DOE, NRC prepare for government shutdown

The Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will furlough thousands of employees and operate at reduced capacity under a government shutdown that started after midnight on October 1 following a failed congressional vote on a short-term funding bill.

The result: The DOE will furlough nearly 9,000 employees under its contingency plan as of September 24, leaving approximately 4,100 full-time-equivalent employees who will be retained under the government shutdown. The DOE will continue to perform work related to the "safety of human life or the protection of property," including activities by the National Nuclear Security Administration.

Under the NRC's guidance to NRC stakeholders dated October 1, the commission has some remaining appropriations for high-priority work by a core group of employees, such as operator licensing, time-sensitive licensing actions, and duties related to recent executive orders.

Once the NRC's remaining appropriations are exhausted, a small group of employees, including the resident inspectors and headquarters operations officers, will continue to monitor licensee activities and perform the minimum work needed to protect public health and safety and provide essential services.

The DOE and the NRC did not immediately return comment requests about how specific programs will be impacted by the government shutdown.

History: The last government shutdown took place in December 2018 and lasted 35 days, until January 25, 2019-making it the longest government shutdown in more than 40 years.

Congressional Democrats remain in a standoff with congressional Republicans over Democrats' demands to renew soon-to-expire health care tax credits. Senate Democrats voted against a Republican "clean" continuing resolution on September 30, which passed the House earlier in September and would have funded the government for seven more weeks.