Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration on atomic energy defense activities in review of the Defense Authorization Request for Fiscal Year 2023 and the Future Years Defense Program

Senate Armed Services Committee
G-50 Dirksen

05/19/2022 at 09:30AM

Hearing page

Member statements

Witnesses

  • Jennifer Granholm, Secretary of Energy
  • Jill Hruby, Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration

The Fiscal Year 2023 budget request for the defense functions of the Department of Energy is $29.7 billion. This figure accounts for about 61 percent of the Department of Energy’s overall $48 billion request. Given the share of the defense function of the Department’s budget, it is important for this committee to continue its oversight of the Department’s defense activities, which span from maintaining our nuclear stockpile to cleaning up former Cold War defense production sites. Within this defense proposal, the National Nuclear Security Administration, or NNSA, is requesting $21.4 billion – a 3.2 percent increase over last year’s level of $20.6 billion. I would also note that the amount for the defense portion of environmental cleanup increased by three percent to $6.9 billion.

At the hearing, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) challenged Granholm on the energy waste of crypto mining. “Does the federal government know how many crypto miners are operating in the United States and how much electricity they are using?”

Granholm: “No.”