Mr. Chairman, ranking members, and distinguished members of the committee, I am Maureen Koetz, director of environmental policy and programs for the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI). As with other air quality issues we have faced, the potential for climate change is challenging our ingenuity and our markets to devise, enhance and support technologies that avoid or mitigate man-made emissions of greenhouse gases. Foremost among these is a robust, safe nuclear energy industry, able to prevent these emissions while preserving the affordable electricity system that is the foundation for America’s commercial success and future economic growth.

On behalf of its more than 270 members, NEI acknowledges and appreciates congressional support for the industry, which has helped bring nuclear energy to the renaissance we see today. In developing public policy for the nuclear industry, NEI represents a broad spectrum of interests from every U.S. utility that operates a nuclear power plant, nuclear fuel cycle companies, suppliers, engineering and consulting firms, national research laboratories, manufacturers of radiopharmaceuticals, universities, labor unions and law firms. The jobs, tax base and economic value the industry represents comprise a vital segment of our energy infrastructure, as well as American communities and families whose welfare and well-being derive from the construction, maintenance and operation of this nation’s commercial nuclear power plants.