NEWS RELEASE

Nuclear Energy Industry Responds to President-elect Bush’s Selection of Spencer Abraham as Energy Se

WASHINGTON—President-elect Bush today announced that former Michigan Sen. Spencer Abraham has been nominated to be Secretary of Energy. The following is the statement of John Kane, vice president of governmental affairs at the Nuclear Energy Institute, in response to today's announcement:

"Nuclear power is our nation's largest source of emission-free electricity. Based on his past support, we are hopeful that Sen. Abraham will continue to recognize nuclear power's vital role in meeting America's energy needs as well as our clean air goals. Similarly, the industry hopes that he will advance policies that will strengthen nuclear power as a key component of the U.S. energy portfolio.

"Sen. Abraham assumes the nation's top energy position at a critical juncture. America's present energy appetite, due in large part to its digitally boosted economy, is at an all-time high and will expand even more in the future. At the same time, the country must continue to meet ambitious environmental goals. The industry looks forward to working with Sen. Abraham to maximize nuclear energy's contributions to achieving the nation's clean air goals and advancing its economic well-being and national security interests.


The Nuclear Energy Institute is the nuclear energy industry’s policy organization. This news release and additional information about nuclear energy are available on NEI’s Internet site at http://www.nei.org .