Otter outlines Idaho’s commitment to nuclear energy R&D

Idaho Gov. C.L. Otter recently outlined how Idaho’s support of nuclear energy research and development (R&D) has grown as the state seeks to play an important role in the nation’s energy future.

Otter made the comments against the backdrop of the Intermountain Energy Summit in Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Otter said he was “extremely proud” of the nuclear research, development, demonstration and deployment carried out by scientists and researchers at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL).

“Support for nuclear R&D in Idaho continues to grow thanks to the efforts of the U.S. Department of Energy in cleaning up legacy waste at the site,” Otter said. “While challenges remain on the horizon, we are working to create an atmosphere of collaboration rather than litigation and stalemates. This partnership will be critical to ensuring that the environmental issues of our past are safely and effectively resolved. I am firmly committed to this important endeavor.”

Idaho’s Leadership in Nuclear Energy (LINE) Commission plays an important role in identifying opportunities to diversify the INL’s research efforts, Otter said.

“As an $860 million-a-year business with $1.3 billion in infrastructure, the INL has unique characteristics and capabilities that are needed nationally,” Otter said. “I look forward to the LINE Commission’s future work outlining how the state can most effectively leverage these assets into further opportunities and partnerships that will benefit Idaho and the region.”

Otter said he would work with Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and other governors from western states to host a roundtable discussion that highlights how the INL and the Center for Advanced Energy Studies can benefit the region moving forward.