Bush makes big push for nuclear power

WASHINGTON (AFX) - June 22

President Bush made a strong push for the U.S. to resume building new nuclear power plants on Wednesday.

Nuclear power is "the one energy source that is completely domestic, plentiful in quantity, environmentally friendly, and able to generate massive amounts of electricity," Bush said in a speech at the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant in Southern Maryland.

Bush's speech came on the same day the Senate is prepared to impose mandatory caps on greenhouse gasses as part of its comprehensive energy bill.

Bush said a provision in the energy bill would help the builders of the first four new nuclear power plants "against lawsuits and bureaucratic obstacles and other delays beyond their control."

The bill currently pending before the Senate would also potentially provide loan guarantees to companies seeking to build the next generation of nuclear plants.

Bush said that nuclear power is much safer than it was in the 1970s, when the U.S. stopped construction on new plants.

He noted that France has built 58 nuclear plants over the past thirty years and China has built 8 plants and plans to build at least 40 more.

"In the 21st century, our nation will need more electricity, more safe, clean, reliable electricity.? It is time for this country to start building nuclear power plants again," Bush said.

This story was supplied by MarketWatch. For further information see www.marketwatch.com .

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