According to NEI, there was approximately 74,260 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel being stored at various sites across the United States as of December 31, 2014. While the major technical considerations for a permanent repository for storage of spent fuel have been addressed, political concerns have blocked efforts to open such a facility within the United States. As a result, utilities operating nuclear power plants have to address continued storage of spent nuclear fuel for the foreseeable future.

The aspects briefly covered in this part pertain to the role of Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) for spent fuel storage at (a) the decommissioned nuclear facility at Humboldt Bay Power Plant and (b) Diablo Canyon Power Plant.