WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) stressed the importance of American leadership in nuclear energy development and innovation as he questioned panelists during a Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee hearing on nuclear infrastructure today.
Senator Cramer questioned Amy Roma, founding member of Nuclear Energy and National Security Coalition, about the importance of maintaining America’s uranium reserves and the threat of competition from other enterprises owned by foreign adversaries.
“How did America let its nuclear superiority slip away?” said Senator Cramer. “We need to get it back before it is too late.”
“We continue to operate the most efficient fleet and the largest nuclear fleet in the world. We need to continue to do that in order for other countries to want our input and our advice,” responded Ms. Roma. “If we don’t operate as many nuclear powerplants as we do and we don’t operate them as well as we do, they will stop asking us.”
Senator Cramer also spoke to W. Paul Goranson, President of Uranium Producers of America, about the nuclear energy supply chain and the significance of American-produced uranium.
“I would rather export our excellence than import their mediocrity every time,” said Senator Cramer. “The supply chain I worry the most about compromising is the intellectual supply chain. We will wake up one day and the expertise we need won’t be available because the opportunities to learn were not available.”
“We’ve got to keep the talent, we’ve got to keep the people,” said Mr. Goranson. “We’ve got to have smart people who understand our regulations and how we do things.”
In April of 2019, Senators Cramer and Ben Cardin (D-MD), another EPW member, introduced the Nuclear Powers America Act, a bill to provide existing nuclear power plants with an investment tax credit.
