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By Congressman Rick W. Allen (GA-12)
November 22, 2019
https://washex.am/34cuk0m
Over the past year, clean energy has become a hot topic, dominating news cycles and conversations around the country. I welcome this conversation and believe the American people deserve to get all the facts.
Liberals keep offering unrealistic and costly energy “solutions.” Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s socialist "Green New Deal" is a prime example. It’s one of the worst pieces of legislation I’ve ever seen during my time in Congress. It would cost American taxpayers upward of $93 trillion and is a complete government takeover of energy, agriculture, and transportation. In the Senate, Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s opposition to building new nuclear plants and her support for phasing out existing nuclear power is particularly alarming.
Nuclear energy fuels our nation while helping to provide America with environmental, economic, and national security.
Anyone who wants to reduce carbon emissions should support protecting and expanding nuclear energy. It currently generates nearly 20% of our country’s electricity without any carbon emissions. No other source contributes as much to our country’s energy demands without emissions. According to the Energy Information Administration, nuclear energy produces more carbon-free electricity than all other sources combined.
Reducing the number of nuclear plants would hurt the environment. Warren should note what happened in Sen. Bernie Sanders’s home state of Vermont. When the Yankee nuclear plant closed, there was a 650,000 metric ton increase in carbon emissions — and that was just two months after the closure.
Nuclear energy is also critical to our economy. In the U.S., the industry directly supports 100,000 well-paying jobs. In my congressional district — Georgia’s 12th — the Vogtle plant in Waynesboro and the Hatch plant in Baxley support 1,750 jobs. That’s not including the number of workers on-site for construction of units 3 and 4 at Vogtle, the first such construction in three decades. At last count, there were approximately 8,000 workers on-site. But the effect on jobs extends beyond the plants. Sixty-six jobs are created in the local economy for every 100 nuclear power plant jobs, and lower power rates contribute to continued job creation.
Because nearly one in four nuclear workers has served in the military, this industry also helps our veterans settle back into civilian life by providing them with a long-term career. Nuclear energy also helps our current service members by powering our national defense.
Not only does the U.S. have the world’s largest nuclear-powered Navy, but the Department of Defense also relies on the grid to power 99% of its installations and defend our nation overall. According to a recent study conducted by the Atlantic Council, “the civilian nuclear energy industry contributes at least $42.4 billion annually to the pursuit of U.S. national security priorities.”
Thanks to nuclear energy’s unique infrastructure, it can withstand both extreme weather and threats from our adversaries, generating electricity 24 hours a day. In my district, Fort Gordon is the tip of the spear when it comes to defeating our enemies in cyberspace, home to the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence and the future home of U.S. Army Cyber Command. The sheer amount of energy required to power this critical capability makes nuclear energy even more crucial.
It’s also worth noting that the less we rely on foreign countries for our energy, the stronger and more strategic we are as a nation. Exporting reactors allows us to form long-term strategic relationships around the world and compete with Russia and China, who have rapidly developed their nuclear industries and export markets.
To be sure, nuclear produces waste. We need a permanent geological site, such as Yucca Mountain in Nevada, to manage our nuclear waste. In my district alone, we have thousands of spent fuel rods stored in spent fuel pools and dry cask storage containers on-site. With two reactors set to come online in the next few years, the amount of spent fuel will increase.
But this week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed bipartisan legislation that I’m proud to co-sponsor regarding nuclear waste storage. We must get this bill across the finish line and signed into law.
The answer to clean energy is right in front of us. I recently toured both nuclear plants in my district, and I feel safer at night knowing all that nuclear power plants do for our state and country. I hope that my colleagues in Congress legislate like our environment, economy, and national security depend on nuclear energy. Because they do
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