Resources & Stats

Nuclear energy powers one in five American homes while emitting no greenhouse gases. Producing nuclear energy is economical, with the lowest production costs for electricity generation. Nuclear energy also is good for the economies of the area it serves, employing 400 to 700 full-time workers at each reactor in well-paying jobs. In the last seven years, the nuclear energy industry has hired more than 41,000 new workers. Nuclear energy facilities and their employees spend billions of dollars every year buying local goods and services, and the plants pay millions more in state and local taxes.

For these reasons, safe, clean and affordable nuclear energy is supported by policymakers from both sides of the aisle.

• The Public Policy Committee of the Republican Governors Association August 2012 report, “An Energy Blueprint for America: Policy Solutions for a New Energy Economy,” recognizes nuclear energy as “a safe producer of round-the-clock, efficient, and reliable, baseload electricity with near zero emissions.” The report also notes the important role nuclear energy will have in creating jobs: “As we expand our nuclear power portfolio, we will need a ready cohort of nuclear engineers and plant operators.”

• In a June 2012 paper, “A Strategy for the Future of Nuclear Energy: The Consolidated Working Group Report,” the policy group Third Way recommends creation of a national energy policy to “guide the direction of industry and government work on all energy technologies, including nuclear energy.” It calls for public-private partnerships, and public investments, to develop new technologies.

• The National Conference of State Legislatures’ August 2012 policy directive on national energy policy recognizes that “Nuclear energy generates an essential share of the nation’s clean, non-emitting, zero carbon baseload electricity.” The directive supports creation of “one or more NRC-licensed centralized interim used fuel storage facilities in willing host communities and states,” a recommendation made earlier this year by the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future in its study of used fuel management and echoed in a separate policy on disposal of radioactive waste.

• In their 2012 platforms, the Republican and Democratic parties support nuclear energy. The GOP calls for the expansion of nuclear energy and “for timely processing of new reactor applications currently pending at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.” The Democrats propose “an all-of-the-above approach” that includes nuclear energy and other sources.

• The National Black Caucus of State Legislators adopted a resolution supporting nuclear energy. It notes that “nuclear power plants provide high-paying, stable employment and garner public acceptance in the communities in which they operate, generating nearly a half-billion dollars in yearly economic activity and nearly $100 million in state, local and federal taxes annually.” The resolution calls for “exploring the development of safe, secure and economically beneficial new nuclear plants in the United States with renewed urgency to enhance our energy security, help the country reach our clean air objectives and provide support for strong economies and develop thousands of good paying jobs and provide educational opportunities.”

• Declaring that “clean low-carbon energy from nuclear and renewable sources is beneficial to the economy, environment and our communities,” the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators adopted a policy resolution that calls new nuclear energy facilities “an essential component in assuring an affordable, proven and reliable electricity generation mix.”