WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), released the following statement in recognition of National Clean Energy Week.

“America needs an all-of-the-above approach for energy,” said Barrasso. “In Wyoming and across the country, clean energy sources like nuclear power and carbon capture technologies create jobs and grow the economy. Our committee will continue to work, on a bipartisan basis, to help support that innovation.”

On Sept. 13, 2017, the EPW Committee held a full committee hearing on “Expanding and Accelerating the Deployment and Use of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration.” The committee examined ways to ensure that environmental review and permitting requirements support, rather than hinder, the continued development of these important technologies.

On March 22, 2017, the EPW Committee passed S. 512, the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act by a bipartisan vote of 18-3. S. 512 was introduced by Barrasso with several bipartisan cosponsors. The legislation has received broad support from stakeholders. S. 512 will modernize the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s functions to promote innovation by establishing new transparency and accountability measures to the commission’s budget and fee programs and by developing the regulatory framework necessary to enable the licensing of advanced nuclear reactors. 

Background Information:

National Clean Energy Week is from Sept. 25 until Sept. 29. For more information, click here. On Sept. 19, in a proclamation, Wyoming Governor Matthew Mead officially recognized the week as Clean Energy Week.

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