It is no accident that we have seen dramatic improvements in both the safety records and reliability of the 104 operating reactors today compared to a decade ago
– Edited by April Murelio –
Thank You, Madame Chairman.
Chairman Boxer, Ranking Member Inhofe, thank you for holding this hearing. I would like to welcome the nominees and I look forward to hearing their testimony.
Madame Chairwoman, as you know, I have spent the better part of the last 10 years in the Senate involved in shaping nuclear energy policy for this country, mainly as chairman or ranking member on the Senate’s Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee. I focused a great deal of time and effort as the Committee Chair on oversight of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to make sure it was doing its job of ensuring the safety and security of our nation’s nuclear power plants.
Mrs. Chairman, I take great pride in the fact that this Committee has transformed the NRC into one of the best and most respected regulatory agencies in the world. We have worked very hard placing the right people on the commission, providing the commission with the resources and tools necessary to do its job, and holding them accountable for results. We held more than 20 productive hearings involving the NRC over the past eight years.
So, it is no accident that we have seen dramatic improvements in both the safety records and reliability of the 104 operating reactors today compared to a decade ago. And, I would like to take this opportunity to thank and recognize each of the existing members of the commission – Chairman Jaczko, Commissioner Svinicki, and the soon departing Commissioner Klein – for doing a great job day in and day out. Being a regulator often is a thankless job, whether it is the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Federal Aviation Administration, Food and Drug Administration, or the Federal Reserve Board. It seems as though the only time people care about what you do is when something goes wrong – and it almost always is to criticize what you did or didn’t do.
Indeed, a regulator’s job is a complex and difficult one. NRC has to be vigilant at all times to keep its regulatory threshold just right – it should be rigorous enough to prevent complacency from setting in both within the agency and the industry it regulates, but not overly restrictive to a point of stifling the growth of nuclear power in this country at a time when we need it the most. And our country does need nuclear power – and the jobs, the energy security, and the environmental benefits it provides. I like to tell people, nuclear is a three-fer: without it, we will not be able to provide the reliable, base-load electricity our country demands. Without it, we will not be able to reach our goal of reducing carbon emissions. And without it, we will not be able to strengthen our manufacturing bases and create good paying jobs.
With President Obama’s recent call for increased use of nuclear power in his State of the Union Address, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s FY2011 budget request for an additional $36 billion for nuclear loan guarantees, I think that momentum is building and the policy environment in the United States is shifting itself for the long-awaited growth in nuclear power.
Which is why I think today’s nomination hearing is so important. Having a fully staffed NRC Commission is paramount to maintaining our safety goals – and not just with our large, existing light water fleet – but with new light water reactors, modular reactors, and even Generation-IV reactors. Upon their successful confirmation these three new commissioners will become part of what I believe will be the busiest Commission in decades – as they will likely oversee real movement in the nuclear renaissance of the United States. I believe these nominees are exceptional individuals, all leaders on nuclear technology issues, and they have the depth and breadth of experience necessary to successfully lead the oversight of our nation’s commercial nuclear industry. Their dedication and professionalism will be needed now more than ever. I wish them well and look forward to working with them in my time remaining here in the Senate.
Thank you, Madame Chairman, and I look forward to hearing from our distinguished nominees.