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Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) once again vouched for nuclear energy after introducing 5 new bills as a part of his 2023-24 Nuclear Energy Package. Donalds put out a news release on July 18 that said the cleanest source of energy is, in fact, nuclear, and argued that it is important to the future of the US.
"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. 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 in order to efficiently power the future of our nation," Donalds said. "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 release, Donalds has put forth a series of bills known as the 2023-24 Donalds Nuclear Energy Package. On July 18, he introduced the 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th bills of this 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," Donalds said in the 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 back-up 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."
Donalds is not alone in his support of nuclear power.
According to a recent Scott Rasmussen National Survey from July 20, 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. 12% of respondents indicated that they were less likely to support expanded nuclear power generation after being informed about France's nuclear energy usage. 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.