E&W APPROPRIATIONS AND NDAA UPDATE: MOVEMENTS IN BOTH HOUSE AND SENATE

HOUSE ENERGY AND WATER RELEASES REPORT ON APPROPRIATIONS BILL

The House has yet to schedule a floor vote for the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill, which was approved by the House Appropriations Committee last week. The Senate has not yet filed a subcommittee markup or full committee markup for its version of the bill. Recess for Congress is scheduled to begin August 4 and end on Labor Day, September 1; only a few weeks prior to end of fiscal year (FY) and any prognosis on the current continuing resolution, which expires September 30. 

Ahead of the floor vote, The House Energy and Water Development Subcommittee released its committee report for the FY2026 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill. The report sheds light on certain provisions impacting appropriations and operations within the Environmental Management and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) programs subject to appropriations. 

Appropriations

The House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Bill would provide $48,773,873,000 for the Department of Energy, a decrease of $1,386,735,000 from FY2025 enacted levels. See more details on appropriations amounts according to the report that may be relevant to ECA members below (amounts in thousands of dollars):

NNSA – $25,316,654, an increase of $1,181,654 over FY2025

Weapons Activities – $20,661,993, an increase of $1,368,993 over FY2025

            Los Alamos Plutonium Modernization – $1,505,386 

            Savannah River Plutonium Modernization – $1,205,486

Defense Nuclear Proliferation – $1,983,638, a decrease of $412,362 from FY2025

            Naval Reactors – $2,171,023, an increase of $225,000 over FY2025

Environmental and Other Defense Activities – 7,701,346 – a decrease of $975,654 from FY2025

Defense Environmental Cleanup – $6,521,396, a decrease of $763,604 from FY2025

            Richland – $837,521 a decrease of $296,043 from FY2025. 

            Office of River Protection – $2,041,249, an increase of $103,872 from FY2025

            Idaho National Laboratory – $460,021, an decrease of $32,490 from FY2025

            Oak Ridge Reservation – $562,808

            Savannah River Site – $1,529,919, a decrease of $289,142 from FY2025 

            Waste Isolation Pilot Plant – $415,424 a decrease of 89,405 from FY2025

            Nevada Site – $64,835, an increase of $1,498 from FY2025

            Los Alamos National Laboratory – $278,288, a decrease of $26,191 from FY2025. 

Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup - $337,700, a decrease of $4,300 from FY2025

            Gaseous Diffusion Plants – $155,210

            Small Sites – $89,500

            West Valley Demonstration Project – $89,880

UED&D Fund – $844,380, a decrease of $10,620 from FY2025

            Oak Ridge – $95,000

            Paducah – $240,589

            Portsmouth – $487,106

Office of Nuclear Energy – $1,795,000,000, an increase of $110,000 over FY2025.

            Advanced Reactors Demonstration Program – 253,000

Office of Science - $8,400,000,000 an increase of $160,000 over FY2025.

Legacy Management – $198,208

Nuclear Waste Disposal – $12,040     

Nuclear Regulatory Commission – $152,100 in FY2026, an increase of $15,010 over FY2025. 

Provisions

Defense Environmental Cleanup

Savannah River Site – Includes a provisions that clarifies funding reflects the transfer of the site to NNSA.

NNSA

Plutonium Pit Production – “The Committee continues to support the two-site program of record to reestablish the Nation’s capability to produce 80 plutonium pits per year as close to 2030 as possible. The infrastructure and critical skills required for pit production and other plutonium capabilities are essential for a secure and reliable nuclear deterrent. The need is even more acute given the current geopolitical environment. The Committee recommends full funding for the Savannah River Site plutonium activities and plutonium modernization at Los Alamos National Laboratory.”

Office of Nuclear Energy

One provision would direct repurposed funding to pursue “not less than one small modular reactor deployment, the two demonstration projects under the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, and Risk Reduction projects for future demonstrations.”

Nuclear Waste Fund

Includes a provision directing DOE “to provide to the Committee not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act a briefing on anticipated future-year requirements for NWF oversight activities.”

To review the committee report yourself, click here. 

The House Bill is now awaiting a vote on the House Floor, and its Senate counterpart is still awaiting a subcommittee markup to be scheduled. ECA will continue to provide updates as the House Appropriations Bill makes it way to the floor, and on any movements its Senate counterpart makes. For more on the Appropriations Process and Budget, visit our website.

WHAT DOES THE SENATE NDAA HAVE IN STORE FOR DOE & NUCLEAR?

Last week (7/15) the Senate Armed Services Committee released its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA authorizes what amounts can be appropriated up to for programs dependent upon Defense funding, including the Environmental Management and National Nuclear Security Agency programs. The Appropriations Bills allocate funding below or equal to the ceiling the NDAA determines and recommends. 

See items relevant to ECA members below, compared to the President’s request and House NDAA (all amounts in thousands of dollars):

Overview of Differences from House NDAA

NNSA – Senate authorized an amount of 26,872,240, an increase of 1,423,488 over the House version (25,448,752).

Weapons Activities – Senate authorized an amount of 21,831,587, an increase of 1,253,435 over the House version (20,578,152)

            Defense nuclear nonproliferation – Senate authorized an amount of 2,238,653, a decrease of 50,947 from the House version (2,289,600).

            Naval Reactors – Senate authorized an amount of 2,247,000, an increase of 221,000 over the House version (2,026,000).

Total Environmental & other defense activities – Senate authorized an amount of 8,143,000, a decrease of 48,750 from the House version (8,191,750). 

Defense Environmental Cleanup – Senate authorized an amount of 6,961,000, a decrease of 48,750 from the House version (7,009,750).

Other Items - Summary

Plutonium Modernization (NNSA)

Los Alamos Plutonium Modernization – $1,505,386 (Authorized)

            No change from FY2026 Request

            Compare to House Version - 1,555,386 (50,000 increase over FY2026 Request)

Savannah River Plutonium Modernization – $1,205,486 (Authorized)

            No change from FY2026 Request

Defense Environmental Cleanup

Richland – $837,521 (Authorized)

            No change from FY2026 Request

            Compare to House Version - $867,521 (30,000 increase over FY2026 Request)

Office of River Protection – $2,100,427 (Authorized)

            No change from FY2026 Request

Idaho National Laboratory – $460,021 (Authorized)

            No change from FY2026 Request

Oak Ridge Reservation – $543,697 (Authorized)

            No change from FY2026 Request

            Compare to House Version - $563,697 (20,000 increase over FY2026 Request)

Savannah River Site – $1,616,638 (Authorized)

            $5,000 increase over 1,611,638 (FY 2026 Request)

            Compare to House Version - $1,615,388 ($3,750 increase over FY2026 Request)

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) – $415,424 (Authorized)

            No change from FY2026 Request

Nevada Site – $64,835 (Authorized)

            No change from FY2026 Request

Los Alamos National Laboratory – $278,288 (Authorized)

            No change from FY2026 Request

Total, Defense Environmental Cleanup – $6,961,000 (Authorized)

            Increase of 5,000 over 6,956,000 (FY2026 Request)

            Compare to House Total – $7,009,750 (Authorized)

Office of Legacy Management – $200,258 (Authorized)

            No change from FY2026 Request

Provisions

Defense Environmental Cleanup

Sec. 5681 – This provision would establish a “Defense Environmental Cleanup Account”

Sec. 5864 – This provision would require DOE to submit to Congress annual plans detailing expenditures and projected costs of the projects and activities relating to defense environmental cleanup across the DOE-EM complex to be used for future planning.

Sec. 5865 – Accelerated Cleanup: This provision would allow for the Secretary of Energy to accelerate the schedule of cleanup activities if such acceleration would support the domestic nuclear weapons stockpile, save costs for the Federal government, or facilitate local reuse. 

Sec. 5866 – This provision would establish a program with the aim of researching and developing technologies that could help to accelerate environmental cleanup.

NNSA

Sec. 3112 – Plutonium pit production capacity – This provision adjusts the milestones for the production of plutonium pits; “during 2025, produces no fewer than 10 war reserve plutonium pits; during 2026, produce no fewer than 20 war reserve plutonium pits; during 2027, produce no fewer than 30 war reserve plutonium pits, during 2029, produce no fewer than 50 war reserve plutonium pit, during 2032 and subsequent years, produce no fewer than 80 war reserve plutonium pits. 

Click here to read the Senate NDAA. 

ECA will continue to provide updates as these markups are scheduled, and as more developments are made on the NDAA. For more on the NDAA and Budget and appropriations process visit our website.