A proven solution for immediate and long-term job creation came from President Barack Obama and his administration earlier this year: investment in U.S. nuclear energy. Bulldozers in Georgia are already on the move and making preparations for expansion of a nuclear plant that has achieved several approvals, and long-awaited jobs in the skilled labor sector could materialize there within months.
I commend the president for moving this agenda forward and was pleased to be personally invited to his speech on nuclear advancements. As Congress debates and passes new employment bills and laws providing small business incentives to help unemployed workers in this economy, let’s not overlook this low-hanging fruit that is ripe for the picking. There are highly skilled workers capable and available to begin these endeavors across the U.S., and similar ones in Canada. And to know that this investment offers the advantages of less-dangerous pollutants in the air, lower costs of electricity, and greater security in national energy—in my opinion, you might as well tie this up with a big red bow.
Jobs First
What would happen if we restarted the nuclear power industry after a lapse of nearly three decades? With the addition of Obama’s nuclear loan guarantee funding in his 2011 budget, we could begin development of seven to 10 new power plants. Include additional funding in future budgets, and you could see the 17 nuclear license applications for 26 reactors—submitted in only the past three years—slide through the bottleneck of securing funds for construction.
Each new plant promises to offer approximately 3,500 long-term, on-site construction jobs and 800 permanent operations jobs. The number of jobs this will provide to the economy is more than significant and possibly unmatched by any one industry. This has the potential for spreading more than 70,000 new jobs across the country. As opposed to what some critics have said about Obama’s first stimulus package, no fine-tooth comb will be required to see where these jobs are created.
This issue has stood up against all public debate too. It is also important to note this is neither a bailout nor direct funding; Obama is budgeting for a loan guarantee. After the loan’s term has been reached, we, the American public, will have been paid back our money in full, with interest. There will be no addition to the deficit, and tens of thousands of jobs will be created in the process. So while the U.S. Department of Energy and other experts are predicting electricity shortages, fossil fuel price increases, global warming, and more harmful emissions, I see cleaner energy, cheaper electricity, and national energy security if we choose to support nuclear power.
Email
Comments
Print
Reuse
