The Utility Industry's Perspective on the Department of Energy's Cask Acquisition Program

Every year, electric utilities generate more spent fuel for ultimate disposal by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (\"DOE\" or \"OCRWM\"). Every year utilities pay more money into the Nuclear Waste Fund. And every year the date for operating a repository is delayed. DOE's plans for developing a spent fuel transportation system under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, as amended by the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1987 ( \"NWPA\") J are, therefore, of considerable interest to the Electric Utility Companies' Transportation Working Group, a segment of the Utjlity Nuclear Waste and Transportation Program, or \"UWASTE\". One of the TWG's principal missions at this time is to promote the successful implementation of the transportation-related provisions of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. To carry out this mission, the TWG serves as the electric utility industry's primary contact with the OCRWM for interactions on transportation issues. This paper will present the perspective and consensus position of the electric utility industry on the OCRWM transportation program, and, in particular, the cask acqui sition program.