Idaho Congressman Simpson participated in the New Millennium Nuclear Energy Summit today, which was co-hosted by the Third Way and the Idaho National Laboratory. The summit brought together senior government and industry officials, NGO representatives and energy investors to discuss the future of nuclear energy in our nation.

During the summit, Simpson noted the importance of holding continued discussions on the future of nuclear energy. He said, “Nuclear energy must be a part of our energy future if we are going to truly address the issues of greenhouse gases and climate change.  However, if we’re going to advance nuclear industry in this country, both government and industry need to know where we are and where we’re going.”

The summit featured a variety of stakeholders, including Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, White House Advisor Carol Browner, Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner Chairman Gregory Jaczko, Idaho National Laboratory Director John Grossenbacher, as well as industry CEOs and other stakeholders. The stated goal of the summit is to provide a forum to start developing broader consensus on the future of nuclear energy in the United States and determining the steps needed to revive the nation’s nuclear energy industry.

“We must work together to develop and sustain a long term nuclear energy vision with the government and industry -  working together as partners and putting down a strong footprint towards implementing these goals,” said Simpson. “This summit is a strong first step, and I look forward to moving ahead on this vision.”

The summit represents the first of a series of meetings and conversations to be held over the coming year on the future of nuclear energy.