News & Events

Thank you for that introduction. It’s good to be with you this afternoon.

Earlier this year, I was contacted by the founders of the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition, who wanted to know if I would be interested in co-chairing a group that was being created to promote the increase of nuclear energy production capacity in the United States.

I knew, of course, from my tenure at the Environmental Protection Agency that nuclear energy is already playing a key role in shaping the future of America’s air quality and of our country’s energy independence. I also knew, from having served both as governor and as the head of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, that nuclear power truly is a clean, safe, reliable and, frankly, indispensable method of energy production. In fact, more than half of New Jersey’s electricity production is generated by nuclear power.

But I have to admit, one of the first things that popped into my mind was a disturbing image of Jane Fonda from a movie made more than 25 years ago. You know the one I mean—the one where the intrepid reporter saves Western Civilization from certain doom at the hands of evil plant operators. I suspect everyone in this room would give it a “two thumbs down” rating if we were movie critics for a day.

Yet there’s no doubt that that movie is at least partially responsible for the fact that over the past 25 years it’s been virtually impossible to get a thumbs up from government officials when it comes to approving new nuclear power plants.