Lamar Alexander Pushes Nuclear Plant Construction

Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander, responding to questions after his speech to the Institute for 21st Century Energy of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce, says he is pondering whether to introduce separate legislation, or an amendment to the climate change bill now pending in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, to push his proposal for construction of 100 additional nuclear power reactors in the nation by 2030. He noted that unlike solar power and wind power, getting nuclear plants built would not "require huge subsidies." A separate bill from Alexander is the more likely outcome, since he opposes any cap-and trade legislation, unless the committee adopts proposals from some of its members to try advancing the measure by splitting energy efficiency from cap and trade to pass them separately. That move would free Alexander to vote for nuclear power growth while still voting against cap and trade.