U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Florida) again vouched for nuclear energy after introducing five new bills as a part of his 2023-24 Nuclear Energy Package. Donalds said in a press release on July 18 that the cleanest source of energy is, in fact, nuclear, and argued that it is important to the future of the U.S.
"Throughout the first seven months of the 118th Congress, I have worked hard to elevate the role of nuclear within the arsenal of American energy," Donalds said. "Not only is nuclear the cleanest and greenest source of energy at our country's disposal, but it is an invaluable asset that we must utilize to efficiently power the future of our nation. My now twenty-bill and growing, nuclear energy legislative package promotes this critical and under-utilized solution to America's current and future energy demands.”
According to the press release, he introduced the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th bills of this Nuclear Energy Package. These bills consist of the following: H.R. 4674 - The Advanced Nuclear Feasibility Act, H.R. 4675 - The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) Reform Act, H.R. 4676 - The Nuclear Red Tape Reduction Act, H.R. 4677 - The Leverage Obligated Appropriations for Advanced Nuclear (LOAN) Act, and H.R. 4678 - The Provide Logistical Airport Aid Via Advanced Nuclear Energy (PLANE) Act.
"My five most recent bills seek to facilitate the licensing and deployment of advanced nuclear reactors, reduce licensing costs, slash unnecessary bureaucratic red tape, and establish regulatory clarity," the congressman said in a press release. "They also include provisions to bolster efficiency and effectiveness within the nuclear energy industry by consolidating and streamlining various antiquated processes. Most importantly, I offered a proposal to encourage airports to consider using microreactors for backup power in the case of natural disasters. As Southwest Florida's representative in the halls of Congress, the constant threat of hurricanes is an all-too-real threat for our community. Nuclear energy provides practical and commonsense solutions for our community, our state, and our nation. I look forward to further exploring the benefits of this technology."
It was reported that 53% of voters expressed a greater inclination to support increases in U.S. nuclear power production upon discovering that France predominantly relies on nuclear energy for its power generation, and 12% of respondents indicated that they were less likely to support expanded nuclear power generation after being informed about France's nuclear energy usage, according to a recent Scott Rasmussen National Survey from Thursday. Additionally, the survey revealed that 63% of voters were more inclined to support the idea of increasing domestic nuclear energy production after learning about the advanced technology of newer, smaller modular reactors, which produce no nuclear waste.