10 U.S.C. § 6290 — Improvements to cost estimates informing analyses of alternatives

The Administrator^* shall ensure that any cost estimate used in an analysis of alternatives for a project carried out using funds authorized by a DOE national security authorization^* is designed to fully satisfy the requirements outlined in the mission needs statement approved at critical decision 0 in the acquisition process, as set forth in Department of Energy Order 413.3B (relating to program management and project management for the acquisition of capital assets) or a successor order.

In the case of a project the total estimated cost of which exceeds $500,000,000 and that has not reached critical decision 1 in the acquisition process, the Administrator may use funds authorized by a DOE national security authorization for project engineering and design to begin the development of a conceptual design to facilitate the development of a cost estimate for the project during the analysis of alternatives for the project if—