuclear energy programs. NEI recommends funding the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy at its request of $503 million. We recommend restoration of the Nuclear Energy Plant Optimizaton program at $10 million. The industry also encourages DOE to increase Next Generation Nuclear Plant funds by $30 million to $75 million and University Fuel and Support program funds by $8 million to $32 million. To support basic science, we recommend funding the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative at $10 million.
2. Congress should provide secure, environmentally responsible management of used nuclear fuel by fully funding the Yucca Mountain project. NEI recommends that the program be funded at the president’s request of $651.4 million, absent reclassification of the Nuclear Waste Fund. With fund reclassification, the program should receive funding of $750 million—the amount the federal government collects each year from electricity consumers specifically for the program.
3. The NRC’s budget of $701.7 million should be reassessed. This is essential in view of the higher appropriations of the agency, allocation of increased industry resources on plant security upgrades and reduced demands on its budget in fiscal 2005 owing to delays in Yucca Mountain licensing. The NRC must be ready to revise its Yucca Mountain regulations in the second half of fiscal 2005 and fiscal 2006.

I also will discuss briefly several important programs that the nuclear energy industry supports.