DOE’s “Nuclear Security Enterprise” – Yes, it’s a busine$$ enterprise
“Assessments of NNSA Major Projects”
Government Accountability Office – GAO-26-107777, February 26, 2026
GAO observes that the SRS Plutonium Bomb Plant operation has slipped to 2035 and is likely to slip further and that costs are soaring, following the usual DOE/contractor formula for such budget-busting projects that threaten national security:
SRPPF Main Process Building (Savannah River Site). As part of its
second revised tailoring strategy for the overall SRPPF project, in
October 2024, NNSA transferred the scope of three other projects to
the MPB project. The revised tailoring strategy allows the project to
establish performance baselines with a design maturity of 60 percent
instead of 90 percent as would otherwise be required by DOE’s
project management order. The revised strategy also allows the
project to begin construction before establishing performance
baselines. Prior to the revised tailoring strategy, officials told us that
NNSA required the project to implement key design changes, such as
revising the scope to address single points of failure and add more
space for future capabilities, and that the scope has been stable since
that time. However, they stated that they continue to experience
design challenges, such as difficulties hiring qualified design
engineers and the inability of the contractor to meet performance
targets. Due in part to these issues, NNSA officials said the project’s
final design review could be delayed by 6 months (from March 2026 to
September 2026). In addition, as part of the revised tailoring strategy,
NNSA officials told us that they approved 10 early procurement and
site preparation work packages, which allowed the project to start
construction earlier on lower risk activities and spread the work out
over time. However, NNSA was not able to fully implement the revised
strategy related to these packages because of delays receiving
design packages from the contractor, according to officials. Similarly,
officials said the package the contractor submitted in May 2025 for an
independent cost estimate was insufficient to conduct the estimate. A
resubmittal is scheduled for early 2026, at which time the project’s
design should be matured closer to 90 percent, according to officials.
As of June 2025, NNSA was in the process of updating the project’s
cost and schedule estimates. According to NNSA’s fiscal year 2026
budget justification, the project’s cost may increase to over $22 billion
(up from a preliminary cost range of $6.9 billion to $11.1 billion) with a
completion date of September 2035 (the top of the preliminary
schedule range). However, officials told us the completion date may
be delayed. They said that they plan to submit revised cost and
schedule estimates for senior NNSA management review and
approval by September 2026.
(page 25)
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page 55: “As of June 2025, NNSA officials were reviewing the
project’s cost and schedule estimates due to replanning
efforts. Specifically, the overall SRPPF project is
undergoing a revised alternative selection process due to
concerns with potential cost increases and delays.
According to NNSA’s fiscal year 2026 budget justification,
the MPB project is expected to cost over $22 billion and
be completed by September 2035. NNSA officials said
they plan to submit revised cost and schedule estimates
for approval by September 2026.”