Is nuclear energy safe? Can it really meet all of our energy needs? Powering America answers these questions and more by pulling back the veil on nuclear energy and follows the men and women who work in America's nuclear power industry. Read More.
Issues 2012 provides candidates for elected office the ability to quickly identify the key issues of the day and present clear policy recommendations, supported by facts, for addressing them. Read More.
President Barack Obama’s proposals on nuclear energy do little to back up his pro-nuclear rhetoric. Most worrisome is his effort to terminate the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository project. Read More.
There are approximately 440 commercial nuclear reactors operating around the world. One hundred and four of them are operating in the U.S. alone. With the exception of a few highly publicized and mostly misunderstood accidents, these reactors have operated safely, cleanly, and to the benefit of society for most of their lifetimes. Read More.
Abstract: Government spending has been spiraling upward—and spending by nearly all government agencies can, and should, be cut. President Obama has just submitted his 2013 budget request to Congress, providing fertile ground for spending cuts.The Department of Energy (DOE), with its many research, development,…
This report is available in Japanese. Click here to read. Abstract: Due to the accidents at the Fukushima nuclear plant in March 2011, the Japanese government is re-evaluating its commitment to nuclear energy. Japan’s apprehension about nuclear power is…
Abstract:The Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future has just released its recommendations on how to resolve America's nuclear waste dilemma. The Blue Ribbon Commission has provided some sound analysis and introduced some new ideas, but overall, it has focused more…
Years will pass before we fully understand what happened at the Fukushima nuclear power plants. Nonetheless, broad lessons can be learned based on information available. Lesson One: Human error is a far greater threat than technology. Unforeseen…
Abstract: H.R. 1280—a new bill currently before the House of Representatives—is intended to ensure that America’s commercial nuclear exports do not lead to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Designed as an amendment to the Atomic Energy Act of 1954, the bill has a laudable…
The House and Senate are considering bills that are meant to help development of small and modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). These new reactors could provide all of the attractive qualities of large reactors—such as being safe, emissions-free sources of electricity—but at lower upfront costs with greater flexibility. Unfortunately, the two…
Testimony before Subcommittee on Energy and Power Committee on Energy and Commerce United States House of Representatives June 3, 2011 …
Abstract: On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit Japan, severely damaging and disabling the cooling systems at the Fukushima nuclear reactor. Radiation leaks have led to an evacuation zone, a no-go area, and traces of radiation ending up as…
Abstract: Government spending has been spiraling upward in nearly all areas—and spending by most government agencies can, and should, be cut. President Obama recently submitted his 2012 budget request to Congress, providing fertile ground for spending cuts. One of the fastest-growing federal agencies, the…
Jack Spencer discusses nuclear energy. …
Senator Harry Reid’s (D–NV) re-election campaign against Sharron Angle provides a historic new opportunity to establish a new Yucca Mountain policy that benefits Nevadans and the U.S. Unfortunately, the omnibus spending bill currently under consideration would de-fund the program. While Reid’s staunch opposition to the project has brought it close…
Abstract: More and more companies—in the U.S. and abroad—are investing in new commercial nuclear enterprises, chief among them, small modular reactors (SMRs). The SMR industry is growing, with many promising developments in the works—which is precisely why the government should not interfere, as subsidies…
America’s current system for responding to oil spills was largely shaped by the reaction to the 1989 Exxon Valdez tanker spill off Alaska. The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 set up new procedures for offshore cleanups, one significant change being that the federal government, led by the U.S. Coast …
How to Be a Good Steward of Energy and the Environment When it comes to energy and the environment, most of us feel conflicted. On the one hand, we depend on affordable energy for almost everything --…
Gasoline prices are steadily rising toward $4 per gallon, the price that triggers public outcry and congressional response. In a recent interview, Senator Lindsay Graham (R–SC) said that at $4 gasoline, “everybody is tripping over themselves to find an energy policy.”[1] Graham then mentioned he would start work…
Iran is resorting to its usual negotiating tactics on the nuclear issue: Slip away from its commitments under the...…
Iran continues to make steady progress in stockpiling supplies of increasingly highly enriched uranium far above the...…
Two major financial news publications, the Economist and The Wall Street Journal, published major articles in the past...…
When you flip on a light switch, turn on your TV, start up your coffee maker, or charge your cell phone, there's a good...…
Tomorrow marks the one-year anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake, a massive jolt to the country that caused...…
The Heritage Foundation just released a new documentary called "Powering America". It explores the benefits of nuclear...…
[caption id="attachment_91895" align="alignnone" width="550" caption="Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov warned...…
Talks between Iran and the U.N. “watchdog” International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) just failed big time. You would...…
When the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) voted last week to approve permits to begin construction on two nuclear...…
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="580" caption="Photo courtesy of the Athens Banner-Herald."][/caption] State...…
Director, Center for Data Analysis and Lazof Family Fellow
Senior Research Fellow for Russian and Eurasian Studies and International Energy Policy, The Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies
Research Fellow in Energy Economics and Climate Change
Herbert and Joyce Morgan Fellow
Senior Research Fellow, Nuclear Energy Policy