Webb and Alexander release energy plan
By JR Hoeft | Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009 | PolicySen. Jim Webb (D-VA) and Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) released their energy plan today.
Webb and Alexander propose the “Clean Energy Act of 2009“, with the following key points:
1. Loan guarantees — $10 billion authorization that can leverage up to $100 billion in government-backed loans for the development of clean, carbon-free energy to bring in investors and project developers to jump-start efforts that are otherwise too capital-intensive up front.
2. Nuclear workforce — $100 million per year for 10 years toward nuclear education and training. The nuclear revival cannot take place without a workforce and for that reason the bill provides much-needed support to educate and train craftsmen, engineers, operators and other workers.
3. New reactor designs — $200 million per year for five years for a cost-sharing mechanism between government and industry to enable the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to review new nuclear reactor designs such as small and medium reactors and help bring those technologies from concept into the marketplace.
4. More power from existing reactors — $50 million per year for 10 years for much-needed research to extend the lifetime of our current nuclear fleet and maximize the production of low-cost nuclear power. Longer lifetimes and increased efficiency for our existing 104 reactors could equal the production of 20 to 30 new reactors.
5. Five new “mini-Manhattan Projects” for clean energy — $750 million per year for 10 years for research and development of carbon capture from coal plants, technologies to make solar power more cost-competitive, improvement of batteries for electric cars, advanced biofuels (other than ethanol) from crops that we don’t eat, and development of means to mitigate and manage nuclear waste. Each of these will be funded at $150 million annually.
I hope on the last one they consulted with Rep. J. Randy Forbes (R-VA), who has been carrying this legislation and making the proposal for over a year.
Tags:
Contribute for Conservatism!
Share this post
About the author
Conservative to the core; liberal with his opinion! J.R. has been involved in politics for over a decade and has worked on several campaigns in Hampton Roads. He has served on the Executive Committee of the Republican Party of Chesapeake and the Central Committee of the Republican Party of Virginia. He is also the director of “Blogs United” in Virginia. E-mail J.R.. Follow J.R. on Twitter.
We're 75% there! Thank you to everyone who has so far contributed! Just $2000 to go!
Comments
3 Responses to "Webb and Alexander release energy plan"
I am in favor of promoting Nuclear energy amongst all the other solutions to our energy problems.
But I am not sure that I am in favor of the efforts to provide education towards dealing with a nuclear reactor. I can only see students getting certificates from some of those we see advertising on our television; those that provide less training for more money. Why is this necessary when we have so many kids returning to the work force from the Navy’s nuclear power program? These kids not only undergo an extremely strenuous training program, they are subjected to On the Job Training (OJT) from some of the best experts in the field.
The Navy’s nuclear power training is exemplary. Who has a better record of nuclear power plant operation then the United States Navy? No one is better trained then the individual who has passed the Navy’s weeding out process combined with the operation in real life of a reactor.
I am in favor of encouraging nuclear power. I am less in favor of encouraging an explosion of those who simply want a paycheck prior to employing all of those who have a real education and real on the job training. Those who served our nation before they sought that lucrative job in the civilian economy.
I could care less about Webb’s bill. Webb needs to be voted out after his part in securing that horrible health bill.
Webb and Warner betrayed Virginia. We should start the endless campaigning to be rid of them….now.
Sounds like a good bill. Nuclear does have to be a MAJOR part of our energy solution. The fact that we’ve fallen behind the world in an area where we used to dominate is shameful.
Leave your response