Since time is short, I will take this opportunity to point out some important aspects, which I am sure you are all acquainted with, but which may bear repeating. And nuclear plants are playing a vital role in the emerging deregulated power market. The recent bidding war for two New York power plants is a clear indication that nuclear power is healthy, and will continue to be, a competitive source of energy. You are likely aware of my opposition to the 1997 Kyoto Accords. I will continue to oppose this flawed treaty and the unnecessary loss of jobs and economic hardships that it would impose on American citizens while leaving developing nations free to continue their ever-increasing levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
Nuclear power creates neither carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, sulfur oxides nor methane.
That s good for Michigan and the numbers only get bigger when considering the nation as a whole. In short, nuclear power is good for our environment and we need to ensure that the many benefits of nuclear technology are not limited by programs that will damage our vibrant economy by putting US industry at a competitive disadvantage . I think we are all looking forward to new developments on Generation IV plants and proliferation resistant fuels, to cite only a few examples. Optimizing power generation and addressing plant aging are important components in further improving existing plant reliability and capacity. Yet, it is good to see the high number of applications coming in for the Nuclear Engineering Education Research Grants and other education initiatives.