Standby Support Contract Process

10 C.F.R. Part ..., Subpart B
in effectEffective: 2024-07-01

10 C.F.R. § 950.10 Conditional agreement.

(a) Purpose. The Department and a sponsor may enter into a Conditional Agreement. The Department will enter into a Standby Support Contract with the first six sponsors to satisfy the specified conditions precedent for a Standby Support Contract if and only if all funding and other contractual, statutory and regulatory requirements have been satisfied. (b) Eligibility. A sponsor is eligible to enter into a Conditional Agreement with the Program Administrator after the sponsor has submitted to the Department the following information but before the sponsor receives approval of the combined license application from the Commission: (1) An electronic copy of the combined license application docketed by the Commission pursuant to 10 CFR part 52, and if applicable, an electronic copy of the design certification or early site permit, or environmental report referenced or included with the sponsor's combined license application; (2) A summary schedule identifying the projected dates of construction, testing, and full power operation; (3) A detailed business plan that includes intended financing for the project including the credit structure and all sources and uses of funds for the project, the most recent private credit rating or other similar credit analysis for project related covered financing, and the projected cash flows for all debt obligations of the advanced nuclear facility which would be covered under the Standby Support Contract; (4) The sponsor's estimate of the amount and timing of the Standby Support payments for debt service under covered delays; and (5) The estimated dollar amount to be allocated to the sponsor's covered costs for principal or interest on the debt obligation of the advanced nuclear facility and for incremental costs, including whether these amounts would be different if the advanced nuclear facility is one of the initial two reactors or one of the subsequent four reactors. (c) The Program Administrator shall enter into a Conditional Agreement with a sponsor upon a determination by the Department that the sponsor is eligible for a Conditional Agreement, the information provided by the sponsor under paragraph (b) of this section is accurate and complete, and the Conditional Agreement is consistent with applicable laws and regulations.

10 C.F.R. § 950.11 Terms and conditions of the Conditional Agreement.

(a) General. Each Conditional Agreement shall include a provision specifying that the Program Administrator and the sponsor will enter into a Standby Support Contract provided that the sponsor is one of the first six sponsors to fulfill the conditions precedent specified in § 950.12, subject to certain funding requirements and limitations specified in § 950.12 and any other applicable contractual, statutory and regulatory requirements. (b) Allocation of Coverage. Each Conditional Agreement shall include a provision specifying the amount of coverage to be allocated under the Standby Support Contract to cover principal or interest costs and to cover incremental costs, including a provision on whether the allocation shall be different if the advanced nuclear facility is one of the initial two reactors or one of the subsequent four reactors, subject to paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section. A sponsor may elect to allocate 100 percent of the coverage to either the Program Account or the Grant Account. (c) Funding. Each Conditional Agreement shall contain a provision that the Program Account or Grant Account shall be funded in advance of execution of the Standby Support Contract and in the following manner, subject to the conditions of paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section. Under no circumstances will the amount of the coverage for payments of principal or interest under a Standby Support Contract exceed 80 percent of the total of the financing guaranteed under that Contract. (1) The Program Account shall receive funds appropriated to the Department, loan guarantee fees, or a combination of appropriated funds and loan guarantee fees that are in an amount equal to the loan costs associated with the amount of principal or interest covered by the available indemnification. Loan costs may not be paid from the proceeds of debt guaranteed or funded by the Federal government. The parties shall specify in the Conditional Agreement the anticipated amount or anticipated percentage of the total funding in the Program Account to be contributed by appropriated funds to the Department, by the sponsor, by a non-federal source, or by a combination of these funding sources. Covered costs paid through the Program Account are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. (2) The Grant Account shall receive funds appropriated to the Department, funds from a sponsor, funds from a non-Federal source, or a combination of appropriated funds and funds from the sponsor or other non-Federal source, in an amount equal to the incremental costs. The parties shall specify in the Conditional Agreement the anticipated amount or anticipated percentage of the total funding in the Grant Account to be contributed by appropriated funds to the Department, by the sponsor, by a non-Federal source, or by a combination of these funding sources. (d) Reconciliation. Each Conditional Agreement shall include a provision that the sponsor shall provide no later than ninety (90) days prior to execution of a Standby Support Contract sufficient information for the Program Administrator to recalculate the loan costs and the incremental costs associated with the advanced nuclear facility, taking into account whether the sponsor's advanced nuclear facility is one of the initial two reactors or the subsequent four reactors. (e) Limitations. Each Conditional Agreement shall contain a provision that limits the Department's contribution of Federal funding to the Program Account or the Grant Account to only those amounts, if any, that are appropriated to the Department in advance of the Standby Support Contract for the purpose of funding the Program Account or Grant Account. In the event the amount of appropriated funds to the Department for deposit in the Program Account or Grant Account is not sufficient to result in an amount equal to the full amount of the loan costs or incremental costs resulting from the allocation of coverage under the Conditional Agreement pursuant to 950.11(b), the sponsor shall no later than sixty (60) days prior to execution of the Standby Support Contract: (1) Notify the Department that it shall not execute a Standby Support Contract; or (2) Notify the Department that it shall provide the anticipated contributions to the Program Account or Grant Account as specified in the Conditional Agreement pursuant to 950.11(c)(1). The sponsor shall have the option to provide additional funds to the Program Account or Grant Account up to the amount equal to the full amount of loan costs or incremental costs. In the event the sponsor does not provide sufficient additional funds to fund the Program Account or the Grant Account in an amount equal to the full amount of loan costs or incremental costs, then the amounts of coverage available under the Standby Support Contract shall be reduced to reflect the amounts deposited in the Program Account or Grant Account. If the sponsor elects less than the full amount of coverage available under the law, then the sponsor shall not have recourse against, and the Department is not liable for, any claims for an amount of covered costs in excess of that reduced amount of coverage or the amount deposited in the Grant Account upon execution of the Standby Support Contract, notwithstanding any other provision of law. (f) Termination of Conditional Agreements. Each Conditional Agreement shall include a provision that the Conditional Agreement remains in effect until such time as: (1) The sponsor enters into a Standby Support Contract with the Program Administrator; (2) The sponsor has commenced construction on an advanced nuclear facility and has not entered into a Standby Support Contract with the Program Administrator within thirty (30) days after commencement of construction; (3) The sponsor notifies the Program Administrator in writing that it wishes to terminate the Conditional Agreement, thereby extinguishing any rights or obligations it may have under the Conditional Agreement; (4) The Program Administrator has entered into Standby Support Contracts that cover three different reactor designs, and the Conditional Agreement is for an advanced nuclear facility of a different reactor design than those covered under existing Standby Support Contracts; or (5) The Program Administrator has entered into six Standby Support Contracts.

10 C.F.R. § 950.12 Standby Support Contract Conditions.

(a) Conditions Precedent. If Program Administrator has not entered into six Standby Support Contracts, the Program Administrator shall enter into a Standby Support Contract with the sponsor, consistent with applicable statutes and regulations and subject to the conditions set forth in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section, upon a determination by the Department that all the conditions precedent to a Standby Support Contract have been fulfilled, including that the sponsor has: (1) A Conditional Agreement with the Department, consistent with this subpart; (2) A combined license issued by the Commission; (3) Documentation that it possesses all Federal, State, or local permits required by law to commence construction; (4) Documentation that it has commenced construction of the advanced nuclear facility; (5) Documented coverage of insurance required for the project by the Commission and lenders; (6) Paid any required fees into the Program Account and the Grant Account, as set forth in the Conditional Agreement and paragraph (b) of this section; (7) Provided to the Program Administrator, no later than ninety (90) days prior to execution of the contract, the sponsor's detailed schedule for completing the inspections, tests, analyses and acceptance criteria in the combined license and informing the Commission that the acceptance criteria have been met; and the sponsor's proposed schedule for review of such inspections, tests, analyses and acceptance criteria by the Commission, consistent with § 950.14(a) of this part and which the Department will evaluate and approve; and (8) Provided to the Program Administrator, no later than ninety (90) days prior to execution of the contract, a detailed systems-level construction schedule that includes a schedule identifying projected dates of construction, testing and full power operation of the advanced nuclear facility. (9) Provided to the Program Administrator, no later than ninety (90) days prior to the execution of the contract, a detailed and up-to-date plan of financing for the project including the credit structure and all sources and uses of funds for the project, and the projected cash flows for all debt obligations of the advanced nuclear facility. (b) Funding. No later than thirty (30) days prior to execution of the contract, and consistent with section 638(b)(2)(C), funds in amounts determined pursuant to § 950.11(e) have been made available and shall be deposited in the Program Account or the Grant Account respectively. (c) Limitations. The Department shall not enter into a Standby Support Contract, if: (1) Program Account. The contract provides coverage of principal or interest costs for which the loan costs exceed the amount of funds deposited in the Program Account; or (2) Grant Account. The contract provides coverage of incremental costs that exceed the amount of funds deposited in the Grant Account. (d) Cancellation by Abandonment. (1) If the Program Administrator cancels a Standby Support Contract for abandonment pursuant to 950.13(f)(1), the Program Administrator may re-execute a Standby Support Contract with a sponsor other than a sponsor or that sponsor's assignee with whom the Department had a cancelled contract, provided that such replacement Standby Support Contract is executed in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this part, and shall be deemed to be one of the subsequent four reactors under this part. (2) Not more than two Standby Support Contracts may be re-executed in situations involving abandonment and cancellation by the Program Administrator.

10 C.F.R. § 950.13 Standby Support Contract: General provisions.

(a) Purpose. Each Standby Support Contract shall include a provision setting forth an agreement between the parties in which the Department shall provide compensation for covered costs incurred by a sponsor for covered events that result in a covered delay of full power operation of an advanced nuclear facility. (b) Covered facility. Each Standby Support Contract shall include a provision of coverage only for an advanced nuclear facility which is not a federal entity. Each Standby Support Contract shall also include a provision to specify the advanced nuclear facility to be covered, along with the reactor design, and the location of the advanced nuclear facility. (c) Sponsor contribution. Each Standby Support Contract shall include a provision to specify the amount that a sponsor has contributed to funding each type of account. (d) Maximum compensation. Each Standby Support Contract shall include a provision to specify that the Program Administrator shall not pay compensation under the contract: (1) In an aggregate amount that exceeds the amount of coverage up to $500 million each for the initial two reactors or up to $250 million each for the subsequent four reactors; (2) In an amount for principal or interest costs for which the loan costs exceed the amount deposited in the Program Account; and (3) In an amount for incremental costs that exceed the amount deposited in the Grant Account. (e) Term. Each Standby Support Contract shall include a provision to specify the date at which the contract commences as well as the term of the contract. The contract shall enter into force on the date it has been signed by both the sponsor and the Program Administrator. Subject to the cancellation provisions set forth in paragraph (f) of this section, the contract shall terminate when all claims have been paid up to the full amounts to be covered under the Standby Support Contract, or all disputes involving claims under the contract have been resolved in accordance with subpart D of this part. (f) Cancellation provisions. Each Standby Support Contract shall provide for cancellation in the following circumstances: (1) If the sponsor abandons construction, and the abandonment is not caused by a covered event or force majeure, the Program Administrator may cancel the Standby Support Contract by giving written notice thereof to the sponsor and the parties have no further rights or obligations under the contract. (2) If the sponsor does not require continuing coverage under the contract, the sponsor may cancel the Standby Support Contract by giving written notice thereof to the Program Administrator and the parties have no further rights or obligations under the contract. (3) For such other cause as agreed to by the parties. (g) Termination by sponsor. Each Standby Support Contract shall include a provision that prohibits a sponsor or any related party from executing another Standby Support Contract, if the sponsor elects to terminate its original existing Standby Support Contract, unless the sponsor has cancelled or terminated construction of the reactor covered by its original existing Standby Support Contract. (h) Assignment. Each Standby Support Contract shall include a provision on assignment of a sponsor's rights and obligations under the contract and assignment of payment of covered costs. The Program Administrator shall permit the assignment of payment of covered costs with prior written notice to the Department. The Program Administrator shall permit assignment of rights and obligations under the contract with the Department's prior approval. The sponsor may not assign its rights and obligations under the contract without the prior written approval of the Program Administrator and any attempt to do so is null and void. (i) Claims administration. Each Standby Support Contract shall include a provision to specify a mechanism for administering claims pursuant to the procedures set forth in subpart C of this part. (j) Dispute resolution. Consistent with the Administrative Dispute Resolution Act, each Standby Support Contract shall include a provision to specify a mechanism for resolving disputes pursuant to the procedures set forth in subpart D of this part. (k) Re-estimation. Consistent with the Federal Credit Reform Act (FCRA) of 1990, the sponsor shall provide all needed documentation as required in § 950.12 to allow the Department to annually re-estimate the loan cost needed in the financing account as that term is used in 2 U.S.C. 661a(7) and funded by the Program Account. “The sponsor is neither responsible for any increase in loan costs, nor entitled to recoup fees for any decrease in loan costs, resulting from the re-estimation conducted pursuant to FCRA.

10 C.F.R. § 950.14 Standby Support Contract: Covered events, exclusions, covered delay and covered cost provisions.

(a) Covered events. Subject to the exclusions set forth in paragraph (b) of this section, each Standby Support Contract shall include a provision setting forth the type of events that are covered events under the contract. The type of events shall include: (1) The Commission's failure to review the sponsor's inspections, tests, analyses and acceptance criteria in accordance with the Commission's rules, guidance, audit procedures, or formal opinions, in the case where the Commission has in place any rules, guidance, audit procedures or formal opinions setting schedules for its review of inspections, tests, analyses, and acceptance criteria under a combined license or the sponsor's combined license; (2) The Commission's failure to review the sponsor's inspections, tests, analyses, and acceptance criteria on the schedule for such review proposed by the sponsor, subject to the Department's review and approval of such schedule, including review of any informal guidance or opinion of the Commission that has been provided to the sponsor or the Department, in the case where the Commission has not provided any rules, guidance, audit procedures or formal Commission opinions setting schedules for review of inspections, tests, analyses and acceptance criteria under a combined license, or under the sponsor's combined license; (3) The conduct of pre-operational Commission hearings, that are provided for in 10 CFR part 52, after issuance of the combined license; and (4) Litigation in State, Federal, local, or tribal courts, including appeals of Commission decisions related to an application for a combined license to such courts., and excluding administrative litigation that occurs at the Commission related to the combined license. (b) Exclusions. Each Standby Support Contract shall include a provision setting forth the exclusions from covered costs under the contract, and for which any associated delay in the attainment of full power operations is not a covered delay. The exclusions are: (1) The failure of the sponsor to take any action required by law, regulation, or ordinance, including but not limited to the following types of events: (i) The sponsor's failure to comply with environmental laws or regulations such as those related to pollution abatement or human health and the environment; (ii) The sponsor's re-performance of any inspections, tests, analyses or re-demonstration that acceptance criteria have been met due to Commission non-acceptance of the sponsor's submitted results of inspections, tests, analyses, and demonstration of acceptance criteria; (iii) Delays attributable to the sponsor's actions to redress any deficiencies in inspections, tests, analyses or acceptance criteria as a result of a Commission disapproval of fuel loading; or (2) Events within the control of the sponsor, including but not limited to delays attributable to the following types of events: (i) Project planning and construction problems; (ii) Labor-management disputes; (iii) The sponsor's failure to perform inspections, tests, analyses and to demonstrate acceptance criteria are met or failure to inform the Commission of the successful completion of inspections, tests, analyses and demonstration of meeting acceptance criteria in accordance with its schedule; or (iv) The lack of adequate funding for construction and testing of the advanced nuclear facility. (3) Normal business risks, including but not limited to the following types of events: (i) Delays attributable to force majeure events such as a strike or the failure of power or other utility services supplied to the location, or natural events such as severe weather, earthquake, landslide, mudslide, volcanic eruption, other earth movement, or flood; (ii) Government action meaning the seizure or destruction of property by order of governmental authority; (iii) War or military action; (iv) Acts or decisions, including the failure to act or decide, of any government body (excluding those acts or decisions or failure to act or decide by the Commission that are covered events); (v) Supplier or subcontractor delays in performance; (vi) Litigation, whether initiated by the sponsor or another party, that is not a covered event under paragraph (a) of this section; or (vii) Failure to timely obtain regulatory permits or approvals that are not covered events under paragraph (a) of this section. (c) Covered delay. Each Standby Support Contract shall include a provision for the payment of covered costs, in accordance with the procedures in subpart C of this part for the payment of covered costs, if a covered event(s) is determined to be the cause of delay in attainment of full power operation, provided that: (1) Under Standby Support Contracts for the subsequent four reactors, covered delay may occur only after the initial 180-day period of delay, and (2) The sponsor has used due diligence to mitigate, shorten, and end, the covered delay and associated costs covered by the Standby Support Contract. (d) Covered costs. Each Standby Support Contract shall include a provision to specify the type of costs for which the Department shall provide payment to a sponsor for covered delay in accordance with the procedures set forth in subparts C and D of this part. The types of costs shall be limited to either or both, dependent upon the terms of the contract: (1) The principal or interest on which the loan costs for the Program Account was calculated; and (2) The incremental costs on which funding for the Grant Account was calculated. (e) ITAAC Schedule. Each Standby Support Contract shall provide for adjustments to the ITAAC review schedule when the parties deem necessary, in the case where the Commission has not provided any rules, guidance, audit procedures or formal Commission opinions setting schedules for review of inspections, tests, analyses and acceptance criteria under a combined license, upon review and approval by the Department and the sponsor. Adjustments to the ITAAC review schedule must be in writing, expressly approved by the Department and the sponsor, and remain in effective for determining covered events unless and until a subsequently issued ITAAC review schedule is approved by the parties.

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