Women in Nuclear Promotes Nuclear Energy on Capitol Hill

More than 25 members of U.S. Women in Nuclear (WIN) converged on Washington, D.C., this week to meet with congressional staff members and garner legislative support for nuclear energy. Among their recommendations: as Congress considers climate and energy legislation, that nuclear energy be considered alongside other clean-air energy technologies such as wind and solar.

The men and women of the WIN delegation, who spoke to staffers from the offices of more than 30 senators and representatives, were met with positive reactions on Capitol Hill.

“If you’re supporting clean air, you have to have nuclear in the picture,” said Giulia Bisconti, a legislative fellow in the office of Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air and Nuclear Safety.

WIN members also praised the tripling of loan guarantee authority to $54 billion in the DOE budget request and encouraged the continued expansion of loan guarantees for nuclear plants.

They also urged members of Congress not to support legislation that would require utility customers to pay a third time for the decontamination and decommissioning of DOE enrichment facilities. (See NEI’s fact sheet on this issue here.)

Another issue of particular importance to college students, who made up a significant share of the WIN delegation, was work force development and job creation.

Jeffrey Whited, a nuclear engineering student at Missouri University of Science and Technology, said he favors building new plants in part because of the resulting economic development.

“It means jobs, which is something that’s very important for me,” Whited said.

For many WIN members, participating in the delegation offered opportunities beyond promoting the nuclear industry and influencing policymakers—it was also a chance for personal and professional development.

“So many of our WIN members have professional careers that don’t include government affairs, and yet what goes on in Congress and in the policy space really impacts our industry,” said Angie Howard, president of Howard-Johnson Associates and former NEI vice president and executive adviser to the president. “It’s important to get comfortable communicating your position and be proud of what you do.”