Environmental activists who had hoped that the ongoing nuclear power disaster in Japan would bring the nuclear industry to a halt in the United States will certainly be disappointed with President Obama’s energy policy speech this morning.
The White House issued a “fact sheet” on the nation’s energy needs and production which never mentions nuclear power. In Obama’s speech, delivered at Georgetown University in D.C., he cites his State of the Union speech and his support for a variety of electric power sources – wind, solar, natural gas, “clean” coal and nuclear power.
Other than that one sentence, Obama only briefly mentions the nuclear option, deep within the text, but gives no indication he’s ready to pull the plug.
Here’s the relevant passage:
“Now, in light of ongoing events in Japan, I want to say another word about nuclear power. America gets one-fifth of our electricity from nuclear energy. It has important potential for increasing our electricity without adding carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
“But I’m determined to ensure that it’s safe. That’s why I’ve requested a comprehensive safety review by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to make sure that all of our existing nuclear energy facilities are safe. We’ll incorporate those conclusions and lessons from Japan in designing and building the next generation of plants.
“And my administration is leading global discussions towards a new international framework in which all countries operate their nuclear plants without spreading dangerous nuclear materials and technology.”
