In Response to Questioning from Rep. Susie Lee, Energy Secretary Granholm Commits to “Consent-Based” Alternatives to Yucca Mountain
| WASHINGTON – In today's hearing for the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies, U.S. Rep. Susie Lee (NV-03) questioned Energy Secretary Granholm over policy failures at the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository and encouraged Administration efforts to grow Nevada's renewable energy infrastructure. Rep. Lee addressed policy failures at Yucca Mountain and asked the Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm about development of a "consent-based" site selection process: Rep. Lee – "Yucca Mountain has been a failure of both policy and science for decades now with millions of dollars wasted and nothing to show for it. So, I'm greatly encouraged that the Administration has committed to developing an alternative to the use of Yucca Mountain for the storage of nuclear waste. Secretary, could you elaborate on how the Administration plans to work with states, tribal governments, and other stakeholders to develop a "consent-based" siting process for nuclear waste storage?
Sec. Granholm – "…The Department is really developing a strategic approach to moving forward with that ‘consent-based,' sited, federal interim storage facility which is what we are authorized to be able to do. We want to use – and we will use – the 20 million dollars this committee included in the FY2021 Bill to make progress on that interim storage." Rep. Lee also inquired about the Administration's efforts to support renewable energy and modernize the power grid: Rep. Lee – "I would now like to shift to the topic of renewable energy and grid modernization. Nevada is a leader in renewable energy generation, especially solar, and has committed to a 50% standard by 2030 and a goal of net zero emissions by 2050, but to achieve these goals, Nevada – and across the U.S. – major upgrades are needed to our existing power grid infrastructure. How does the Administration plan to support and manage the upgrades needed to modernize the power grid to support new renewable energy sources?
Sec. Granholm – "Yeah, I absolutely agree that we have got to invest in a 21st century grid that powers the 21st century economy we are creating. Your goals mirror, and maybe informed the U.S.'s decision to have that as their goal as well. We need to make investments in our transmission lines to help move the electricity to where it's needed. So, we need to add capacity to the grid. We need to add resiliency to the grid. We need to harden the grid…" Rep. Lee also asked Sec. Granholm about data storage security pertaining to the Department of Energy's key role in supporting national and grid security: Rep. Lee – "Beyond our reputation as a national leader in renewable energy generation, we're also recognized for our progress on data storage security. Companies like Switch, which is headquartered in my district, are enabling new technological capabilities to ensure secure data storage and transfer … Secretary, given the key role the Department of Energy plays with national and grid security, I hope that you will accept our invitation – will you visit with and learn from our local leaders here who are working to help the D.O.E. improve its data storage? We'd love to have you come visit!
Sec. Granholm – "Invitation accepted!" |