US Senate energy panel tells budget panel it is split over GNEP

Washington (Platts)--2Mar2007

The US Senate Energy Committee is split on the Global Nuclear Energy
Partnership, a Department of Energy initiative to develop new kinds of
reprocessing and fast-reactor technologies, the panel's top two members told
their counterparts on the Senate Budget Committee in a Wednesday letter
released late Thursday.

The two New Mexico senators who head the Energy and Natural Resources
Committee -- Democrat Jeff Bingaman, the chairman, and Pete Domenici, the top
Republican -- said there is "no consensus" on the Global Nuclear Energy
Partnership.

"While some of our members strongly support it, others believe it is
unwise and untimely," Bingaman and Domenici said. DOE is requesting $405
million for GNEP for fiscal 2008.

--Daniel Horner, daniel_horner@platts.com