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Nuclear Energy Vital, Bush Says in Montco

Posted on: Friday, 26 May 2006, 18:00 CDT

By Daniel Patrick Sheehan, The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa.

May 25--President Bush said the "hydrocarbon era" of fossil fuels is nearing its end as he preached the advantages of nuclear energy Wednesday to an audience more than happy to hear about it: 250 employees of Exelon's Limerick Generating Station, a nuclear plant outside Pottstown that powers 2 million homes and businesses.

Offering generous dollops of his trademark folksiness -- "Sorry for clogging the roads," he said, referring to his traffic-jamming motorcade -- the president said the United States ought to follow the lead of France, a nation that generates more than a third of its energy from nuclear power.

Bush also touted biofuels, hydrogen, coal, solar and wind power and other resources he says hold out promise of ending America's dependence on foreign oil. But, in the shadow of the power plant's twin 500-foot cooling towers, he saved his biggest plugs for the atom.

"Nuclear power helps us protect the environment and nuclear power is safe," he said.

About 20 percent of this country's power is drawn from 104 nuclear plants in 31 states. No plants have been built since the 1979 accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant near Harrisburg, although plants that were being built have come on line since.

Bush blamed prohibitive regulatory demands for discouraging investment in the plants, but said provisions of last year's energy bill intended to entice investors -- including loan guarantees and federal risk insurance -- appear to be paying off already, with 16 companies discussing plans to build as many as 25 plants in coming years.

The administration also wants Congress to approve $250 million to accelerate a decade-long research program into reprocessing nuclear fuel, which advocates say would pose much less risk and reduce the amount of reactor waste that eventually would have to be buried.

The United States abandoned nuclear fuel reprocessing in the 1970s because of proliferation concerns.

Bush said he is "fully aware" of the problems attached to nuclear waste disposal and said he is hopeful for progress on a proposed nuclear waste depository at Nevada's Yucca Mountain. That project has been beset by controversy over long-term safety of the stored fuel and the potential dangers of transporting it to the depository.

Bush's speech drew several longs bursts of applause from the Exelon employees.

"He had the right audience for those kinds of statements," said Rick Armitage of Allentown, the station's warehouse manager, finding the president's speech happily definitive in its declarations about plant construction and energy legislation.

"We haven't had a comprehensive energy policy in this country in many years," he said. "Everything I've heard previously was a lot of grand planning. This is the first time something seems to be taking shape."

Exelon Chief Executive Officer John Rowe painted Bush as the foremost supporter of nuclear power to occupy the White House since Dwight Eisenhower.

"We have in this industry a great many reasons to take this man seriously when he talks about nuclear energy," Rowe said.

Before Bush arrived in Pennsylvania, a coalition of anti-nuclear advocacy groups released a statement calling on him to abandon nuclear power.

"After living in the shadow of nuclear plants like Limerick for decades, Pennsylvanians know all too well that nuclear power is not the answer to our energy problems," said Nathan Willcox of PennEnvironment. "It's time for the Bush administration to stop pushing more taxpayer handouts for the nuclear industry, and instead start harnessing innovative energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies."

After the speech at Limerick, Bush attended a fundraising reception at the Sheraton Philadelphia Center City Hotel in downtown Philadelphia. About 200 people were expected to pay $1,000 each to help the campaigns of U.S. Reps. Michael G. Fitzpatrick, R-8th District, and James Gerlach, R-6th District, both of whom are facing tough re-election battles.

Morning Call reporter Hal Marcovitz and The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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EXC,

Source: The Morning Call, Allentown, Pennsylvania

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