Washington (Platts)--27Jun2008

The top Republican on the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources
Committee, Pete Domenici of New Mexico, introduced a bill Friday that would
authorize the federal government to help pay for two spent fuel recycling and
storage facilities.

"There can now be no doubt that a nuclear renaissance is underway,"
Domenici said in a statement. "Increasing our use of nuclear energy is the
only way for America to meet our increasing energy demands while at the same
time reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. A sustainable nuclear fuel cycle
is the key to nuclear energy reaching its full potential."

Domenici has often expressed frustration over DOE's inability to open the
Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, which was first expected to be
completed in 1998.

The bill, dubbed Strengthening Management of Advanced Recycling
Technologies Act, (S. 3215) also would grant DOE and its private sector
partners access to about 5% of the $20-billion Nuclear Waste Fund.

Using money from the waste fund would allow construction of recycling
facilities without the need for annual congressional appropriations, according
to Domenici.

The bill also would create an economic incentive program for communities
that want to host interim nuclear waste storage facilities. Currently, spent
nuclear fuel is stored at the 104 reactor sites across the country.

Republican Senators Jeff Sessions of Alabama, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska
and Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana also sponsored the measure.

--Dipka Bhambhani, dipka_bhambhani@platts.com