[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 9]
[Senate]
[Page 12810]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             NUCLEAR POWER

  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, 40 years ago, at the time of the first 
Earth Day, Americans became deeply worried about air and water 
pollution and a population explosion that threatened to overrun the 
planet's resources.
  Nuclear power was seen as a savior to these environmental dilemmas. 
It could produce large amounts of low-cost, reliable clean energy. 
Unlike oil, nuclear power did not need to be hauled in leaking tankers 
from countries that did not like us. Unlike coal, it did not spew tons 
of pollution out of smokestacks.
  Then Three Mile Island and Chernobyl happened. The world pulled back, 
fearful of nuclear technology--even though no one was hurt at Three 
Mile Island. In fact, no one has ever died as a result of a nuclear 
accident at an American commercial nuclear reactor or on a U.S. navy 
ship powered by reactors. Chernobyl was the tragic result of a flawed 
technology never used in the United States. Still, the United States 
has not licensed a new reactor since 1978.
  Now the rest of the world is returning to nuclear energy. France is 
80 percent nuclear and has among the lowest per capita carbon emissions 
and cheapest electricity costs in Western Europe. Italy, Britain, 
Finland and Eastern Europe all are exploring new reactors. Russia, 
India, China and Japan are moving ahead. South Korea is selling 
reactors to the United Arab Emirates.
  These countries realize that exploding populations demand large 
amounts of cheap, reliable electricity to help create jobs and lift 
people out of poverty. And nuclear power provides just that. The 
National Academy of Sciences in a 2009 report said that the cost of 
nuclear power is equal to or lower than natural gas, wind, solar, or 
coal with carbon capture. Reactors can operate for 80 years while wind 
and solar last about 25 years. And nuclear reactors operate 90 percent 
of the time while wind and solar are only available about a third of 
the time. Remember: wind and solar power can't be stored today in 
significant amounts. Most people do not want their lights and computers 
working only when the wind blows.
  Nuclear plants occupy a fraction of the land required for wind or 
solar. For example, 20 percent of U.S. electricity comes from 104 
nuclear reactors on about 100 square miles. Producing the same amount 
of power from wind would require covering an area the size of West 
Virginia with 183,000 50-story turbines as well as building 19,000 
miles of new transmission lines through scenic areas and suburban 
backyards.
  Nuclear fuel is available in the U.S. and is virtually unlimited. We 
do not have to drill for it. We do not have to mine it nearly as much 
as we do for coal. And thanks to technology, we can safely recycle 
``nuclear waste'' and turn most of it into more fuel. After recycling, 
the French are able to store all of their final waste from producing 80 
percent of their electricity for 30 years in one room in La Hague.
  A more recently realized benefit of nuclear power is its ability to 
combat climate change. Nuclear power emits zero greenhouse gases. Today 
it produces 20 percent of our Nation's electricity but 70 percent of 
our carbon-free electricity. Wind and solar provide less than 2 percent 
of our electricity and 6 percent of our carbon-free electricity today.
  The United States uses 25 percent of all the energy in the world. At 
a time when we need to produce large amounts of clean power at home at 
a cost that will not chase jobs overseas looking for cheap energy, 
Americans can't afford to ignore nuclear power.
  I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GREGG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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