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Open Recommendations

Nuclear Waste Cleanup: DOE Should Collect Information Specific to Soil and Legacy Landfills to Inform Overall Remediation Efforts
GAO-25-107565
Sep 26, 2025
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1 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Office of Environmental Management The Assistant Secretary for the Office of Environmental Management should ensure that EM headquarters collects and uses information specific to the scope, schedule, and cost of soil and legacy landfill cleanup to enhance technical and policy support provided to sites and inform prioritization decisions to reduce risk. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Tribal Energy Finance: Changes to DOE Loan Program Would Reduce Barriers for Tribes
GAO-25-107441
Sep 02, 2025
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5 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy should ensure the Director of LPO (1) systematically identifies and assesses the applicability of federal funding and assistance sources to support Tribes with development activities for large-scale energy projects, with input from IE; (2) implements its plans to disseminate such information to tribal applicants; and (3) provides information on gaps to Congress for consideration, as appropriate. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy should ensure that the Director of LPO further develops and implements options to revise its TEFP due diligence review process to further reduce or eliminate related fees for tribal energy projects on project-by-project basis, as appropriate. Such options could include revising these processes to include in-house underwriting and limiting the use of consultant contracts. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Loan Programs Office The Director of LPO should direct staff to implement proposed program changes to reduce the length and complexity of the application process for Tribes. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy should ensure that once LPO has finalized changes to TEFP, the Director of LPO completes the development, documentation, and distribution of internal guidance on any program requirements not detailed in the program's solicitation. It should also publish relevant external guidance that is consistent with internal procedures. (Recommendation 4)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy should ensure that the Director of LPO consistently maintains designated staff in each division reviewing TEFP applications and provide additional training to build tribal competence and knowledge of tribal energy finance. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Future-Years Energy Program: DOE Should Complete Required Reporting to Help Ensure Transparency in Spending
GAO-25-107646
Jul 08, 2025
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy should provide complete information that addresses all legal requirements as part of DOE's FYEP submission to Congress and should identify and report on any factors affecting the department's ability to report on unmet requirements. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy should develop and issue a strategic plan that outlines the department's priorities for the following 4 years and informs the development of DOE's FYEP. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Department of Energy The Secretary of Energy should formalize and implement a PPBE process to develop DOE's FYEP. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Ukraine: DOE Could Better Assess Fraud Risks and Formalize Its Transition Plans for Nuclear Security and Safety Efforts
GAO-25-108444
Jun 12, 2025
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Department of Energy The Office of Chief Financial Officer should update the Department of Energy's ERM guidance to require offices to conduct fraud risk assessments for programs that experience a structural change or a changed operating environment or that add new services, consistent with GAO's Fraud Risk Framework, and clarify the circumstances that could constitute a changed operating environment or addition of new services that should trigger a program-level assessment. (Recommendation 1)
Open
DOE agreed with this recommendation and said its Office of Chief Financial Officer would update DOE's ERM guidance for fiscal year 2026 to highlight that DOE offices should perform fraud risk assessments when they determine there are significant changes to their programs or operating environments. However, we specified that DOE's update should also include the addition of new program services as a circumstance that calls for a fraud risk assessment. Including this would fully address our recommendation. We will follow up on this recommendation in fiscal year 2026.
National Nuclear Security Administration The NNSA Administrator should ensure that the NNSA programs that have not yet done so formalize their plans for transitioning responsibility to Ukrainian partner organizations for future sustainment of NNSA-provided nuclear and radiological security and safety assistance, acknowledging that transition timing may be uncertain. (Recommendation 2)
Open
DOE agree with this recommendation and said that it would formalize plans for transitioning efforts to Ukrainian partner organizations, as appropriate, by September 30, 2025. We will follow up on this recommendation in fiscal year 2026.
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