House Bill 124 – The Early Site Permit Bill – Continues to Gain Momentum
MEDIA RELEASE
Kim Carlos – 816-550-1782
kim@moenergyfuture.com
House Bill 124 – The Early Site Permit Bill – Continues to Gain Momentum
Statewide Coalition of Supporters Turned Out to Testify in Support
February 16, 2011 (Jefferson City, Missouri) – Missourians for a Balanced Energy Future (MBEF) was among the dozens of organizations that testified on Monday in front of the House Utilities Committee in support of House Bill 124 (Companion bill in the Senate is Senate Bill 50) – the Missouri Energy Partnership Act — which would keep open the option for Missouri to obtain a site permit for the possible construction of a second nuclear power plant in Callaway County,.
“The message was clear on Monday. Clean energy – low rates – thousands of jobs – costing the average residential consumer less than $2 per year on their electric bills – all reasons to keep nuclear power an option for Missouri’s energy future and support HB 124,” stated Irl Scissors, Executive Director of MBEF.
In addition to MBEF, this bipartisan legislation, had over thirty-eight witnesses on hand to testify with forty others submitting testimony all in favor of preserving nuclear power as an option in order to create a long-term plan for keeping Missouri’s electric rates as low as possible while meeting future demand for clean, reliable energy.
Standing together on Monday in support of HB 124 were representatives from small and large businesses, the Missouri Farm Bureau and labor organizations including the Missouri AFL-CIO, the Building and Construction Trades, Laborers, Electrical Workers and many others.. Every electric service provider in the state was represented at the hearing including the rural electric cooperatives, investor owned utilities and municipal utilities. Many local chambers of commerce including Jefferson City, Columbia and the Lake of the Ozarks and major economic development agencies such as MissouriCore, a regional agency spanning 12 counties, were also on hand to testify. Please visit MBEF’s website to see a list of supporters.
“This broad and growing coalition of support for HB 124 exists because we all understand that a new nuclear plant might be the best long-term option for keeping our electric rates low. More than 80 percent of Missouri’s power is supplied by aging coal-fired power plants that will soon have to be replaced. Clean, efficient nuclear power may be the best option for replacing our aging power plants and meeting increased demand for electricity. That’s why we need to act now to keep open the option for a new nuclear plant in Missouri, which will create thousands of jobs and add billions to the economy,” stated Irl Scissors, Executive Director of MBEF.
“You cannot separate energy from economic development, “ stated State Representative Jeannie Riddle, sponsor of HB 124. Mark A. Fohey, President – Columbia, Jefferson City, MO and Vicinity Building and Construction Trades and MBEF officer stated “If we don’t keep moving forward we will see more and more power being imported into Missouri from other states and more jobs leaving the state. “
“Our coalition wants legislators to understand the important positive impact that HB 124 will have on Missouri. Passage of this bill would be a major step in a long-term plan for clean Missouri-generated energy, job development, and affordable and reliable power for our citizens and businesses,” said Gary Laffoon, Executive Director, MissouriCore and MBEF officer.
About Missourians for a Balanced Energy Future (MBEF): MBEF is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization comprised of small and large businesses, labor, farmers, associations, trade groups and Missouri citizens, who understand that securing Missouri’s reliable energy sources for tomorrow means making common sense decisions today. www.moenergyfuture.org.
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