IN THE 2012 CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, CONGRESS APPROPRIATED FUNDS TO DOE FOR THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF ADVANCED ATF IN RESPONSE TO THE INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED AT THE FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN JAPAN FOLLOWING THE MARCH 2011 EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI. THE FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI INCIDENT, ALONG WITH PROGRESS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ADVANCED MATERIALS, PROVIDED THE IMPETUS TO IMPROVE NUCLEAR FUEL PERFORMANCE AND SAFETY, THEREBY MITIGATING THE EFFECTS OF A SEVERE ACCIDENT. TO SUPPORT THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF ADVANCED ATF, NE, UNDER 2012 GUIDANCE, INITIATED AN INDUSTRY-ORIENTED PROGRAM TO ACCELERATE IMPROVEMENTS TO LWR FUEL PERFORMANCE AND SAFETY. THE RESULT OF THE ATF DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES, IF SUCCESSFUL, WILL BE ONE OR MORE COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS THAT ARE UTILIZED IN EXISTING AND FUTURE NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS. WHILE THE END USER OF THE NEW TECHNOLOGY WILL BE THE NUCLEAR INDUSTRY, THE GOVERNMENT HAS A MAJOR ROLE IN FACILITATING THE INITIAL RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, AND DEPLOYMENT (RD&D) TO SUPPORT THE EFFORT, BECAUSE THE EFFORT IS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON THE CONTINUED USE OF CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY WITH ENHANCED SAFETY THAT IS IN THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST.