Nebraska experience makes case for more nuclear energy

For more than a third of a century, Nebraska has been a leader in nuclear production and can serve as a model in addressing our Nation's energy and environmental needs. While our state only has two nuclear plants -- Fort Calhoun Nuclear Station north of Omaha and Cooper Nuclear Station near Brownville -- they are able to provide one third of all the electricity we use in Nebraska.

Additionally, these two plants do not emit the pollutants that cause smog, acid rain or greenhouse gasses; preventing 39,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, 21,000 tons of nitrogen oxides and 11.6 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from emitting into the atmosphere in one year alone.

Yes to More Nuclear Power Plants

As the Nebraska experience since 1973 shows, properly managed and appropriately regulated nuclear power plays an essential role in providing clean, reliable electricity for millions of homes, businesses and industries.

There's a lot of debate in Congress about the need for a comprehensive energy bill. It makes abundant sense to include expanding nuclear energy in such legislation, and yet it hasn't been a big player in much of the debate so far.

A comprehensive energy plan means promoting renewable energy and conservation. It means increasing domestic oil and gas production where economically and environmentally feasible. And it requires generation of more nuclear power.

We need it to meet our future energy demands. The U.S. Department of Energy projects that the U.S. electricity demand will rise 21 percent by 2030. The nuclear power industry has responded with 17 applications for 26 new reactors, now under review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Speed Up the Process

To meet the ever rising need for energy, we must find ways to reduce the amount of time it takes to get nuclear plants licensed and running.

Last summer I helped write a comprehensive energy plan that included provisions for nuclear power. Based off those concepts, I recently introduced my own SMART Energy Act, to streamline the licensing process for facilities, promote the development of a Nuclear Energy workforce, and advocate the recycling of spent nuclear fuel.

With the SMART Energy Act, we will ensure that we can open new markets, not just for Nuclear, but for all Nebraska-produced energy, to support our domestic economy and jobs, and meet the demands of our country by relying on the Mid-West, not on the Middle-East.

The Nebraska Experience

The nation would do well to look at what's been happening in Nebraska since our first plant went on line in 1973. Whereas nuclear power represents approximately 20 percent of the nation's electricity generation, we receive up to 33.5 percent of our electricity from clean and safe nuclear power plants. It is time for the rest of the country to join Nebraska and have more nuclear power.

As I told a meeting of nuclear power executives in Washington last week, if we enact the right policies--and choose the Nuclear Option--we can generate more safe and secure, clean and competitive energy from nuclear power here in America.