NEWS RELEASE

NEI Commends Energy and Commerce Committee for Approving Energy Bill

WASHINGTON—The House Energy and Commerce Committee last night approved the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Floor action by the U.S. House of Representatives is expected next week. The following is a statement from John Kane, NEI senior vice president of governmental affairs.

“The Nuclear Energy Institute commends Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) and members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee for their action on a national energy bill. This is an important step for ensuring the security of our nation’s energy supply today and for the future. Passage of comprehensive energy legislation that addresses the future of nuclear energy, including support for new plants, is critical to this effort.

“America’s electricity demand is expected to increase by 50 percent over the next 20 years, and nuclear power is the only emission-free energy source that can be readily expanded to meet this need. We encourage Congress to take the final steps now to enact comprehensive energy legislation that benefits all Americans.”

Key nuclear provisions in the bill include:

• Renews the Price-Anderson Act, the framework for industry self-funded liability insurance, for 20 years.
• Authorizes close to $3 billion for nuclear energy research programs over the next five fiscal years.
• Directs the Department of Energy to establish an advanced reactor for hydrogen production at the Idaho National Laboratory.

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.