At a hearing of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development of the House Committee on Appropriations, of all places. His testimony contains some of what I’ve been wanting to hear from him, a sober assessment of what the Japan incident means for the U.S. (obviously I quibble with the administration’s arguments for the components of the “diverse set” of energy sources, but that is beside the point):
The American people should have full confidence that the United States has rigorous safety regulations in place to ensure that our nuclear power is generated safely and responsibly. Information is still coming in about the events unfolding in Japan, but the Administration is committed to learning from Japan’s experience as we work to continue to strengthen America’s nuclear industry.
Safety remains at the forefront of our effort to responsibly develop America’s energy resources, and we will continue to incorporate best practices and lessons learned into that process.
To meet our energy needs, the Administration believes we must rely on a diverse set of energy sources including renewables like wind and solar, natural gas, clean coal and nuclear power. We look forward to a continued dialogue with Congress on moving that agenda forward.
About time, too. He still needs to make a major speech on this, but for now I’m glad to see that responsibility appears to be prevailing. Well said, Steven Chu.