ANS provides testimony for U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
"The National Energy Policy, released in May of this year, is correct in calling for a new national priority to balance energy demand and the efficiency with which energy is used, with an increased effort to assure energy supplies that are secure, affordable, and clean," Lake stated. "The American Nuclear Society believes that nuclear energy is an increasingly important element of our nation's future energy supply that fully meets these criteria."
The testimony detailed a number of ways in which nuclear power plants are performing at record high levels and, noting current projections for increased electricity demand, suggested the advisability of preparing the way for nuclear power to assume a larger share of U.S. electrical generating capacity in the years ahead.
Urges Increases Above Proposed Budget
"The American Nuclear Society urges the Congress to commit to a higher level of U.S. Government investment in the critical nuclear energy, science and technology programs that are required to improve the technology, stimulate the future human resources, and assure the continued benefits of abundant, clean and affordable nuclear power for American taxpayers," Lake said in the testimony.
"From ANS' perspective, the FY-2002 nuclear budget should be increased substantially to support nuclear energy R&D needs," he continued.
Lake's testimony then outlined specific ANS recommendations regarding the budgets for Nuclear Energy Research Initiation (NERI and I-NERI), Nuclear Energy Plant Optimization Programs (NEPO), University Infrastructure support, and Generation IV Advanced Reactor Development.
Urges Action on Repository and Fuel Cycle Research
Lake also gave attention to the fuel-cycle-of-the-future. He said that the public views the government's failure to follow through on opening the nation's high level waste repository as one of the biggest obstacles to the expansion of nuclear power.
"ANS believes that a scientific consensus is developing that deep-geological disposal is a technically acceptable way to isolate nuclear wastes from the environment," Lake stated, "and we urge the Administration and the Congress to proceed expeditiously with the process of determining the social and political acceptability of proceeding with the licensing and operations of the repository."
Lake's testimony also noted that the National Energy Policy proposes to reconsider the Carter Administration decision to abandon the option of reprocessing and recycling nuclear fuel. Lake stated, "ANS believes that this debate must be conducted in an environment where the technical basis for deep-geologic disposal and that for reprocessing are fully developed as a foundation for informed decision making."
Lake noted that ANS believes the U.S. should invest in advanced recycle technology development and testing that does not produce separated, weapons-usable plutonium. He stated, "ANS believes that effective advanced recycle technology can improve upon the proliferation resistance of the once-through commercial nuclear fuel cycle and further reduce the potential for diversion of nuclear materials for non-peaceful purposes."
Recommends Higher Profile for Nuclear at DOE
Highlighting the growing importance of nuclear energy and nuclear science and technology to the nation, Lake stated, ". . . the American Nuclear Society recommends the reinstatement of the DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology to the Assistant Secretary level. . . ."
The full text of Dr. Lake's Testimony can be found on the ANS web site, at http://www.ans.org/pi/news/d-995470274.
