Thank you, Susan, and thanks to everyone here for inviting me to join you this evening, for your hospitality and for giving me a reason to visit this wonderful part of the country.

I’m especially pleased to be here as the Savannah River Site and the Savannah River Lab continue their historical roles as a vital part of our nation’s defense establishment while also transitioning to a future dedicated to more peaceful goals for mankind and the atom.

Tonight I want to talk about the future of nuclear energy. Thanks to sustained superior performance, and to conditions in the energy markets, that future looks brighter than it has for decades.

It is a new day, and we are making a new start. In the United States and around the world, we are re-launching the nuclear energy industry to deliver the baseload electricity America and the world will need to power growing economies, lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and safeguard our environment for future generations.