Lawmakers need to keep nuclear power an option for Iowa
Nuclear energy must remain an option for Iowans if our state is to move forward.
Our state lawmakers are debating House File 561. It does not give MidAmerican Energy, or any utility, permission to build a nuclear power plant or charge any costs to its customers. It allows the Iowa Utilities Board to determine if nuclear energy is right for Iowa and allows small modular reactors as an option to be considered for further generation.
Obviously, this is an emotional issue for many and there is some fear of the old nuclear reactors, but nuclear reactors have been greatly improved in the last few decades and the modular reactor proposed here is extraordinarily safe and will benefit our future.
It is plain to see that the legislation establishes the necessary regulatory framework to allow nuclear energy to remain a choice for our energy future. Why would we ever limit ourselves or take an option off the table?
I encourage our lawmakers to keep the door open. Do the right thing and pass the nuclear legislation.
— John Shors, Des Moines
