Strategic Plan through staff aging and attrition will need to be minimized. Construction of the National Ignition Facility and the Dual-Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test Facility will provide new experimental test capabilities. Additionally, a source for tritium will be needed to provide an adequate supply for the enduring nuclear weapon stockpile. New facilities will be required to disassemble and convert surplus plutonium pits and fabricate mixed oxide fuel for burning in existing commercial reactors. Existing or planned high level waste vitrification facilities, coupled with new material preparation facilities, will be required to immobilize surplus weapons plutonium. Modifications to existing or planned facilities will be utilized for the longterm storage of surplus fissile materials. Adequate funding will also need to be made available to support Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program development efforts. The Environmental Quality cleanup goals and objectives reflect the pressing need to reduce spending in the short term, while reducing both economic and environmental liabilities in the long term. Achievement of the accelerated environmental cleanup goals and objectives is dependent upon receiving stable funding at about the current funding level. In addition, accomplishment of these goals and objectives depends upon effective implementation of a wide array of management initiatives designed to substantially reduce life-cycle costs, improve processes, and enhance performance. These initiatives include reducing support costs, creating the right incentives through performance-based contracting, optimizing project sequencing to reduce fixed costs, privatization and use of private-sector technology and experience, deployment of innovative technology, and benchmarking for process improvement. With regard to civilian radioactive waste, if legislation authorizing interim storage is enacted, substantial additional funding will be required for site-specific construction and procurement of waste acceptance and transportation equipment and services. In order to meet the Nation's needs for cuttingedge science, DOE will have to periodically replace or make major upgrades to aging and/ or outdated major experimental facilities. These needs will be weighed against the benefits from cost-effective modifications to existing facilities to ensure that the maximum national benefits are derived from existing infrastructure-this recognizes, however, that many of these science facilities have a finite useful life. The Secretary of Energy's Advisory Board has been asked to examine the longterm needs for advanced scientific research facilities to accomplish DOE's Science and Technology objectives. Key External Factors Although DOE's goals and objectives reflect unique roles and responsibilities, success will depend upon closely coordinated planning and the continuation of working relationships with a number of Federal agencies, State and local governments, Tribal Nations, private industry, and Congress. It is especially important to recognize the complementary role other Federal agencies play in our energy, defense, environmental, and science programs. The strong interplay between energy, the environment, and global economics establishes links between the Department and the Environmental Protection Agency, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, NASA, Agency for International Development, and the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Interior, Justice, State, Transportation. and Treasury. Our national security programs U.S. Department of Energy foster close relationships with the Departments of Defense and State, the Intelligence community, Defense Nuclear Agency, and National Security Council. Our science programs are carefully coordinated with the National Academy of Sciences, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, NASA, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Departments of Defense, Commerce, Education, and Transportation. Finally, our environmental quality programs directly interface with the Environmental Protection Agency and Nuclear Regulatory Commission. While DOE's clearly defined, singular mission responsibilities and programs are well coordinated with appropriate other Federal agencies, there are some crosscutting government functions and initiatives that the Department participates in that are beyond the mission of any one agency. Government functions and responsibilities such as national security, global climate change, medical research, and science education draw upon the expertise and capabilities of numerous agencies that need to work together to meet these overarching. common goals. At times, it may appear that the programs within these Federal agencies are somewhat overlapping and possibly redundant, and in some cases this may be partially true. The challenge is to define the role and develop the programs within each participating agency that best use that agency's unique financial, human, and technical resources in a way that optimizes overall government performance. OMB and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy play an important leadership role in coordinating these efforts. DOE's contribution to these crosscutting programs is founded upon the distinctive technical and scientific expertise and capabilities located within its laboratory system and facilities. The Department is committed to continue working closely with other Federal agencies and with OMB and Congress to ensure its programs provide critical and unique contributions to these crosscutting efforts. In addition to the aforementioned coordination efforts, and the fact that this strategic plan was developed in consultation with the Congress, customers, and stakeholders, there are still factors external to DOE's full control that can influence our desired outcomes. These factors include: • Climate change may prove to be one of the most important strategic energy drivers. especially if international agreements are reached that would require carbon emissions to be reduced to 1990 levels or lower during the next 15 to 25 years. • A host of potential regulatory actions could require major additional reductions in energy-related emissions during the next decade, and some are expensive if compliance must depend on current technology and approaches. • Without legislative relief, restructuring the electric utility retail market could adversely impact industry's investment in longer-term research, development, and demonstration of renewables and advanced, lower-emission fossil fuel and advanced nuclear power technologies. Strategic Plan • The Department's Stockpile Stewardship and Management Program will depend on the outcome of the lawsuit involving its programmatic environmental impact state ment. • National Security objectives may be affected by any force structure changes required due to the ratification of START II or the adoption of START III. • DOE's stewardship and management of the nuclear weapons stockpile is dependent upon the Department of Defense's future vision of stockpile requirements as reflected in the Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Memorandum/Plan. Progress in implementation of international treaties and agreements and progress in technology advances will be necessary for implementation of various nonproliferation and nuclear safety initiatives. • Continued cooperation of the international community is critical to improve nuclear safety and prevent the spread of nuclear weapons of mass destruction capabilities worldwide. • Resolution of technical, institutional, and cost issues, as well as agreement with Russia and other nations, will determine the timing and extent to which surplus weapons plutonium disposition takes place. • The Department's ability to sell excess uranium and achieve savings is dependent on market conditions. The Secretary has a statutory responsibility to dispose of uranium stockpiles in a manner that does not adversely impact the mining, milling, and conversion industries. • The Environmental Quality 2006 Plan for accelerating cleanup of DOE's contaminated nuclear weapons production sites requires the involvement of and acceptance by the public. • Successful negotiated agreements, compliance certifications, and/or permits with the Environmental Protection Agency, State regulatory agencies, and local stakeholders will determine site cleanup schedules. • DOE's long-term stewardship at cleanup sites is dependent upon consultations with other Federal agencies, Congress, Tribal Nations, representatives of regulatory agencies. State and local authorities, and other stakeholders. Accomplishing DOE's environmental cleanup objectives assumes the availability of commercial options for radioactive and hazardous waste disposal. Legislation currently before the Congress and litigation by utilities and other parties could have a significant impact on the storage and disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioacive waste. • Failure to adopt proposed revisions to 10 CFR Part 960 will impair the process for evaluating the suitability of the permanent storage site for civilian radioactive waste. • A revised Environmental Protection Agency radiological protection standard specific to the Yucca Mountain site is a prerequisite to getting a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license for permanent storage of civilian radioactive waste. • International collaboration on large, expensive exploratory science efforts will become necessary and desirable as few countries will be able to afford such major commitments alone. • Government support for basic research will remain strong, government support in technology commercialization will remain controversial. • To meet the Nation's need for an informed and educated citizenry and to ensure the next generation of U.S. scientists, will re |