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Thank you. I’m always happy to return to MIT, an institution that means so much to me personally, and to the American nuclear community—within the military, the civilian agencies of our government and the commercial sector.

I’m here today to talk about the future of the commercial nuclear energy industry in the United States. That future looks brighter than it has for decades—partly thanks to high levels of safe, reliable nuclear plant operation sustained over many years; partly because of conditions in the energy markets; and partly because of growing concerns over climate change.

It is a new day, and we are making a new start. In the United States and around the world, we are re-launching the nuclear energy industry to help deliver the electricity America and the world will need to power growing economies, lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and safeguard our environment for future generations.

I want to focus on four areas in today’s lecture.

First, I want to share some thoughts on energy security, on our energy situation today and on U.S. energy policy.

Second, I want to discuss how the U.S. nuclear energy industry is positioning itself for the next wave of nuclear plant construction in the United States.

Third, I want to address some of the concerns about nuclear energy. Reasonable people still have legitimate questions about nuclear power and about safety; about new nuclear plants and how can we be sure that they will not experience the delays and cost increases that dogged many of today’s plants; and, of course, about our nuclear waste policy and our plans for used nuclear fuel.