42 U.S.C. § 16275 — Department of Energy civilian nuclear infrastructure and facilities

(a) In general The Secretary must run and maintain the infrastructure and facilities that support civilian nuclear research, development, demonstration, and commercial use, including managing radiological facilities and isotope production. (b) Duties The Secretary must: list every nuclear science and engineering facility, piece of equipment, and area of expertise at all the National Laboratories; make a ranked list of plant and equipment upgrades needed at each lab; favor investments that add new capability rather than duplicate what already exists; and set a timeline and budget to catch up on deferred maintenance, aiming to make the Department's programs among the best in the world. (c) Versatile neutron source (1) Authorization. By December 31, 2017, the Secretary had to provide a versatile, reactor-based fast neutron source that operates as a national user facility, consulting with private industry, universities, National Laboratories, and relevant federal agencies to make sure it serves as many researchers as possible. (2) Establishment. As soon as practical after deciding the facility is needed, the Secretary must send Congress a detailed plan for building it. (3) Facility requirements. At minimum, the facility must offer fast-neutron irradiation and room for future upgrades. The Secretary must also consider: high-temperature testing capability; a higher neutron flux than current facilities offer; flexibility and volume to serve many users at once; capability for lower-energy neutron irradiation; multiple test loops using different coolants; extra pre- and post-irradiation testing capability; and lifetime operating and lifecycle costs. (4) Deadline for establishment. As much as practical, construction must be finished and operations approved by December 31, 2026. (5) Reporting. If the facility falls behind that deadline, the Secretary must explain the delay in the Department's yearly budget request. (6) Coordination. The Secretary must use the Office of Science's best practices for managing, building, and running national user facilities. (7) Authorization of appropriations. Congress authorized: $295,000,000 for 2021; $348,000,000 for 2022; $525,000,000 for 2023; $534,000,000 for 2024; and $584,000,000 for 2025. (d) Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (1) In general. The Secretary may create the "Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear" (GAIN) program. As much as practical — and consistent with national security — it must give the nuclear industry access to cutting-edge research, plus technical, regulatory, and financial support, to help move new nuclear technology toward commercial use faster and more cheaply. At minimum, the Secretary must offer: testing facilities and experimental tools; computer modeling and simulation tools; access to existing data and data-checking tools; and technical help with guidance or processes. (2) Selection. The Secretary must pick industry partners competitively, based on merit. In choosing partners, the Secretary must weigh what the Department discloses under paragraph (1) and what existing facilities the Department can offer for the partnership.