View source for Office of Nuclear Energy

{{Organization
|OrganizationName=Office of Nuclear Energy (NE)
|OrganizationType=Executive Departments (Sub-organization)
|Mission=To advance nuclear energy science and technology to meet U.S. energy, environmental, and economic needs. This includes supporting the development of advanced nuclear reactors, fuel cycles, and maintaining U.S. leadership in nuclear energy technology.
|ParentOrganization=United States Department of Energy (DOE)
|CreationLegislation=Department of Energy Organization Act (1977)
|Employees=700
|Budget=$1.3 billion (Fiscal Year 2023)
|OrganizationExecutive=Assistant Secretary
|Services=Research and development; Advanced reactor demonstration; Nuclear fuel cycle; Nuclear waste management
|HeadquartersLocation=38.88707, -77.02579
|HeadquartersAddress=1000 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20585, USA
|Website=https://www.energy.gov/ne/office-nuclear-energy
}}
{{Short description|US government agency}}

{{Infobox official post
| post = Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Energy
| constituting_instrument = 
| residence = 
| seat = 
| nominator = 
| appointer = [[President of the United States]]
| appointer_qualified = 
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| member_of = 
| formation = April 3, 2006
| first = [[Dennis Spurgeon]]
| last = 
| abolished = 
| succession = 
| unofficial_names = 
| deputy = 
| salary = 
| reports_to = [[Under Secretary of Energy for Science and Innovation]]
| abbreviation = 
| body = Office of Nuclear Energy
| flagcaption = 
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| image =
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| alt = 
| incumbent = Michael Goff
| acting = y
| incumbentsince = May 3, 2024
| department = [[United States Department of Energy]]
| style = 
| type = 
| website = 
}}
The '''Office of Nuclear Energy''' ('''NE''') is an agency of the [[United States Department of Energy]] which promotes [[nuclear power]] as a resource capable of meeting the energy, environmental, and national security needs of the United States by resolving technical and regulatory barriers through research, development, and demonstration.

The Office is led by the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Energy, who is appointed by the [[President of the United States]] with the advice and consent of the [[United States Senate]]. The current acting Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Energy is Michael Goff.<ref name="leadership">{{Cite web|title=Leadership|url=https://www.energy.gov/ne/leadership|access-date=2022-02-11|website=Energy.gov|language=en}}</ref>

== Overview ==
The Office of Nuclear Energy is guided by the following four research objectives detailed in its Nuclear Energy Research and Development Roadmap:<ref>{{cite web |title=Nuclear Energy Roadmap |url=https://www.ne.doe.gov/pdfFiles/NuclearEnergy_Roadmap_Final.pdf |website=www.ne.doe.gov |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100422025326/http://www.ne.doe.gov/pdfFiles/NuclearEnergy_Roadmap_Final.pdf |archive-date=22 April 2010 |format=pdf |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="energy1">{{cite web|title=About Us{{!}}Department of Energy|url=http://energy.gov/ne/about-us|publisher=Energy.gov|access-date=May 8, 2013}}</ref> 
* Develop technologies and other solutions that can improve the reliability, sustain the safety and extend the life of current reactors.
* Develop improvements in the affordability of new reactors to enable nuclear energy to help meet the Administration's energy security and climate change goals.
* Develop sustainable fuel cycles.
* Understand and minimize the risks of nuclear proliferation and terrorism.

== Organization ==
The Office is under the general supervision of the [[Under Secretary of Energy for Science and Innovation]]. It is administered by the Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Energy (NE-1), who is appointed by the [[President of the United States]]. The Assistant Secretary is supported in running the Office by a Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary and five career Deputy Assistant Secretaries. Each of the five Deputy Assistant Secretaries oversee a different branch of the Office's work. As of 2022, staffing and organization was as follows:<ref name="leadership" />

*Assistant Secretary
**Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
***Deputy Assistant Secretary – Nuclear Infrastructure Programs - Tracey Bishop
***Deputy Assistant Secretary – Spent Fuel and Waste Disposition - Paul Murray
***Deputy Assistant Secretary – Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Supply Chain - Dr. Jon Carmack
***Deputy Assistant Secretary – International Nuclear Energy Policy and Cooperation - Aleshia Duncan 
***Deputy Assistant Secretary – Reactor Fleet and Advanced Reactor Deployment - Alice Caponiti

== Laboratory ==
The Office of Nuclear Energy is the landlord of the [[Idaho National Laboratory]] (INL). INL is in southern Idaho, just west of the Eastern Snake River Plain. It occupies {{convert|890|sqmi|km2}} of desert and is about {{convert|42|mi|km}} from Idaho Falls. 

INL is an applied engineering laboratory dedicated to supporting the U.S. Department of Energy's research of nuclear energy, national and homeland security, and clean energy. Past and current work includes initial development of: nuclear reactor designs, prototype reactors for the U.S. Navy, and technologies to manage nuclear waste. INL also conducts research supporting fuel cycle development, as well nuclear energy demos and deployments.

=== Lab history ===
INL was established in 1949 as the "National Reactor Testing Station" by the [[United States Atomic Energy Commission|Atomic Energy Commission]]. It is the location of historic Experimental Breeder Reactor Number I (EBR-I), which was the first nuclear reactor to generate usable electrical power.

== CASL Hub ==
The '''[[Consortium_for_the_Advanced_Simulation_of_Light_Water_Reactors|Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors]]''' (CASL) was established in July 2010 as the first of five Department of Energy Innovation Hubs.<ref name="caslends">{{cite web |last1=Bumpus |first1=Kristi |title=CASL wraps up 10 years of solving nuclear problems — and hands toolbox to industry {{!}} ORNL |url=https://www.ornl.gov/news/casl-wraps-10-years-solving-nuclear-problems-and-hands-toolbox-industry |website=www.ornl.gov |access-date=10 December 2022 |date=13 August 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=U.S. Department of Energy Innovation Hubs |url=https://www.energy.gov/science-innovation/innovation/hubs |website=Energy.gov |access-date=10 December 2022 |language=en}}</ref> It was administered by the Office of Nuclear Energy, and coordinated by [[Oak Ridge National Lab]] and INL.<ref name="caslland">{{cite web |title=The Consortium For Advance Simulation Of Light Water Reactors |url=https://casl.gov/ |website=casl.gov |publisher=Oak Ridge National Laboratory |access-date=10 December 2022}}</ref> CASL had one goal: To develop a simulation environment that modeled the operation of an entire reactor down to the characteristics of a single fuel rod (which significantly exceeded the resolution available with existing industry tools). This simulation environment was named the Virtual Reactor. The Virtual Reactor was designed and built to provide solutions to a wide variety of reactor performance challenges.<ref>{{cite web |title=VERA {{!}} The Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications |url=https://vera.ornl.gov/ |access-date=10 December 2022}}</ref>

In order to develop what was eventually called the Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA), it was necessary for CASL to conduct both basic research and technology development.<ref>{{cite web |title=Impact – CASL |url=https://casl.gov/impact/ |access-date=10 December 2022}}</ref> Work of such scope and complexity was accomplished through a partnership of U.S. government, academia, and industry.<ref name="caslends" /> In 2020, the CASL project concluded, making VERA available for licensing and deployment by the nuclear industry.<ref>{{cite web |title=VERA nuclear reactor simulation software licensed commercially for first time {{!}} ORNL |url=https://www.ornl.gov/news/vera-nuclear-reactor-simulation-software-licensed-commercially-first-time |website=www.ornl.gov |access-date=10 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=The Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors Virtual Meeting |journal=American Nuclear Society |date=November 2020 |issue=3090 |url=https://www.ans.org/pubs/proceedings/issue-3090/ |access-date=10 December 2022 |series=Proceedings |publisher=www.ans.org |location=virtual |language=en}}</ref>

== List of assistant secretaries ==
The '''Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Energy''' is the head of the Office of Nuclear Energy. The assistant secretary is responsible for a budget of $1.626 billion as of fiscal year 2021. 
; Parties

{{legend2|{{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}}|[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}} {{legend2|{{party color|Republican Party (United States)}}|[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}

'''Status'''

{{legend2|#E6E6AA|Acting Assistant Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Energy|border=1px solid #AAAAAA}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Portrait
!Name
!Took office
!Left office
! colspan="2" |[[President of the United States|President(s)]]
|-
|
|George W. Cunningham<ref>{{Cite web|title=NOMINATIONS SUBMITTED TO THE SENATE Week Ending Friday, {{!}} The American Presidency Project|url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/nominations-submitted-the-senate-week-ending-friday-73|access-date=2020-08-08|website=www.presidency.ucsb.edu}}</ref>
|1979
|1981
| style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|[[Jimmy Carter]]
|-
|[[File:Shelby_Brewer.jpg|border|140x140px]]
|[[Shelby Brewer]]<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-09-10|title=Brewer, Shelby T.|url=https://www.twst.com/bio/shelby-t-brewer/|access-date=2020-08-08|website=The Wall Street Transcript|language=en-US}}</ref>
|1981
|1984
| rowspan="2" style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
| rowspan="2" |[[Ronald Reagan]]
|-
|
|A. David Rossin<ref>{{Cite web|title=A. David Rossin -- ANS / About / Presidents|url=https://www.ans.org/about/presidents/arossin/|access-date=2020-08-08|website=www.ans.org}}</ref>
|1986
|1987
|-
|
|William H. Young<ref>{{Cite web|title=William H. Young - Bio {{!}} NAS|url=https://www.nas.org/authors/william_h_young|access-date=2020-08-08|website=www.nas.org|language=en}}</ref>
|1989
|1993
| style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|[[George H. W. Bush]]
|-
|[[File:Dennis_R._Spurgeon_official_photo_(cropped).jpg|140x140px]]
|{{sortname|Dennis|Spurgeon}}
|{{dts|2006|April|03|format=mdy}}
|2009
| style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
|{{sortname|George|Bush|George W. Bush}}
|-
|[[File:Warren_F._Miller,_Jr._official_portrait_(cropped).jpg|140x140px]]
|{{sortname|Pete|Miller|Warren F. (Pete) Miller Jr.}}
|2009
|November 2010<ref>{{cite web|title=Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy: Who is Peter Lyons?|url=http://www.allgov.com/news/appointments-and-resignations/assistant-secretary-for-nuclear-energy-who-is-peter-lyons?news=842491|accessdate=August 8, 2019}}</ref>
| rowspan="3" style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
| rowspan="3" |{{sortname|Barack|Obama}}
|-
|[[File:Dr._Peter_B._Lyons_(cropped).jpg|140x140px]]
|{{sortname|Peter|Lyons|Peter B. Lyons}}<ref name="official bio">{{cite web|title=Official Biography|url=http://energy.gov/contributors/peter-b-lyons|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180915123459/https://www.energy.gov/contributors/peter-b-lyons|archive-date=September 15, 2018|accessdate=August 30, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Obituary: The nuclear community remembers Pete Lyons |url=https://www.ans.org/news/article-2861/the-nuclear-community-remembers-peter-lyons/ |website=www.ans.org |publisher=American Nuclear Society |access-date=10 December 2022 |language=en |date=3 May 2021}}</ref>
|{{dts|2011|April|14|format=mdy}}
|{{dts|2015|June|30|format=mdy}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Peter Lyons|url=http://umenergysymposium.com/speaker/peter-lyons/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190807124740/http://umenergysymposium.com/speaker/peter-lyons/|archive-date=August 7, 2019|accessdate=August 7, 2019}}</ref>
|-
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |[[File:John-kotek-official-portrait.jpg|125x125px|John Kotek]]
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |John Kotek
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |2015
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |January 2017<ref>{{Cite web|title=InTheNews - Kotek joins NEI as VP for policy development...|url=https://nuc1.inl.gov/Lists/InTheNews/DisplayForm.aspx?ID=21&ContentTypeId=0x0100E41428CC11AD004DBEFB74D7051B98D8|access-date=2021-01-21|website=nuc1.inl.gov}}</ref>
|-
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |[[File:Edward-mcginnis-official-portrait.jpg|129x129px|Edward McGinnis]]
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |Edward McGinnis
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |May 2017
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |November 2017
| rowspan="2" style="background: {{party color|Republican Party (United States)}};" |
| rowspan="2" |{{sortname|Donald|Trump}}
|-
|[[File:Rita_Baranwal_official_photo_(cropped).jpg|140x140px]]
|{{sortname|Rita|Baranwal}}
|{{dts|2019|July|11|format=mdy}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Rita Baranwal Sworn in as U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy|url=https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/rita-baranwal-sworn-us-department-energy-assistant-secretary-nuclear-energy|accessdate=August 7, 2019}}</ref>
|January 8, 2021<ref>{{Cite web|title=Baranwal departs Office of Nuclear Energy -- ANS / Newswire|url=https://www.ans.org/news/article-2526/baranwal-departs-office-of-nuclear-energy/|access-date=2021-01-21|website=www.ans.org}}</ref>
|-
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |[[File:Dennis-Miolta-portrait.png|100x100px|Dennis Michael Miotla]]
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |Dennis Michael Miotla
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |January 8, 2021
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |May 10, 2021
| style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
| rowspan="5" |{{sortname|Joseph|Biden}}
|-
| style="background:#e6e6aa;"  |[[File:Kathryn Huff, Assistant Secretary of Energy.jpg|140x140px|Kathryn Huff]]
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |[[Kathryn Huff]]
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |May 10, 2021
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |January 19, 2022
| style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|-
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |[[File:Andrew_Griffith.png|151x151px|Andrew Griffith]]
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |Andrew Griffith
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |January 19, 2022<ref>{{Cite web|date=2022-01-20|title=Leadership {{!}} Department of Energy|url=https://www.energy.gov/ne/leadership|access-date=2022-01-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120162137/https://www.energy.gov/ne/leadership |archive-date=January 20, 2022 }}</ref>
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |May 11, 2022
| style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|-
|[[File:Kathryn Huff, Assistant Secretary of Energy.jpg|140x140px|Kathryn Huff]]
|[[Kathryn Huff]]
|May 11, 2022<ref name="energy.gov">"DOE Welcomes New Biden-Harris Appointees" DOE. May 10, 2021. https://www.energy.gov/articles/doe-welcomes-new-biden-harris-appointees</ref>
|May 3, 2024
| style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|-
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |Michael Goff
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |May 3, 2024
| style="background:#e6e6aa;" |''Incumbent''
| style="background: {{party color|Democratic Party (United States)}};" |
|}

==See also==
* [[Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative]]
* [[High-temperature electrolysis]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DOE agencies}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Governmental nuclear organizations]]
[[Category:Nuclear power in the United States]]
[[Category:Nuclear history of the United States]]
[[Category:United States Department of Energy agencies|Nuclear Energy, Office of]]
[[Category:Government agencies with year of establishment missing]]