The proposal: Based on the FY 2025 budget request because a full-year appropriation has not yet been enacted for FY 2025, the proposed request is $974.9 million, an increase of $30.8 million from FY 2024. There is, however, $20 million available in carryover funds from last year, making an actual budget request of $994.9 million.
Deep dig: Under the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (known as NEIMA), the NRC is required to recover approximately 100 percent of its total budget authority in FY 2025, except for funds used for specific excluded activities.
The NRC has estimated that after accounting for the excluded activities and net billing adjustments, it must recover about $826.1 million in fees in FY 2025. Of this amount, the estimate is that $216 million will be recovered through service fees under 10 CFR Part 170 and $610.1 million through annual fees under 10 CFR Part 171.
Deeper dig: Compared to FY 2024, the proposed fees would increase for the operating power reactors fee class, spent fuel storage/reactor decommissioning activities, nonpower production or utilization facilities, transportation activities for the Department of Energy, the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act Program, and for 48 materials users fee categories. The proposed fees would remain stable for fuel facilities but would decrease for various categories in the materials users fee class.
The proposal also includes revisions to implement section 201 of the ADVANCE Act, which includes the establishment of two hourly rates: 1) the professional hourly rate of $323 and 2) the reduced hourly rate for advanced nuclear reactor applicants and preapplicants of $146 for certain activities. The NRC noted that consistent with section 201, the reduced hourly rate would be effective beginning October 1, 2025.
