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Open Recommendations

Geothermal Energy: Bureau of Land Management Should Improve Permitting Process as Development Demand Grows on Federal Lands
GAO-26-108040
Oct 08, 2026
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3 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Bureau of Land Management The BLM Director should finalize geothermal resources handbooks and make them publicly available to inform both BLM officials and geothermal developers on the agency's leasing and permitting procedures. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Land Management The BLM Director should establish a unified mechanism to track, manage, and monitor the status of geothermal permitting activity across BLM field offices on the status of permitting reviews and accurate time frames for process completion. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Bureau of Land Management The BLM Director should define goals for the time frame to process geothermal permits. (Recommendation 3)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

Nuclear Power: Actions Needed to Improve NRC’s Assessment of Its Workforce Needs
GAO-26-108737
Sep 28, 2026
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2 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Nuclear Regulatory Commission The Chair of the NRC should direct staff to finalize the NEXUS tool by the first quarter of fiscal year 2027, as planned, to identify critical staffing needs and assess where the ADVANCE Act authorities can be used to help NRC retain and hire staff necessary to support mission needs. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission The Chair of the NRC should direct staff to establish metrics to measure and assess whether existing workforce authorities adequately address NRC's workforce needs. (Recommendation 2)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.

DOE Contracting: Risk-Informed Oversight and Clearer Expectations for Assurance Systems Would Improve Accountability
GAO-26-107850
Aug 26, 2026
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4 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
Office of Environmental Management The Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management should develop and implement a process for conducting CAS effectiveness evaluations, including defining CAS effectiveness and establishing specific, measurable evaluation criteria. (Recommendation 1)
Open
In August 2026, DOE concurred with our recommendation and stated that it plans to develop specific evaluation criteria and a process for conducting CAS effectiveness evaluations using approved lines of inquiry in calendar year 2026 for implementation in calendar year 2027.
Office of Environmental Management The Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management should document how it will use CAS information from field offices to ensure a tailored and risk-informed oversight program, to include determining the information it needs from field offices, standardizing key terms and metrics, and determining how it will use CAS information to tailor oversight. (Recommendation 2)
Open
In August 2026, DOE concurred with our recommendation said it would develop a documented process for using CAS information to tailor field office and EM headquarters oversight. DOE said this process will establish information needs and use standardized terminology and metrics. DOE plans to implement these actions in calendar year 2027.
Office of Environmental Management The Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management should design and implement oversight assessment schedules of field offices, to include assessments of field offices' oversight of CAS effectiveness, to determine how to prioritize its direction and feedback to field offices to address the greatest risks. (Recommendation 3)
Open
In August 2026, DOE concurred with our recommendation and said it would design and implement an assessment of field office oversight of CAS effectiveness. It would then use the results from that assessment to prioritize feedback based on risk. EM headquarters plans to conduct this oversight activity after the field offices implement actions in response to recommendations one and two.
Office of Environmental Management The Assistant Secretary of Environmental Management should use appropriate contract mechanisms to establish and communicate clear contractor performance expectations for CASs and consequences for not meeting those expectations. (Recommendation 4)
Open
In August 2026, DOE concurred with our recommendation and said that by December 31, 2026, it would review contract mechanisms to ensure clear performance expectations and consequences for all aspects of contract performance, including CAS, and identify appropriate changes relating to CAS performance expectations.

Nuclear Fuel: Actions Needed to Enhance Cost Reporting and Economic Analysis for Federal Uranium Supply Efforts
GAO-26-107385
Aug 20, 2026
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5 Open Recommendations
Agency Affected Recommendation Status
National Nuclear Security Administration The NNSA Administrator should ensure that current long-term cost estimates for its Defense Fuels program are reported to Congress in future biennial Enriched Uranium Management Plans as required. (Recommendation 1)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
National Nuclear Security Administration The NNSA Administrator should ensure that the Defense Fuels program, as it transitions to operate as an Enhanced Management B program under the PEI, updates its program management-related documentation to be consistent with PEI requirements. (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 ensure that anticipated economic analyses conducted to support DOE's enriched uranium efforts are consistent with relevant best practices and executive branch guidance. (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 DOE finalizes its required report to Congress on the availability of HALEU. (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 programmatic documents developed to guide DOE's LEU and HALEU support efforts align with agency specific guidance and best practices for program management. (Recommendation 5)
Open
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
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