Nuclear's Role In Tackling Climate Change 'Will Dominate US Debate'
Written by NucNet
Thursday, 08 May 2008
8 May (NucNet): The role of nuclear energy in helping to combat climate change will dominate debate in the US from 2009 and beyond whoever is elected as the country's next president, industry executives meeting in Chicago have been told.
Skip Bowman, president and chief executive of the Nuclear Energy
Institute (NEI), said on 6 May: "Whether you believe the scientific
evidence justifies mandatory controls on carbon or not, there is one
fact on which we can all agree: There is no credible strategy to
address the conundrum of climate change and increasing electricity
demand unless nuclear power is part of the portfolio.
"No matter who is elected president in November, it seems clear that
climate change will dominate the national debate over energy and
environmental policy in 2009 and beyond," he said.
Mr Bowman was speaking at the NEI's annual conference, where the NEI
said the nation's push to increase the use of carbon-free energy
technologies is coupled with "unprecedented electric infrastructure
needs". These requirements make it imperative that private and public
sectors rise to the challenge of building new nuclear plants, industry
leaders told the conference.
Mr Bowman's remarks come less than a month before the US Senate is
expected to begin debate on the leading climate change bill pending in
Congress, the Climate Security Act. Mr Bowman urged the more than 400
conference attendees to "fill the gaps" between reality and myths
surrounding energy issues with facts.
"We have gaps between the scale of investment required to rebuild our
electric infrastructure and state and federal policymakers' perception
of that scale," he added. "We have gaps between the policy support that
will be required to meet electricity demand in a carbon-constrained
world and what some federal and state politicians are currently
prepared to provide."
- by John Shepherd
Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
US Legislators Told 'Nuclear Power Is Needed In Energy Mix' (News in Brief No. 30, 13 March 2008)
Survey Shows Strong Support For New Nuclear Plant Incentives In US (News No. 26, 28 April 2008)
