The DOE has officially declared this as per the court order to zero out the fees assessed to nuclear power companies.
The nuclear fee was first instituted in 1980s with the aim of building a disposal facility site for the highly radioactive nuclear waste generated by the nuclear power plants in the US.
The National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) said that the government use to collect around $750m for each year. Currently, the nuclear waste fund’s balance is approximately $30bn.
Earlier in 2013, the federal court has directed the DOE to stop collecting the fees that pay for the nation’s nuclear-waste program.
A law suit was filed by the NARUC and the Nuclear Energy Institute against the US government after it stopped funding the program and actively tried to shut it down.
"I’d like to thank the NARUC leadership, particularly our Committee on Electricity Chair David Boyd of Minnesota, Subcommittee on Nuclear Issues-Waste Disposal Chair Greg White of Michigan, and General Counsel Brad Ramsay for their hard work and laser-focused dedication," President Honorable said. "Their yeoman’s effort is why we are here today."
The NARUC president Colette D. Honorable of Arkansas said, "This is a big day and an even bigger win for consumers.
"While we hope Congress and the federal government can jumpstart our nation’s stalled nuclear-waste program, this action means consumers will get a break. That’s what this is all about."
