Kehoe: ESP is the first step to thousands of long-term jobs
By Sen. Mike Kehoe
“I have been asked repeatedly this year why, if it is such a high priority, I have not filed Early Site Permit legislation that is the critical first step toward building additional nuclear capacity at the current Callaway site. My first response is that the need for additional nuclear power production at the current Callaway site increases every day. Missourian’s electric bills continue to rise because we are far too dependent upon an old coal fleet that the federal government has put directly in their cross-hairs. Beyond that, securing an early site permit is the first step toward thousands of good, high-paying, long-term jobs. Secondly, I respond that there has been legislation filed by Representative Riddle in the House, legislation that was overwhelmingly supported last year and legislation that will receive tremendous bi-partisan support when it comes over to the Senate. Thirdly, I respond that there is still a great deal of time left to file bills in the Senate. I talk about ESP legislation with my fellow Senators daily and I am confident that the great support I had last year has only grown. However, I still have no indications that the roadblocks, half-truths, and political games that sabotaged the process in the Senate last year can be avoided until next year. As you may have seen, the Southern Company in Georgia was just granted licensure for the construction of the first two nuclear reactors in the United States in more than 30 years. Had our ESP legislation passed last year, it might have been Missouri leading the way in the nuclear renaissance in the United States. I am hopeful that the coming weeks will provide opportunity for a caucus meeting in the Senate where legislation that will lead to thousands of ‘boots on the ground’ jobs can be discussed, so that we can take the next step forward in securing Missouri’s energy future and putting Missourians to work in the long-term, high-paying jobs that building additional nuclear capacity will create.”
