United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2006-09-20 monographic deposited born digital 17 p. GA 1.13:GAO-06-1110T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-1110T P0b002ee18039520a f:d061110t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-1110T machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-1110T GAO-06-1110T Energy demand Energy planning Energy policy Energy research Nuclear energy Program evaluation Research and development Electric energy Electric power generation Financial analysis Nuclear powerplants Next Generation Nuclear Plant Project Nuclear Power 2010 Program Testimony A61185 Under the administration's National Energy Policy, the Department of Energy (DOE) is promoting nuclear energy to meet increased U.S. energy demand. In 2003, DOE began developing the Next Generation Nuclear Plant, an advanced nuclear reactor that seeks to improve upon the current generation of operating commercial nuclear power plants. DOE intends to demonstrate the plant's commercial application both for generating electricity and for using process heat from the reactor for the production of hydrogen, which then would be used in fuel cells for the transportation sector. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 required plant design and construction to be completed by 2021. This testimony, which summarizes a GAO report being issued today (GAO-06-1056), provides information on DOE's (1) progress in meeting its schedule for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant project and (2) approach to ensuring the project's commercial viability. For the report, GAO reviewed DOE's research and development (R&D) plans for the project and the reports of two independent project reviews, observed R&D activities, and interviewed DOE, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and industry representatives. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-1110T/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-1110T.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-1110T/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-1110T.pdf GAO-06-1110T https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-06-1110T Testimony GAO-06-1110T; Nuclear Energy: DOE's Next Generation Nuclear Plant Project Is at an Early Stage of Development; Energy demand Energy planning Energy policy Energy research Nuclear energy Program evaluation Research and development Electric energy Electric power generation Financial analysis Nuclear powerplants Next Generation Nuclear Plant Project Nuclear Power 2010 Program