U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) said he backs a White House energy initiative announced on June 1 that would prevent the closings of coal-fired and nuclear power plants across the country via federal intervention.
“America must take the lead and support nuclear power by ensuring we have the technology, know-how, and safety expertise to keep it going,” Rep. Kinzinger said on June 4.
President Donald Trump on June 1 directed U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Rick Perry to “take immediate steps” to develop a plan that would end the retirements of coal-fired and nuclear power plants in order to protect “our national security, public safety and economy from intentional attacks and natural disasters,” according to a statement from White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
An internal, confidential 40-page draft memo, leaked to the press on May 31 – although not confirmed to have been reviewed by the Trump administration – seemingly provides DOE with such a plan for how to move forward in that direction. One solution outlined in the draft memo, for instance, would grant DOE emergency authority to require that America’s grid operators purchase electricity from coal and nuclear power plants for two years.
“Federal action is necessary to stop the further premature retirements of fuel-secure generation capacity,” according to the memo, which argues that federal intervention is needed before the United States loses essential, secure electric generation resources.
Rep. Kinzinger agreed and said nuclear power is vital to both his home state of Illinois and to homeland security.
“My district is home to four nuclear power plants, the most of any district in the country, and I see firsthand the important role this technology plays in our communities,” the congressman said. He has noted that nuclear contributes nearly $9 billion annually across the state, while the four plants in his district employ over 3,500 people.
“Nationwide, nuclear power supplies close to 20 percent of our electricity and it’s a vital part of our domestic energy supply.” Rep. Kinzinger added.
Last year, in fact, the congressman said he believes “it’s important for the federal government to facilitate future investment in nuclear power generation and ensure that the plants which are currently operating can stay online for years to come.”
Toward that end, Rep. Kinzinger in March 2017 introduced the Nuclear Utilization of Keynote Energy (NUKE) Act, H.R. 1320, which at the time he said would keep such plants open “without compromising the government oversight needed to ensure such facilities are built and operated safely.”
H.R. 1320, he said earlier this week, would provide regulatory certainty for existing plants and would allow additional reforms to encourage investment in the next generation of nuclear technology.
The bipartisan H.R. 1320, which includes original cosponsor U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA), received approval from the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee during a May 22 markup, according to Rep. Kinzinger.
Regarding Trump’s plan, the congressman said, “I applaud the President’s initiative to keeping our existing nuclear fleet operational and running, and I look forward to hearing more concrete details from Secretary Perry in the coming days and weeks ahead.”