DOE Drone Exemption Bill: Energy Secretary Gets Power to Buy Banned Tech and Boost Nuclear Site Defense

The Nuclear Ecosystem Drone Defense Act, or the NEDD Act, is a short but potent piece of legislation that gives the Secretary of Energy significant new power over drones, especially those that the government generally considers a national security risk. Specifically, this bill carves out exceptions for the Department of Energy (DOE) from existing federal rules that ban agencies from buying or operating certain drones—officially called “covered unmanned aircraft systems”—that come from “covered foreign entities” flagged as security threats.

The DOE’s Risky Tech Exemption

Think of it like this: If the Pentagon and other agencies are told they absolutely cannot buy a certain type of drone because it’s made by a company tied to a foreign adversary, the NEDD Act gives the Secretary of Energy a special pass. The bill amends three sections of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (Sections 1823(b), 1824(b), and 1825(b)), essentially adding the DOE Secretary to the list of officials who can bypass the standard prohibition on procuring, operating, or funding these restricted drones. This means the DOE can use tech that other federal agencies cannot, presumably to meet specialized operational needs related to nuclear security.

For the average person, this is a trade-off. On one hand, it grants the DOE the flexibility it claims it needs to secure vital national assets. On the other hand, it weakens the unified federal front against potentially compromised technology, introducing a specific security risk into a highly sensitive department. If the risk assessment is wrong, the DOE could inadvertently open a back door for espionage or sabotage through the very technology it’s using for defense.

New Control Over Tracking Data and Accounting

The NEDD Act also consolidates significant authority with the Secretary of Energy regarding the data collected by these restricted drones. The Secretary (or their designees) is specifically granted the power to determine how classified tracking information related to these drones is used (Section 1827(b)). This centralizes control over highly sensitive surveillance data within the DOE.

Additionally, the bill grants the DOE a specific exemption from certain accounting requirements related to the use of these unmanned aircraft systems (Section 1827(c)). While this might sound like bureaucratic housekeeping, it means the DOE won't have to track the costs and usage of these systems in the same way other agencies might, potentially streamlining their operations but also reducing transparency regarding their use of high-risk technology.

Protecting the Nuclear Core

Perhaps the most direct security measure in the bill is the expansion of the Secretary of Energy’s authority to protect nuclear assets. The NEDD Act amends Section 4510(e)(1)(C) of the Bob Stump NDAA for Fiscal Year 2003, giving the Secretary expanded power to defend U.S.-owned or contracted assets against drone threats. This applies specifically to sites and equipment involved in storing, transporting, or using special nuclear material, or those involved in the research, design, manufacture, or production of non-nuclear components for nuclear weapons.

For those who live or work near DOE facilities, nuclear labs, or transportation routes for special nuclear material, this provision means the DOE will have a much wider and clearer legal mandate to use countermeasures against drones that pose a threat. This is a clear benefit to national security, ensuring that the nation's most critical assets are protected against modern aerial threats. The bill essentially gives the DOE the legal teeth to shoot down, jam, or otherwise neutralize unauthorized drones near sensitive sites.