The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) submitted a proposed operating budget of $970.2 million for fiscal 2017 to Congress this week.
The NRC said 90 percent of its budget is recovered through licensing fees. Because of this, the actual appropriations need is approximately $121 million. The agency also said funding needs have been lowered due to its recent efficiency efforts. As a result, spending has been reduced by approximately $20 million from the fiscal 2016 budget and is down 8 percent since 2014.
The proposed budget was increased by $5 million to fund development of regulatory processes for emerging advanced nuclear reactor technology as part of President Obama's Mission Innovation program. This allocation would not be recovered through licensing fees.
“This budget recognizes the changing environment in the nuclear industry and reflects the considerable steps taken by the NRC to become more efficient, while still meeting our obligation to protect public health and safety,” NRC Chairman Stephen Burns said.
A total of 3,462 full-time-equivalent positions will be funded through this budget, and the Inspector General’s Office budget totals $12.1 million.
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