Price-Anderson Act

The Price-Anderson Act (PAA) provides a system of financial protection for persons who may be liable and persons who may be injured by a nuclear incident.  The Department of Energy (DOE) is authorized to administer the PAA system of financial protection with respect to DOE contractual activities. Pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, DOE has submitted a report to Congress on the need to continue or modify the provisions of the PAA under which DOE provides financial protection in the form of an indemnification to contractors and other persons who may be legally liable for a nuclear incident or precautionary evacuation arising from activity under a DOE contract.  

As detailed in the report, the Department makes the following recommendations to Congress:

1. the Price-Anderson Act should be continued;
2. the Department of Energy indemnification should continue and expand upon its broad and mandatory coverage; and
3. the Price-Anderson Act should continue in effect in a manner compliant with the Convention on Supplementary for Nuclear Damage.

For additional information,  DOE’s Notice of Inquiry (NOI) to solicit the comments and views of the public on the need for continuation or modification of the provisions of the PAA as it pertains to DOE, DOE’s notice of extension of the public comment period on the NOI, and the public comments received in response to the NOI are available below.