Milestones for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Act

Milestones for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Act

This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish certain
milestone-based development and demonstration projects that support the domestic
supply chain for nuclear fuel, including high-assay low-enriched uranium
(HALEU). Milestone-based demonstration projects require particular technical and
financial milestones to be met before a project participant is provided an award
through a competitive process.

Specifically, DOE must carry out milestone-based demonstration projects under
its Fuel Cycle Research and Development program. DOE must also complete and make
publicly available a study that analyzes the practicability, potential benefits,
and estimated lifecycle costs of recycling certain spent nuclear fuel into
usable fuel for nuclear reactors.

In carrying out the Nuclear Fuel Security Program and the HALEU for Advanced
Nuclear Reactor Demonstration Projects Program, DOE must award funding for
milestone-based advanced fuel cycle technologies development and demonstration
projects, including uranium production, conversion, enrichment, deconversion,
and waste reduction for advanced fuels. As part of its annual budget request,
DOE must provide to specified congressional committees a briefing on the
milestone-based projects, including information about the benefits and drawbacks
of milestone-based projects as compared to traditional project structure funding
models.