An Executive Perspective

by Henry "Brew" Barron

President and Chief Executive Officer

Constellation Energy 

We are all hearing a lot of buzz about the nuclear renaissance. So much so that it is getting difficult to predict who is in and who is not, or just how many COL applications will be submitted this year. This is a good problem to have.

But if this promising future for our industry is going to become a reality, then three real issues must be effectively addressed: nuclear plants – both existing and proposed – must be safe and secure; plants must be reliable and economically competitive; and there must be a credible solution to used fuel management. These issues are our issues as an industry, and it takes our collective commitment and leadership to address them.

Today’s nuclear plants are safe and secure but not because we left that responsibility solely to our regulator. A good regulatory safety and security basis is necessary, but the accident at TMI-2 demonstrated clearly that it is not sufficient for assuring a future for our industry.