Thank you.

Ladies and Gentlemen…Members of Congress…distinguished guests…

It is a pleasure to be here with you today. 

And thank you, Congressman Clyburn for taking the initiative to form a bi-partisan working group focusing on this critical issue.

All of us in this room recognize the need to reduce carbon emissions in order to slow climate change in a way that enhances our energy security and grows our economy. 

And we all know that by providing reliable and affordable electricity nuclear energy can help provide an essential part of the nation’s electrical needs.

I believe the argument for the inclusion of a strong nuclear power component in our nation’s energy policy was made quite succinctly by former Energy Secretary James Schlesinger in his OP-ED that ran last Friday in the Washington Post.

Secretary Schlesinger correctly observed that our nation needs a diverse energy portfolio to meet growing electrical demand.  Realistically, solar and wind power—as desirable as they are at best can only satisfy a modest portion of those needs.

So, the case is abundantly clear.

Nuclear energy must become a more significant part of our national energy policy. 

But for that to happen we need the Congress to provide a financial platform that will enable the industry to grow.
 
Many utility companies – such as Duke Energy - have filed permits to build new reactors to meet our future needs for affordable electricity.  Constructing a modern-day nuclear power generation facility requires a multi-billion dollar investment over many years. Unfortunately, many of these plans will remain on hold indefinitely because we currently do not have the necessary financial mechanisms in place for these projects to proceed without undue risk.

Let’s be clear, I’m here to ask for nothing more than what is already in place under Title 17 of the Department of Energy’s nuclear loan guarantee program.

Some have argued that a better way to address this problem is through the provisions contained in the 21st Century Energy Technology Deployment Act.

The Building Trades have made it clear that that approach would be an equally acceptable way to proceed.  In either case we need to create an appropriate means to guarantee these loans.  And in so doing we will spur a renaissance of an industry that will both lessen our national carbon footprint and provide a well-needed economic “shot in the arm” for America.

America’s Building Trades Unions are committed to this effort.

We are committed because we believe that it is the right thing to do for our nation.

But, we also know that the construction of a next generation nuclear facility is a costly and complex undertaking.  It leaves no margin for error and requires the skills of the safest, most highly trained and productive workforce in the world.

America’s Building Trades Unions are the only reliable trained source for the highly-productive construction professionals needed for these projects.
 
So, suffice it to say…we are very excited about the opportunity to be a value-added partner on each and every one of these projects.

And we are fully prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure that our unions are trusted, value-added partners with our contractors and owners. 

In fact, we have reached an agreement with the Nuclear Energy Institute and the North American Contractors Association on a new, innovative nuclear construction agreement that includes, in part:

• The establishment of multi-craft training centers that would be located near or on a new site.The possibility of task specific training for semi-skilled workers.

• Rearranging traditional apprenticeship parameters so that our apprentices arrive on the job with productive skills on their very first day.

• Developing special training partnerships with vendors and suppliers to certify all workers on the installation of their components.

• And developing programs to train a local workforce for in-house careers in the nuclear industry.

All of these proposals—and others too numerous to mention here - are designed to more effectively meet the construction, maintenance and operations needs of the nuclear industry and the American public.

As President of the Building and Construction Trades Department, I want to constantly seek new ways of producing better results for the owners and contractors with whom we work; and to develop opportunities and pathways for lifetime careers for young workers who possess the discipline and determination to help re-build America and make a difference in this world.

The resurrection of the American nuclear energy industry will allow us to further those objectives in many ways.

Thank you.