Introductory Comments
Chairman Inhofe, Ranking Member Graham and distinguished members of the subcommittee, I am Ralph Beedle, senior vice president and chief nuclear officer at the Nuclear Energy Institute, the Washington, D.C. policy organization for the nuclear industry. I am pleased to testify regarding the performance of the commercial nuclear industry and the industry's safety regulator, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) establishes industry policy positions on various issues affecting the nuclear energy industry, including federal regulations that help ensure the safety of the 103 operating commercial nuclear power plants in 32 states. NEI represents 275 companies, including every U.S. utility licensed to operate a commercial nuclear reactor, their suppliers, fuel fabrication facilities, architectural and engineering firms, labor unions and law firms, radiopharmaceutical companies, research laboratories, universities and international nuclear organizations.

The United States has the largest commercial nuclear power industry in the world, with more than 2,200 reactor years of operating experience. More than 100 nuclear power plants continue to safely and reliably produce nearly 20 percent of America's electricity. Over the past decade alone, improvements in nuclear plant operating efficiency have effectively added the equivalent of twelve 1,000-megawatt plants to the national electric grid. The U.S. nuclear industry also is the global leader in the development of advanced nuclear power plant technology. The foundation for this leadership role is the extensive use of nuclear power in this country and the industry's outstanding safety and performance records.