Nuclear Power Deployment Scorecard

Powering Future Decades

June 9, 2008
< Back to Scorecard

New Nuclear Plant Deployment
Current State of the Industry

Federal Financial Incentives

Summary: EPAct 2005 incentives are at various stages of development: two rules issued and one notice published.

Standby Support: Rule issued, no industry requests to date, no contracts issued.

• Final Rulemaking Issued – August 2006.
• Published Standard Conditional Agreement – September 2007.
• DOE released on-line instructions for requesting Conditional Agreement – December 2007.
• Received first Notice of Intent to Request Conditional Agreement – April 21, 2008.
• Expect first request from industry for Conditional Agreements – FY 2008.
• Expect first approval by DOE for standby support contracts – Late 2010.

Production Tax Credits: Notice issued.

• Published Internal Revenue Bulletin 2006-18 on May 2006.
• Final Rule on Tax Credit and Guidelines on "Certification Process" – FY 2008.

Energy Facility Loan Guarantee: Final rulemaking issued. Congress provided DOE with authority to issue guarantees for up to $4 billion in loans (FY07).

• Guidelines issued August 2006 and DOE's small scale loan guarantee solicitation with $4 billion ceiling (excludes nuclear power participation) closed – December 2006.
• Final Rulemaking issued October 23, 2007 and amended January 11, 2008 to correct language.
• $18.5 billion in loan guarantees for new nuclear plants approved in FY08 budget, December 2007.
• FY08 Omnibus Appropriations Act requires that DOE submit an implementation plan to congressional committees prior to issuing loan guarantee solicitation.
• On April 11, the Department submitted an FY 2008 loan guarantee implementation plan to Congressional Appropriations Committees.
• Nuclear industry may begin applying for loan guarantees by mid to late 2008.