George Voinovich: “Last year after many years of effort, the Congress finally passed a bipartisan energy bill, the Energy Policy Act, which…”

“Last year after many years of effort, the Congress finally passed a bipartisan energy bill, the Energy Policy Act, which I was very pleased to work on and support. I believe, as I know many of my colleagues believe, that abundant, stable and affordable energy is one of the most fundamental challenges the United States faces in terms of job creation and our ability to compete in the global marketplace. In order to best meet these challenges, I believe we need to develop and nurture all forms of energy--including coal, oil, natural gas, renewables and clean, safe nuclear energy. In doing so, we need to promote energy diversity and conservation. I commend the Chairman Domenici and Ranking Member Bingaman of the Senate Energy Committee for their outstanding work on the bill. In particular, I applaud their work in promoting new nuclear generation, and in fact helping to launch a nuclear renaissance in the United States. According to the Energy Committee, the bill will have a dramatic effect: Because of the provisions in the energy bill, including the loan guarantee authority, the production tax credits, and the insurance protection against licensing delays and litigation, electricity generating companies and consortiums across the United States are preparing applications for permission to build up to 25 new nuclear power plants.”