Nuclear Renaissance

The tide has turned. Overwhelmingly, the American people are realizing that we can not stop carbon emissions and provide affordable energy without nuclear power. A number of different utilities around the country are hoping to begin construction on new nuclear reactors in 2008.

Even though many environmentalists recognize that we cannot stop global warming without nuclear power, many radical environmentalists will do anything to stop new nuclear construction. Banks will not lend utilities the money to start construction without loan guarantees. Loan guarantees provide no taxpayer money to the utilities, unless the utilities begin construction and are prevented from getting their reactors online. It is only fair that utilities that invest billions of dollars and are improving the environment, providing good jobs, and making this country energy independent, should be compensated if politicians and bureaucrats stop them after they start construction. This winter Congress approved over $15 billion in loan volume, thus allowing new nuclear construction to begin and creating thousands of UA jobs.

The loan guarantee program was started in 2005 to encourage construction of all types of clean, renewable energy, not just nuclear. In 2005 though, the government was controlled by politicians hostile to Davis-Bacon prevailing wage legislation. The UA has been working the halls of the Capitol to make sure that Davis-Bacon is applied to the program.

The UA has been at the forefront of the Nuclear Renaissance. General President Hite serves on the Board of the Nuclear Energy Institute and has been instrumental in getting their support for Davis-Bacon, and convincing them that the UA has the best construction workers for the tens of thousands of jobs ahead. More information can be found at www.cleanandsafeenergy.org.