The Blue Ribbon Commission (BRC) on America's Nuclear Future released its final report to the U.S. Energy Secretary in January 2012, detailing recommendations for creating a safe, long-term solution for managing and disposing of the nation's used nuclear fuel.The commission, co-chaired by former Congressman Lee H. Hamilton and former National Security Advisor Brent Scowcroft, was tasked by Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu with recommending alternative approaches to managing nuclear waste. The commission was formed at the request of President Obama two years ago, the same time government efforts to license a geologic repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada were terminated.
Report Findings
At the direction of Secretary Chu, the BRC was largely silent on Yucca Mountain as a potential site for geologic disposal of used fuel and radioactive waste. Instead, its report suggested ways to move the process forward for selecting and managing a permanent repository. The eight key elements from the report included:
- A new, consent-based approach to siting future nuclear waste management facilities.
- A new organization dedicated solely to implementing the waste management program and empowered with the authority and resources to succeed.
- Access to the funds nuclear utility ratepayers are providing for the purpose of nuclear waste management.
- Prompt efforts to develop one or more geologic disposal facilities.
- Prompt efforts to develop one or more consolidated storage facilities.
- Prompt efforts to prepare for the eventual large-scale transport of used nuclear fuel and high-level waste to consolidated storage and disposal facilities when such facilities become available.
- Support for continued U.S. innovation in nuclear energy technology and for workforce development.
- Active U.S. leadership in international efforts to address safety, waste management, non-proliferation, and security concerns.
Current Methods of Storing Used Fuel
Commercial nuclear power plants were designed and built with storage pools to provide safe on-site storage of used fuel assemblies. Most plants were designed with limited storage pool capacity due to the expectation used fuel would be temporarily stored on site. Faced with the need for extended and possibly life of plant fuel storage, utilities have pursued various options for expanding on-site storage capacity. Dry storage was selected as the preferred long-term option for meeting continued used fuel storage requirements at most nuclear plants, including Oconee, McGuire and Catawba. To learn more about storing used nuclear fuel, click here.
Efforts to Manage Nuclear Waste
In 1982, Congress passed the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) and required the DOE to build a repository to dispose nuclear waste. According to the NWPA, the DOE was required to take control of used nuclear fuel from commercial nuclear power plants, collect a fee from nuclear power providers (the Nuclear Waste Fund) and transport the waste to a permanent geologic repository or an interim storage facility before permanent disposal.
Nuclear Waste Fund Fast Facts:
- The Nuclear Waste Fund has thus far collected roughly $25 billion.
- Duke Energy began paying into the fund in July 1983, and has continued to pay into the fund to the present time.
- The payment for the waste fund is based upon generation from the nuclear units in the Duke fleet. The payment is $0.001 per kilowatt hour produced. For the average customer, the cost would be approximately $5.85 per year.
- Customers of electricity generated at the Oconee, McGuire and Catawba Nuclear Stations have paid approximately $1.45 billion into the fund.
To read the Commission’s full report, click here.