First Substitute S.J.R. 16

Senator David P. Hinkins proposes the following substitute bill:

1 JOINT RESOLUTION SUPPORTING NUCLEAR
2 POWER
3 2009 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Chief Sponsor: David P. Hinkins
6 House Sponsor: Christine F. Watkins
7
8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This joint resolution of the Legislature expresses support for new nuclear power
11 development in Utah.
12 Highlighted Provisions:
13 This resolution:
14 . encourages that new nuclear power development be pursued in Utah due to its
15 beneficial impact on the economy, fuel diversification, and the environment, and its
16 impressive operational safety and security record;
17 . declares that nuclear power has been shown to be a viable cost effective option, that
18 current rate payer protection laws and regulations are sufficient, and that no new
19 legislation or special action is needed for the Public Service Commission to
20 recognize nuclear power as a prudent investment;
21 . declares that no appropriations for special committees or programs are needed to
22 determine whether nuclear power can be built in Utah;
23 . encourages all investor-owned and municipally owned utilities and power marketers
24 and traders to consider participating in a nuclear power project in Utah; and
25 . recognizes commercial nuclear power plants as a market-based, commercially

26 competitive enterprise.
27 Special Clauses:
28 None
29
30 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
31 WHEREAS, Utah and the surrounding western states have experienced increased new
32 electricity demands and have forecasted continued increases over the next several decades;
33 WHEREAS, Utah requires affordable and abundant energy for homes and businesses to
34 maintain and grow its economy;
35 WHEREAS, Utah and the surrounding areas will likely suffer significant financial
36 difficulties without new reliable and affordable electric generating resources being built, adding
37 to and prolonging the depressed economy;
38 WHEREAS, Utah enjoys and continues to rely on cost effective coal fired power plants
39 for 85% of its electric generation;
40 WHEREAS, Utah's ability to build any new significant coal fired power plants is
41 limited;
42 WHEREAS, new emission controls, carbon capture technology, carbon sequestration,
43 and advance coal combustion technologies should be encouraged, but are not projected to be
44 commercially feasible and cost effective for at least 25 years;
45 WHEREAS, new natural gas electric generation could increase the volatility of retail
46 electric prices and retail natural gas prices;
47 WHEREAS, hydro power resources are constrained and not expected to expand in
48 capacity;
49 WHEREAS, nationwide nuclear power provides low cost, long term, stable retail and
50 wholesale pricing for customers;
51 WHEREAS, the United States Congress and the United States Nuclear Regulatory
52 Commission worked together to improve the old process for licensing new nuclear power
53 plants;
54 WHEREAS, the new nuclear power plant licensing process presently includes a "one
55 step" Combined Operating License (COL) procedure, which combines construction and
56 operating license applications and reviews into a single process;

57 WHEREAS, the new licensing process is more efficient, predictable, and reliable;
58 WHEREAS, three Early Site Permits for new nuclear plants, one of the new licensing
59 processes now in place, have been issued with little or no delays from adjudication;
60 WHEREAS, the estimated time frame to complete a new nuclear COL is five years;
61 WHEREAS, the development of nuclear power plants will provide significant
62 economic benefits to the local, regional, and state populations in the form of many high paying
63 jobs and additional tax revenues;
64 WHEREAS, the construction of a new nuclear facility would inject billion of dollars
65 into Utah's economy in the form of 3,500 construction jobs during a two unit construction
66 period spanning up to seven years;
67 WHEREAS, one proposed site in Utah would contribute over $2 million in 2009 to the
68 State Institutional Trust Lands Fund;
69 WHEREAS, operations of two new generation units would provide approximately 800
70 jobs for highly skilled workers over the plant's 60 year projected lifetime;
71 WHEREAS, the needed regulatory and legal framework to deploy safe, secure, and cost
72 competitive nuclear power in Utah is in place;
73 WHEREAS, Utah already has a nuclear reactor at the University of Utah;
74 WHEREAS, the University of Utah Training Research and Isotope Production, General
75 Atomics research reactor in Salt Lake City has been operating safely since 1975;
76 WHEREAS, the United States' nuclear industry has accumulated almost 3,400 reactor
77 years of operation since the first plant started up in 1957 without serious injury or death to a
78 single member of the public;
79 WHEREAS, the current practice of storing spent fuel in wet or dry storage containers at
80 a nuclear power plant has been proven safe since commercial nuclear power began in 1957;
81 WHEREAS, 95% of the energy from a nuclear reactor's spent fuel has significant value
82 and can be reprocessed or recycled for use as fuel in the future when this option is
83 commercialized in the United States;
84 WHEREAS, spent fuel from a nuclear reactor is valuable;
85 WHEREAS, France, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Germany currently
86 recycle or reprocess spent fuel successfully; and
87 WHEREAS, there is no scientific or safety rationale requiring the near term movement

88 of spent fuel from the power plants where it is generated, and fuel can be safely and securely
89 stored on site for up to 100 years without environmental impacts:
90 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
91 urges that new nuclear power development be pursued within the boundaries of the state.
92 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature urges that commercial development
93 of new nuclear power be pursued in the state due to its beneficial impact on the economy, fuel
94 diversification, and the environment, and its impressive operational safety and security record,
95 in particular the fact that no member of the public has been seriously injured by operation of
96 the 104 nuclear power plants currently operating in the United States.
97 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature declares that nuclear power has
98 been shown to be a viable cost effective option, that current rate payer protection laws and
99 regulations are sufficient, and that no new legislation or special action is needed for the Public
100 Service Commission to recognize nuclear power as a prudent investment.
101 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature recognizes that no appropriations
102 are needed for special committees or programs to determine whether a nuclear power plant can
103 be built in Utah because the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission will review and
104 adjudicate the licensing, as needed, and nuclear developers will pay for those costs.
105 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature encourages investor-owned and
106 municipally owned utilities and power marketers and traders to consider participating in a
107 nuclear power project in Utah.
108 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature recognizes commercial nuclear
109 power plants as market-based, commercially competitive enterprises due to their safety and
110 security record, the science and performance data, and the economic performance of the present
111 power plants.
112 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the President of
113 the United States, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United
114 States House of Representatives, the United States Secretary of Energy, Governor Huntsman,
115 and to the members of Utah's congressional delegation.