WASHINGTON, DC - Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Energy and Power Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield (R-KY), and Environment and the Economy Subcommittee Chairman John Shimkus (R-IL) issued the following statement after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced they were issuing the operating license of the Watts Bar Nuclear Unit 2 in Tennessee:
“This is twenty years in the making and we welcome today’s announcement for Watts Bar Unit 2. Safe, clean nuclear power is, and must continue to be, a vital component of a diverse all-of-the-above energy portfolio. This nuclear plant will help fulfill the region’s need for affordable, reliable, and abundant electricity for decades to come. And just as important, it will power the local economy and put folks back to work. We hope this license marks an important step forward for new nuclear units by the NRC and cultivates an environment for future licenses to be approved in a more timely manner."
