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NEI Congressional Update: Nuclear Energy Challenges and Opportunities

Dive into the world of nuclear energy with U.S. Congressman Hon. Bill Foster, a physicist turned politician, as he discusses the benefits, challenges, and current activities in the nuclear energy sector. Explore the economic viability, environmental impact, and ongoing research and development efforts shaping the future of nuclear power. Stay informed and discover the potential of nuclear energy in the modern era.

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NEI Congressional Update: Nuclear Energy Challenges and Opportunities

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  1. Congressional UpdateNEI Washington International Reps MeetingJanuary 9, 2014 Hon. Bill Foster U.S. Congressman (IL-11)

  2. One of two Physicists in Congress One of 108 Members of Congress with a business background

  3. Bill Foster’s Business Career:Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc. • Co-founded 1974 with brother Fred Foster • Bill was 19, Fred 17 • Initial Capitalization: $500 from our parents. • ETC now manufactures ~70% of all Theatre Lighting Equipment in U.S. • $150M+ sales/year • 650+ Employees • Fred runs business (Bill bought out in 2007)

  4. Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.~1974 -1980

  5. Electronic Theatre Controls, Inc.Today 650+ Employees in Middleton, WI

  6. Fermilab’sAcceleratorsPast,Present,and Future Dr. G. William Foster November 8, 2002

  7. Bill at Fermilab 1984 - 2006

  8. Collider Detector at Fermilab (CDF)1984 - 2005

  9. CDF Detector DiscoveredTop Quark

  10. Particle Accelerators 1994-2006

  11. Antiproton Recycler Ring FermilabMain Injector

  12. A: The Familial Recessive Gene for Adult-Onset Political Activism • Bill Got Married, • Raised a Family, • Had a reasonably interesting career in Physics & Business. So: why go into politics?

  13. Bill’s Mother and Father Jeanette Raymond and George William Foster Met on Capitol Hill ~1950 Bill’s Mom worked for Sen. Paul Douglas (D-IL)

  14. 11th District of Illinois

  15. March 8, 2008

  16. Swearing-In Ceremony – March 11, 2008

  17. CongressionalBall - 2008

  18. What Life as a Congressman is Really Like • Scheduled 12 Hours each day • Read myself to sleep each night with a ¾” stack of papers… • Live in a Crummy Efficiency Apartment in DC • After last votes on Friday, come back home each weekend (where I get scheduled up by the staff in the Illinois District Office…)

  19. “Congress on Your Corner”

  20. So, why does anyone take this job? Voting Machine in the U.S. House of Representatives

  21. Benefits of Nuclear Energy • Reduction of carbon emissions is an important part of future climate protection • 62.45% of clean energy generation in the US is nuclear • Nuclear energy provides 20% of United States energy • Nuclear energy is reliable power, available 24/7 Source: Exelon Source: IAEA

  22. Challenges to Nuclear • Natural gas prices have dropped due to large domestic reserves from shale formations • Surplus supply of electricity leads to periodically negative electrical prices • Nuclear reactors provide constant energy – cannot shut off • Four reactors permanently closed in 2013, with another projected to close by the end of 2014 • Nuclear power can become economically viable in the future if a carbon tax or a “cap-and-trade” system is imposed Source: NEI Frequency of negative prices increasing with increased wind generation

  23. Current Activities in Nuclear Energy • $21.5M FY2014 request for Nuclear Energy's Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) • DOE R&D program to extend operating life of current nuclear power plants • DOE $8 billion loan guarantee program for construction and operation of new reactors at Vogtle • 2 new nuclear reactors projected to open ~2017-2018 • Investment in university R&D for new and advanced technology • NEUP and IUP (Dept. of Energy) has awarded $290M to 89 schools since FY09 • 5600 MW new nuclear energy capacity online by 2018 • 5 new nuclear reactors (including Vogtle) online by 2018 • DOE granted $450 million to Babcock & Wilcox and NuScale for SMR commercialization • New EPA regulations on carbon emissions may be beneficial to Nuclear Vogtle – August 2013 Source: Georgia Power Co Source: DOE

  24. On-Going R&D DOE Emphasis: Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) • Examples: NuScale, mPower, PRISM, Westinghouse, Travelling Wave, etc Many different reactor types being researched: • High-Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (HTGC) • Fluoride salt-cooled high-temperature reactors (FHR) • Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) • Lead-Cooled Fast Reactor (LFR) • Very-High-Temperature Reactor (VHTR) • Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) • Supercritical-Water-Cooled Reactor (SCWR) • Gen III+ Light Water Reactor Source: B&W Source: GE Source: NuScale

  25. Financial Services Committee

  26. BANK FAILURES AND SUSPENSIONS 1864-2009

  27. Recent U.S. Economic History • 1992-2000 • Strong Economic and jobs growth • Paying down debt (- $200B/yr) • 2001-2008 • Deregulation, job stagnation and collapse • Explosion of Federal Deficit ( $1,200B/yr) • 2009-2013 • Reversal of Collapse and Gradual Recovery • Halving of Federal Deficit ( $600M/yr)

  28. Stay Connected Follow me on Twitter @RepBillFoster Like my page on Facebook facebook.com/CongressmanBillFoster Visit my website and subscribe to my newsletter at http://foster.house.gov/

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