Energy Conservation:
Federal Home Energy Audit Program Has Not Achieved Expectations
RCED-87-38: Published: Dec 30, 1986. Publicly Released: Dec 30, 1986.
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GAO provided information on the Department of Energy's (DOE) Residential Conservation Service Program (RCS), specifically: (1) its potential for achieving energy savings; (2) its costs and benefits, including measured energy savings; and (3) utilities' implementation efforts and adoption of other residential conservation programs.
GAO found that: (1) in 1984, 86 percent of single-family homes were less than fully insulated, since they did not have a combination of attic insulation, wall insulation, and storm windows on 90 percent of their windows; (2) only 5.9 percent of eligible customers have participated in RCS, which is lower than the DOE estimate; (3) through 1985, DOE, states, and utilities spent about $521 million implementing RCS, of which utilities spent 94 percent; (4) the increase in residential customers' utility bills ranged from $.01 to $2.85 per customer in 1985; (5) states and utilities experienced improved utility-customer relations and increased conservation awareness by participants as a result of RCS; (6) utilities inserted notices in customer bills to announce the program; (7) utilities with higher participation rates used more marketing strategies, charged customers less for audits, and spent more per eligible customer to implement the program than utilities with lower participation rates; and (8) most utilities offered other residential conservation programs, including weatherization and less comprehensive home energy audits.
Dec 10, 2020
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Uranium Management:
Actions to Mitigate Risks to Domestic Supply Chain Could Be Better Planned and CoordinatedGAO-21-28: Published: Dec 10, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 10, 2020.
Dec 8, 2020
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Offshore Wind Energy:
Planned Projects May Lead to Construction of New Vessels in the U.S., but Industry Has Made Few Decisions amid UncertaintiesGAO-21-153: Published: Dec 8, 2020. Publicly Released: Dec 8, 2020.
Nov 19, 2020
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Nuclear Waste Disposal:
Better Planning Needed to Avoid Potential Disruptions at Waste Isolation Pilot PlantGAO-21-48: Published: Nov 19, 2020. Publicly Released: Nov 19, 2020.
Oct 29, 2020
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Nuclear Safety:
DOE and the Safety Board Should Collaborate to Develop a Written Agreement to Enhance OversightGAO-21-141: Published: Oct 29, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 29, 2020.
Oct 15, 2020
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Nuclear Weapons:
NNSA Plans to Modernize Critical Depleted Uranium Capabilities and Improve Program ManagementGAO-21-16: Published: Oct 15, 2020. Publicly Released: Oct 15, 2020.
Jul 24, 2020
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Nuclear Weapons:
Action Needed to Address the W80-4 Warhead Program's Schedule ConstraintsGAO-20-409: Published: Jul 24, 2020. Publicly Released: Jul 24, 2020.
Jun 24, 2020
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National Nuclear Security Administration:
Analyzing Cost Savings Program Could Result in Wider Use and Additional Contractor EfficienciesGAO-20-451: Published: Jun 24, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 24, 2020.
Jun 9, 2020
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Nuclear Weapons:
NNSA Needs to Incorporate Additional Management Controls Over Its Microelectronics ActivitiesGAO-20-357: Published: Jun 9, 2020. Publicly Released: Jun 9, 2020.
May 13, 2020
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Environmental Liabilities:
DOE Needs to Better Plan for Post-Cleanup Challenges Facing SitesGAO-20-373: Published: May 13, 2020. Publicly Released: May 13, 2020.
May 12, 2020
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Hanford Waste Treatment Plant:
DOE Is Pursuing Pretreatment Alternatives, but Its Strategy Is Unclear While Costs Continue to RiseGAO-20-363: Published: May 12, 2020. Publicly Released: May 12, 2020.
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