MBEF Praises House Utilities Committee for Strong Support of Early Site Permit Bill
Big news out the House Utilities Committee this week as House Bill 1316, a bill that could lead to the construction a second nuclear power plant in Missouri, was adopted this morning by a vote of 17-2, with one member voting present.
Given the onset of strict federal emission standards and our aging fleet of power plants, Missouri needs to look to cleaner, more efficient baseload energy solutions. House Bill 1316 paves the way for additional nuclear power in the state and offers the potential for thousands of new jobs for Missourians.
Provisions in House Bill 1316 also include robust consumer protections, including a hard cap of $45 million in recoverable costs, reimbursement to consumers if the permit is sold or transferred, and increased funding for the state’s consumer watchdog, the Office of Public Counsel.
Special thanks go out to Representative Jeanie Riddle for her leadership on this issue. Earlier this week Rep. Riddle spoke with more than 800 Missourians via conference call about the benefits additional nuclear power would bring our state in the form of economic development, jobs and affordable, clean energy.
A recent development also aided the success of this legislation in committee. When asked earlier this week by Rep. Jason Holsman (D-Grandview) about the handshake agreement all parties agreed to last year regarding the site permit bill, representatives of the Fair Energy Rate Action Fund testified that “if the utility companies would come on board and support that also, I don’t think you would have any problem with us not opposing it.”
To that end Rep. Riddle offered a substitute in this morning’s committee meeting, which is identical to Sen. Mike Kehoe’s Senate Bill 869. SB 869 includes the exact language agreed upon last year by FERAF, the utilities and other parties. It appears that compromise language is now moving forward.
