Energizing the nation.

• Author: Johnson, William D.
• Position: Science & Technology

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THE DISASTER and fiasco in the Gulf of Mexico aside, the U.S. is at an energy crossroads, as the nation looks to address serious and broad issues: global climate change, the need for increased energy independence, and our desire to stimulate the economy to promote lasting security and meaningful job growth. Other countries are building modern energy systems that produce good jobs today and increased certainty tomorrow. What is different between our nation and these others is that many of them have a defined energy policy, complemented by an industrial policy (and, in a perfect combination, an environmental policy) based on sound economics and science instead of political rhetoric or positioning. Some of these countries have planned economies or government control of the means of production, which makes policy choices (more accurately, policy directives) much easier than in the U.S.

Despite the difficulties inherent in a democratic system that currently is polarized by many factors, our elected officials and policymakers must provide a clear Federal policy for securing our energy and economic future if we are to maintain our competitive position in the world. That policy should be inclusive, using as many options as are available that make economic, environmental, and national security sense, and it must have sufficient clarity and support to enable the private sector to invest in this balanced energy portfolio.

A major part of this balanced portfolio has to be the global expansion of nuclear power, and policymakers should seize the opportunity for our country to build on the proven track record and the future benefits of nuclear energy. The momentum for nuclear energy is growing. The decisions we make in the coming months and years will have a significant and possibly transformational effect on the way the U.S. energy industry works and consumers and businesses use and pay for electricity and other forms of energy. If we do it right--by creating a comprehensive energy policy that includes the laws, regulations, options, and incentives to promote investment--we can address these major issues and set the stage for a new age of energy security and prosperity.

Nuclear power is an established part of the energy mix in the U.S. and has been for more than 50 years but, while many new plants have been built in Europe and Asia (56 reactors under construction in 15 countries worldwide, including 20 today in China), there have been no new nuclear plants started in the U.S. for three decades. The wave of construction overseas is prompted by support from those countries' policymakers. Until recently, support for new nuclear power plants by most U.S. policymakers has been tepid, at best.

So, the Department of Energy's announcement of Federal loan guarantees for the Southern Company's plan to build new nuclear reactors at an existing site in Georgia was newsworthy and a tangible step toward bringing a new generation of carbon-free nuclear energy generation online and creating thousands of jobs. The Southern Company estimates its Vogtle project will create 3,000 construction jobs and 800 permanent, high-paying professional positions once the plant is in service.

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