Department of Energy: Alternative Financing and Contracting Strategies for Cleanup Projects

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed whether privatization will achieve the nuclear weapons waste clean-up goals expected by the Department of Energy (DOE), focusing on: (1) what conditions need to be present in order to successfully use fixed-price contracting for the Office of Environmental Management's privatized clean-up projects; (2) what alternative financing approaches could be used for Environmental Management's privatization contracts; and (3) how alternative financing methods for Environmental Management's privatization projects might affect budget scoring.