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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

We made two recommendations to help NNSA improve its use of line items in contracts, including that it document criteria and lessons learned from using line items in M&O contracts.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

However, NNSA doesn’t use many line items in contracts—only 5 of NNSA’s 21 major construction projects are under separate contract lines. And, if not properly executed, line items can be burdensome and ineffective.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Line items allow NNSA to create performance and fee plans for a specific scope of work (like a major construction project) to incentivize contractor performance. Strategic use of line items could lead to better timeliness and cost savings on such projects. #nukesky

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

NNSA spends billions on contracts to operate its nuclear labs & sites. To improve transparency, NNSA uses line items in contracts to differentiate some large “tasks,” like major construction projects, from broad mission work.

gao.gov

U.S. GAO - National Nuclear Security Administration: Use of Line Items in Management and Operating Contracts Could Be Improved

The National Nuclear Security Administration spends over $20 billion per year on 9 contracts to manage and operate the nation's nuclear security...

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

NNSA officials also said that if NNSA needed to cut back on strategic partnership work, NNSA’s share of costs to operate and maintain some facilities and infrastructure could increase without partners’ contributions.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Officials from partner orgs said the projects were essential for their mission, and NNSA alone had some of the capabilities they needed. There are SPPs that directly support NNSA missions, so a decrease in such projects could negatively affect those missions.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

NNSA's partnership work was steady for FYs 2019–24, with reimbursed costs of almost $15 billion. Most projects are for DOD and related to national security. The projects can support NNSA's mission, help retain staff and maintain facilities, and offer research opportunities.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Often, NNSA labs & sites do work for other organizations through strategic partnership projects. NNSA—which is reimbursed for the work—and the other orgs both benefit, but as NNSA’s workload grows, so do concerns about its capacity for such work. #nukesky

gao.gov

U.S. GAO - Nuclear Security Enterprise: Strategic Partnership Projects Can Support Mission, Operations, and Research

The National Nuclear Security Administration's 8 nuclear sites do reimbursable work for other agencies and outside entities through partnership...

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

We made 5 recommendations to NNSA, including for the agency to determine whether its actions to support domestic enrichment are sufficient.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Uranium used for national security—such as fuel for the Navy’s submarines and aircraft carriers—must be enriched using U.S. technology, but the U.S. has not had its own enrichment capability since 2013.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

We also found that DOE has a good sense of the supply & demand for civilian uses of LEU, like power and research reactors. But demand estimates for high-assay LEU (HALEU) vary, and current supply may not meet near-term demands (less good!)

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

We already know that Nothing Compares 2 U (RIP Prince): We looked at supply and demand for all sorts of U(ranium), and we found the US has enough low-enriched U and high-enriched U for national security needs until the 2040s. (Good news!) #nukesky www.gao.gov/products/gao...

gao.gov

U.S. GAO - Nuclear Fuel: Actions Needed to Enhance Cost Reporting and Economic Analysis for Federal Uranium Supply Efforts

The National Nuclear Security Administration provides enriched uranium for U.S. national security needs. NNSA is pursuing 3 long-term efforts to...

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

DOE collects info to assess risks to isotope production and supplies, but critical isotopes are still experiencing supply shortages. We made several recommendations, including that DOE communicate risks to customers and take timely action to mitigate risks.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

DOE assesses demand for isotopes on a case-by-case basis but hasn’t systematically assessed needs or aligned production to the needs. Many isotopes are rare or too expensive for private industry to produce profitably, and there are risks to depending on foreign supply.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Even as demand is growing for isotopes for medical uses, national security, manufacturing, and quantum science, dozens of these isotopes are in short supply—and the Department of Energy (DOE) is the sole domestic supplier for many of them. #nukesky www.gao.gov/products/gao...

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

DOE is managing 80 such projects at these sites, estimated to cost up to $66.5 billion. We recommend that the agency establish specific goals, outcomes, and performance measures to evaluate the effectiveness of the Secretary’s streamlining reforms.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

The changes are meant to streamline project management and reduce administrative burdens. Many a DOE capital-asset project is over budget and delayed, and DOE officials said the changes could improve efficiency and save $$. But DOE has no plan to assess whether it works that way.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

In 2025 the Secretary of Energy directed revisions to the agency’s capital-asset management order to give contractors more authority and require fewer independent reviews. But as we’ve reported for >30 years, DOE needs effective contract oversight. #nukesky

gao.gov

U.S. GAO - Department of Energy: Efforts to Streamline Project Management at National Laboratories and Nuclear Sites [Reissued with revisions on Jul. 17, 2026]

The Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration manage over $65 billion in construction and acquisition projects at 16...

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Our report recommends that NNSA complete its analysis of workforce and programmatic investment needs AND regularly update its integrated assessment of science & tech facility investment needs to reflect changing priorities. NNSA says it plans to do both.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

To meet deadlines, NNSA didn’t fully assess the workforce & programmatic investments it would need to support its efforts. And despite how much can change in in the budget environment from year to year, NNSA didn’t set up a process or timeline to reassess the plan in the future.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

In 2024, NNSA developed an integrated plan that described the science and tech facilities that it would need over the next 20 years. This plan informed their Oct. 2024 “Enterprise Blueprint,” a 25-year plan for specialized infrastructure. www.energy.gov/nnsa/nnsa-en...

energy.gov

NNSA Enterprise Blueprint

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

NNSA doesn’t just want to sustain its existing scientific equipment and facilities. It also wants to expand them and build new ones to maintain the nation’s competitive edge.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

DOE said it would continue to refine its cost estimates. We recommend that DOE also complete its evaluation of its spent fuel storage facility reconfiguration plan to enable continued storage and management of ATR spent fuel after 2030 and without interruption to ATR operations.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

In 2025 DOE decided to maintain the ATR instead of replacing it. DOE estimates that this less expensive option would cost $1.26 billion over 20 years, but this could grow as needs are identified, such as potential modifications to improve performance.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

The Advanced Test Reactor in Idaho, around since 1967, is the only reactor that can meet testing requirements for nuclear submarine fuel. DOE identified options to maintain, upgrade, or replace it, but will need to do something about spent fuel storage. www.gao.gov/products/gao...

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Among NNSA’s major projects without performance baselines, 8 were undergoing changes to project designs or experiencing design challenges. NNSA has met milestones for maturing relevant critical technologies for four of the projects.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

These overruns were often associated with inadequate project management by contractors; poor vendor or subcontractor performance; or increased equipment, materials, or vendor costs.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

Within NNSA’s portfolio of major projects ($100M+) with approved performance baselines, cumulative cost overruns have increased to $4.8 billion and schedule overruns to 30 years from what we reported in 2023 ($2.1 billion and 9 years). www.gao.gov/products/gao...

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

NNSA said it plans to implement new processes, including the use of templates and root cause guidance, to help project managers better meet reporting requirements. We recommend they complete the guidance and implement the process.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

NNSA saw costs grow >25% on 7 out of 14 construction projects, but didn’t notify Congress about 5 of them for months, let alone within the 30 days required by law. Nor did NNSA assess the root causes of cost overruns for those 5 within 90 days or inform Congress, as required. #nukesky

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

NNSA spends a lot of money on nuclear weapons & infrastructure. NNSA has requirements (similar to those of the Nunn-McCurdy Act) to formally notify Congress about cost overruns and assess the reasons for the overruns, but it hasn’t consistently done so. www.gao.gov/products/gao...

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

Los Alamos looks forward to additional park-and-ride shuttle routes to the lab. NNSA has some concerns about potential challenges with having sufficient federal staff to oversee the program and assess whether it’s providing the intended benefits.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

Under a new authority in the FY25 NDAA, NNSA sites can reimburse some contractor commuting costs. This could improve safety and congestion. To date, Los Alamos is the only site to have made a proposal; they estimated it would cost $74 million to implement from FY25–30.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

Commuting can be a slog. One way NNSA can address recruitment & retention challenges at its labs is by making it easier to get to work, including by offering park-and-ride shuttles and public transit subsidies. www.gao.gov/products/gao...

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

Until the UPF is ready, NNSA will have to keep using an 80-year old facility that could cost up to a half billion dollars to maintain in the meantime. We recommended that NNSA develop a comprehensive plan for this maintenance.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

The UPF is also delayed. The agency is monitoring the project, but there are already doubts that the contractor will meet its project milestone for 2029. There are concerns about the ability to track project progress because of the way the contractor categorizes project tasks.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

The estimated cost to complete the UPF has increased nearly $4 billion just since construction started in 2018. Poor management accounts for $770 million of that. NNSA has conducted reviews to get to the root of the cost increases and implemented 19 out of 20 corrective actions.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

In 2004 NNSA began planning the Uranium Processing Facility to replace Manhattan Project-era facilities at Y-12 in TN. Fast forward 21 years: UPF’s est. cost is up to nearly $10 billion and it’ll cost NNSA to keep using old facilities until UPF is complete. www.gao.gov/products/gao...

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

We are starting work on just this issue! Want to get to the root causes.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

This morning @nytimes reported on radiological risks in Ukraine. We have a recent report on the range of nuclear security and safety risks related to the war in Ukraine. www.gao.gov/products/gao...

gao.gov

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

As NNSA’s contractors underestimate the costs of the contracts across the enterprise, higher costs for small projects add up. We recommend NNSA ensure its contractors estimate costs more reliably to enable more realistic program planning & budgeting and better project management.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

Over the next 2 decades, the United States plans to spend tens of billions of dollars to modernize its nuclear weapons stockpile. These expenditures will include hundreds of millions of dollars a year in fixed-price construction subcontracts.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

You wouldn’t think the cost of a fixed-price construction contract could increase—but hundreds of NNSA’s run over, to the tune of $37.5 million just in FY23. NNSA’s construction budget is always tight so unexpected increases mean delays for other projects. www.gao.gov/products/gao... #nukesky

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

NNSA’s plans for upgrading one of the facilities are no longer current and the agency hasn't evaluated its progress on repairing any of the three. We recommend that NNSA develop performance measures to track and report on its progress, and document options for future upgrades.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

In 2023 NNSA submitted to Congress a plan for repairing & upgrading these facilities. But the plan doesn’t give Congress—or other decision-makers, like NNSA management—all the information they need to determine whether the fusion facilities can continue to perform as designed.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 05/09/2025

Fusion is essential for powering the USS Enterprise—and, here on earth, for maintaining and modernizing the U.S. nuclear stockpile without explosive nuclear testing. NNSA operates 3 fusion facilities for these purposes. www.gao.gov/products/gao... #nukesky

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

We pointed out some additional opportunities—for example, DNFSB should revise its human capital plan to include more details on how the Board will achieve its goals, and by when. This will support performance by ensuring that staff responsibilities are well defined.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

But! DNFSB is supposed to have 5 presidentially nominated & Senate-confirmed Board members. Filling seats has been challenging; as of August 2025, the Board had 2 seats filled, with 1 member’s term expiring in Oct 2025. With 1 seated member, the Board’s authority will be limited.

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Allison Bawden @nukeoversight.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

DNFSB has been busy—in addition to independently overseeing health & safety protections at U.S. defense nuclear facilities, it has been improving its management and planning based on recommendations from GAO and others.

gao.gov

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