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Indiana is uniquely positioned to be the national leader in nuclear energy, and my administration is committed to making that goal a reality.
I’d like to tell you a bit about why I think nuclear energy is so important to Indiana’s future, and the efficiency and safety advances that have been made in nuclear technology.
My administration supports an “all of the above” energy strategy, which means embracing our state’s abundant natural resources like coal as well as investing in innovative and renewable energy sources.
I believe the most important investment we can make to meet Indiana’s growing electricity demands long term is embracing nuclear energy production. Nuclear is a clean, carbon-free, always-on workhorse for energy generation, which already supplies one-fifth of America’s energy supply.
Recent innovations in nuclear technology, such as small modular reactors, have made nuclear more cost-effective and, most important, one of the safest forms of energy generation available—second only in safety to intermittent renewables like solar.
Small modular reactors represent the next wave in energy innovation. They boast much shorter construction times and are designed with complete safety in mind. SMRs have passive safety systems that cool themselves without the need for human intervention, and their smaller cores and lower operating pressure mean they can cool themselves indefinitely, eliminating the risk of meltdowns. The U.S. Navy has been using small modular reactor technology for 75 years with a sterling safety record.
The demand for nuclear is already here. While new AI technology and data centers will certainly require a lot of electricity to operate, Indiana’s advanced manufacturing already has higher electricity demands than we can provide. To continue to grow our economy, we simply need more power.
Nuclear is the answer, and Indiana is already leading the way. Our commitment to developing nuclear energy starts with community engagement and education. That’s why we’re hosting the National Governors’ Association’s nuclear energy retreat to map out a community engagement program. This community engagement will kick off with IBJ Media’s Nuclear Energy Forum on July 22, where local leaders from across the state are invited to learn about modern nuclear energy and what it can do for our growing economy. In November, I will co-host a Global Nuclear Energy & Economic Summit with Purdue University President Mung Chiang to invite global developers and manufacturers to explore Indiana’s place in the nuclear ecosystem.
My administration is taking action to accelerate that progress by taking advantage of our unique advantages for nuclear production.
One big advantage is our legislative environment. The Indiana General Assembly has been laying the framework to lead on nuclear over the past three years, and during this year’s legislative session, we passed three landmark bills to encourage small modular reactor development and investment.
One important note for Hoosiers concerned about the price of meeting our growing electricity demand: Under House Bill 1007, any new large load user of electricity that comes to Indiana will pay 80% of the additional cost of meeting their utility needs.
Through executive order, I created a coalition to drive innovation and remove bureaucratic roadblocks to nuclear investment here in Indiana, drive collaboration between industry and government in this mission, and identify areas where we can streamline project development and reduce the cost through federal incentives.
Led by Secretary Suzie Jaworowski, who previously served as senior adviser in the Office of Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, my Office of Energy and Natural Resources has already made historic progress to bring small modular reactor power to Indiana in a safe and stable way. For example, we’re supporting the Rockport Power Plant’s transition to nuclear generation, which will protect jobs and pave the way for more transition projects in the years to come.
The reason advanced nuclear facilities take seven to 10 years to get online often has more to do with bureaucratic and regulatory hurdles than with the construction itself. Indiana has been pursuing an “agreement state” certification with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, meaning we will be certified as having the foundation to handle nuclear and related materials.
Indiana already has world-class experience and infrastructure for radiological safety. For example, our Indiana Department of Homeland Security already has 15 employees who track any and all radiological materials that come into the state. Their tools are so accurate and sensitive they can detect if a person has recently received chemotherapy treatment out of a crowd of thousands. As Indiana leads in nuclear energy development, we will also lead in safety. Our agreement-state certification with the NRC is projected to be confirmed in the first quarter of next year.
Another advantage is our specialized workforce pipeline. Indiana’s universities are producing graduates with advanced degrees in the fields the nuclear industry needs most. Purdue University is one of the few universities in the country with an operational nuclear reactor on campus. In November, Purdue will host our Global Nuclear Energy Economic Summit, further solidifying Indiana’s place as the nation’s leading state in nuclear power.
Indiana doesn’t just want to be the leader in nuclear energy generation; we want to be the home for every part of the production supply chain. Nuclear involves a lot of advanced manufacturing for components and reactors, and Indiana is already the premier location for advanced manufacturing. We have the infrastructure, utilities, pro-business legislative and regulatory ecosystem, and shovel-ready sites to support these facilities and the great jobs they’ll create. As President Trump and his Department of Energy incentivize nuclear production, Indiana has a running start to take advantage of those incentives and build a new energy framework that can meet our needs for decades.
As demand for electricity continues to accelerate in the modern economy, the country will soon be divided into states that can meet this unprecedented new level of electricity demand and those that can’t. This is a unique moment in our state’s history, and I see it as a golden opportunity to expand our energy portfolio in an innovative way that will benefit Hoosiers for generations to come.•
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Braun, a Republican, was elected governor last November.
Editor’s note: IBJ Media’s Nuclear Energy Forum was planned in cooperation with the Indiana Office of Energy Development and is not a newsroom event.
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Full speed ahead.
This makes perfect sense. Please proceed.
In the face of oncoming USA energy shortages, it sure is time to lead!
scam
Time to drop solar and wind from your options. Have you listened to anything that Energy Secretary Chris Wright has said about solar and wind including calling them parasites on the grid. Time to embrace the real Republican stance and give solar and wind their walking papers. We all know that those renewables have no place in a secure energy platform. They are unreliable, intermittent, not dispatchable and more highly subsidized by taxpayer dollars than any other forms of energy When you know better, you do better. Time to do better, Governor Braun.
Governor Braun included in his opinion piece an inaccurate statement. I understand why that might be given the barrage of nuclear spin nonsense lately. But here’s the Governor’s statement: “The reason advanced nuclear facilities take seven to 10 years to get online often has more to do with bureaucratic and regulatory hurdles than with the construction itself.”
The fact is that actual construction of a large nuclear unit takes 14 or more years to build because they are very complicated and resource-intense power generation technology. No nuclear plant in the US has ever avoided long construction delays and massive cost overruns. Not one. This was after approval of the design. Nuclear power has always been a financial disaster. Always.
SMRs will be no different. The NuScale’s SMR design experienced cost overruns during the design phase. Estimated costs increased by a factor of 3. The final memo from NRC staff consisted of 100 different safety concerns that the company never addressed. Other designs are in the pre-approval stage. The State of Indiana has embarked on a highly speculative venture – but using taxpayer and ratepayer money to do so. Without substantial taxpayer and ratepayer subsidies, utility companies would never consider SMRs. They are just too expensive to take such as risk. So, as has been the case with the large nuclear units, essentially all financial risk is shifted to the taxpayer and ratepayer.