Nuclear summit begins dialogue

Dec 9 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Laura Lundquist The Times-News, Twin Falls, Idaho

The U.S. push for nuclear power stalled 30 years ago. Now, some industry leaders are trying to get it back up to speed.

The Idaho National Laboratory and Third Way, a moderate think tank focused on energy and the economy, cosponsored the New Millennium Nuclear Energy Summit in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Hosted by U.S. Sens. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, and Tom Carper, D-Del., the bipartisan group of congressmen and industry representatives spent the morning discussing broad ideas for increasing nuclear power in the U.S.

"We play a role in supporting nuclear energy," said INL spokeswoman Nicole Stricker. "But the reason we got involved is because, as a research institution, we're seen as objective so we have some credibility."

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu arrived from Cancun, Mexico, after having addressed the United Nations Climate Summit on the human contribution to carbon dioxide levels. Nuclear energy contributes no carbon emissions and would have been helped by this year's carbon-cap legislation, which Republicans rejected. So, many summit comments focused on incentives to help nuclear power overcome cheap power produced from emissions-filled natural gas.

U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, said nuclear power is necessary in order to slow climate change, so the nation needs direction on its nuclear policy.

U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said wind and solar power have grabbed most national headlines. But it's nuclear power that will provide the baseload for the country, he said, and Idaho is well-positioned to lead the way.

Chu said the rest of the world is experiencing "a nuclear renaissance," while the U.S. lags behind with nuclear facilities built in the 1960s and 1970s. Chu added that any national power plan needs to be long-term.

"It's a 70-year decision," Chu said, according to a transcript of the event. "And so the question is, how do you make the right decisions on that appropriate time scale?"

Those right decisions involve education, financing, policy and manufacturing; the question is which comes first. Summit organizers split attendees into four working groups during the afternoon to tackle more specific aspects and find an answer.

"Tuesday wasn't meant to be the be-all and end-all," Stricker said. "It was meant to get the issue in front of people."

INL Director John Grossenbacher moderated the afternoon session on new nuclear technologies. Other sessions included financing, rebuilding infrastructure and public-private partnerships. The report on the working groups' findings and any recommendations is due out in February.

"The point of the sessions was to identify the issues in each area that might be roadblocks," Stricker said. "We didn't know what they'd be so we told the working groups to figure out their own focus."

Risch representative Kyle Heintz said Risch will look for ways to support the nuclear industry in the next Congress. But because Democrats will still be in charge of the Senate, he won't propose any legislation in support of nuclear power.

"Nuclear power is clean energy that can support baseload needs, so the senator will continue to be actively involved in these meetings," Heintz said.