BOISE, Idaho--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo, Jim Risch (both R-Idaho), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), and Chris Coons (D-Deleware), along with ten Senate colleagues, introduced a bipartisan resolution supporting nuclear energy. The resolution declares: “The Senate is committed to embracing and promoting nuclear power as a clean baseload energy source necessary to achieve a reliable, secure, and diversified electric grid.”
“The Idaho National Lab is a world leader in research, innovation and development of clean, reliable nuclear energy technologies,” Crapo said. “To preserve the United States’ eminence in nuclear power, the advancement of safe, reliable and affordable nuclear energy remains essential. We should empower the long-term viability of our nation’s diverse energy portfolio and further facilitate our nuclear competitiveness through greater collaboration with our allies, workforce development and deployment of advanced nuclear energy technologies.”
“Nuclear power is key for America’s current and future energy needs,” said Risch. “Idaho is the birthplace of nuclear energy and remains its epicenter as the home of the INL—the country’s top nuclear energy research institution. The Senate can and should continue to support nuclear innovation through this resolution and several pieces of legislation, like the International Nuclear Energy Act, Nuclear Fuel Security Act, and ADVANCE Act.”
“Investing in safe and clean nuclear energy is a key step to ensure America becomes energy dominant and offers a unique opportunity to jump start American advanced manufacturing, particularly in North Carolina. I’m glad to work with Senator Coons on a bipartisan expression of this goal. I will continue to support an all-of-the-above energy strategy to lower prices for gas and electricity for working North Carolina families while creating rewarding, well-paying jobs in this growing industry,” Budd said.
Additional cosponsors of the resolution include Senators Joe Manchin (D-West Virgina), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Mark Kelly (D-Arizona), Kyrsten Sinema (I-Arizona), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota) and Mark Warner (D-Virginia).
The bill is also supported by Duke Energy, Constellation Energy, U.S. Nuclear Industry Council, American Nuclear Society, Centrus Energy, Third Way, ClearPath, North American Young Generation in Nuclear.