Clay Sell, the Deputy Secretary of Energy, spoke on 21 November 2005 to the US – Japan Nuclear Energy Conference being held in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The speech mentioned a number of the topics that I have been writing about in recent months, including the nuclear incentives in the Energy Policy Act, the renewed interest in nuclear fuel recyling, and the need to build new nuclear plants as a way to reduce the need to burn coal, oil and natural gas.
Here is a sample quote from the speech:
Ladies and gentlemen, the prospects for nuclear energy today are more promising today than at any time since its development.The technical advances and safety improvements, and the need to have a major emission-free source as a key part of our energy mix, have set the stage for renewed growth of the commercial nuclear industry. And I believe that nuclear power is poised to take its place as the provider of a significant and steady percentage of America’s electricity.
But to reach that future we need to take concerted action today. And we need to enhance communication and cooperation between the leading nuclear technology nations, such as the United States and Japan.
So I congratulate you for holding this important conference, which I think is helping to set the stage for a new age of clean, safe, and affordable nuclear power that will benefit the whole world.
Not bad words, now let’s get to work and build some plants!
