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Thank you. I want to do two things in my time with you today.

The first is to express my admiration for Minister Wilson’s leadership and foresight in formulating Britain’s energy policy for the 21st century. It takes a rare blend of courage and pragmatism to make the hard choices on energy, but of course it is necessary to make the hard choices in order to put forth a policy that will actually work. Minister Wilson has recognized the value of nuclear power both to Britain’s electricity supply and its environment, and this country of my forefathers will be the better for it.

The second thing I want to do is to change the title of my presentation. If you’ll notice, it reads, “The American Scene: A Nuclear Renaissance (question mark).” Let me remove the question mark. There is no question about it – we are experiencing a nuclear renaissance in the United States, and from all indications, it will last for the foreseeable future.

The U.S. is as fortunate as Britain in our leadership. The Bush Administration also has put together an energy plan for America in the 21st Century, and it notably features nuclear power.

President George Bush recently said in urging the Congress to pass energy policy legislation, “We need to be more self-reliant and self-sufficient. It is in our nation’s best interest that we develop more energy supplies at home. It is in our nation’s interest that we look at safe nuclear power.”

The U.S. Congress and the American public are getting solidly behind nuclear power, as an important hedge against the supply and price vulnerabilities of other fuels, and for its environmental benefits. We are moving closer to resolving the used fuel issue…a long-standing challenge…and relicensing existing plants has become an attractive option for nuclear operators.