NEWS RELEASE

Nuclear Energy Industry Hails President Bush’s Leadership on Energy Policy

WASHINGTON—The following is a statement from Joe F. Colvin, the Nuclear Energy Institute’s president and chief executive officer, in response to President Bush’s remarks on nuclear energy in his State of the Union address:

“President Bush’s leadership and vision on the expanded role that nuclear energy should play comes at a pivotal time for our nation’s energy security. He recognizes the link between energy security and national security, and his aggressive pursuit of a balanced, diverse energy portfolio that includes nuclear energy is important for all Americans.

“As the U.S. economy expands, the demand for electricity is expected to rise by 45 percent over the next two decades. The industry already is working to test new federal licensing processes that will be used to build new emission-free nuclear power plants. Congress also has a role to play in stimulating investment for the first few nuclear power plants that will be built to meet the nation’s growing electricity demand while improving our air quality.

“The president appreciates the fact that nuclear energy is unique as an expandable source of clean, affordable, baseload electricity for the nation. The nuclear industry looks forward to working with the White House and Congress to shape a comprehensive energy policy that helps the United States achieve greater energy security.”


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.