Washington (Platts)--26Sep2008

US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman will attend the International Atomic
Energy Agency's general conference next week, advocating again for expansion
of civilian nuclear energy and increased protection of nuclear materials
worldwide.

This will be his last scheduled appearance at the IAEA before the
administration of President George Bush ends in January.

"We must pursue new reactor technologies and reliable fuel services that
reduce proliferation risks, avoid the spread of sensitive nuclear fuel cycle
capabilities and allow nations around the world access to large-scale
electricity generation that avoids greenhouse gas emissions," Bodman said in a
statement Friday.

While at the IAEA conference in Paris on Monday, Bodman is also to
participate in a ceremony launching the World Institute for Nuclear Security.
The institute is an organization comprising representatives of government,
industry and international organizations, which would promote protection of
nuclear materials.

Separately, Bodman is slated to attend a Global Nuclear Energy
Partnership ministerial meeting Wednesday in Vienna, where he will reiterate
the Bush administration's commitment to working with other nations on the
global expansion of civilian nuclear power, DOE said.

GNEP, which President Bush announced in 2006, has encountered stiff
opposition from the Democrat-controlled Congress over its costs and what some
lawmakers contend are its ambiguous plans. The program envisions the safe
expansion of nuclear power through recycling and other technologies that would
make difficult the diversion of nuclear materials for terrorism.