Dear Senator

The Energy Policy Act of 2003 (S. 14) is irreparably flawed. We urge you to oppose this bill, which would hurt energy consumers including business, citizens and government alike both now and in the future. Perhaps more importantly, S 14 would ensure America’s energy insecurity for many years to come.

Although this bill would support numerous ill-advised actions, we find the taxpayer-funded welfare to nuclear reactors particularly reprehensible. Since 1947, nuclear power has received 145 billion dollars in government subsidy compared to only 5 billion for solar and wind combined. That means nuclear subsidies have cost the average household a total amount of $1,411 [1998 dollars], compared to $11 for wind. If S 14 passes, it would recommend the Secretary of Energy provide loan guarantees for up to 8,400 Mw of new nuclear electricity generation. This would mean constructing between 6 and 10 new nuclear reactors. In a May 7, 2003 cost estimate report, the Congressional Budget Office says the risk of default on these taxpayer loans is very high--well above 50%. Handing more government money to large private utilities to build new nuclear reactors they would not build on their own is obviously not a good investment for taxpayers.

The CBO continues: “The key factor accounting for this risk is …the plant would be uneconomic to operate because of its high construction costs, relative to other electricity generation sources.” Using NRC, DOE and nuclear industry figures, the CBO estimates a construction cost under $3 billion for a 1,100 MW reactor. The problem with this number is that the entities on which CBO relies have historically underestimated the cost of reactor construction. A look at the actual construction costs of all U.S. nuclear power stations that came online between 1987 and 1996 (when the last reactor began operation) reveals an average cost of $4.3 Billion each with the more expensive reactors generally being the more recent ones. The highest cost, $6.8 billion, was racked up by the Watts Bar reactor, which has been online only seven years. This clearly is not “25 years ago” as the Nuclear Energy Institute tried to claim about the CBO estimates. This represents the most recent reactors, using the most recent nuclear technology, and therefore represents the only practical experience we have to go on.

We don’t want our taxpayer dollars thrown away like this. We need to invest in energy sources that are clean, actually work, give a return on investment, and can secure the energy future of the United States. Nuclear power is an established, mature energy technology. If utilities believe that nuclear power is a solid, money-making venture and can compete, let them invest their own funds in it and leave our tax dollars alone. It is time to take nuclear power off the energy welfare roles.

Sincerely,

Michael Mariotte

Executive Director

Nuclear Information and Resource Service

Washington, DC

Jim Riccio

Greenpeace

702 H Street NW #300

Washington, DC

Peter Schurman

Executive Director

MoveOn.org

Phil Radford

PowerShift

Washington, DC

Dr. Charles Mercieca

President, IAEWP, UN-NGO

International Association of Educators for World Peace

Kevin Martin

Executive Director

Peace Action

Washington, DC

REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Andrew Fellows

Chesapeake Program Director

Clean Water Action

Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia and Delaware

Sue Wheaton

Member of the Chapter Steering Committee

DC Alliance for Democracy

Maryland, Virginia, District of Columbia and Delaware

ARIZONA

Betty Schroeder

Arizona Safe Energy Coalition

Tucson, AZ

Tzadik SZS Greenberg, Facilitator of Common-Unity Systems (Focus)

YEshivat Olam Echad, Inc. (YOE-LIONS)

Tucson, AZ

Brian Blank

Environmental Justice Action Group

Tucson, AZ

Jack and Felice Cohen-Joppa

For affiliation only: The Nuclear Resister

Tucson, AZ

Pat Bernie

Women’s International League of Peace and Freedom, Tucson Branch

Tucson, AZ

CALIFORNIA

Susan Clark

Americans for a Safe Future

Sherman Oaks, CA

Susan Tansky

California Alliance in Defense of Residential Environments

Sherman Oaks, California

Victoria Carver

CARVER LAW

Santa Barbara, CA

David Rosenstein

Director

The Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life of Southern California

Ramona Rubin

Eco Kosher Network

Santa Cruz, CA

The Guacamole Fund
Hermosa Beach, CA

Jennifer Olaranna Viereck, Director
HOME: Healing Ourselves & Mother Earth
Tecopa CA

Michael Welch, volunteer

Redwood Alliance & REEI

Arcata, CA

Molly Johnson

San Luis Obispo County Grandmothers for Peace

San Miguel, CA

Stephanie Hiller

Executive Director

Women for a Better World

Occidental, CA

CONNECTICUT

Rosemary S. Vietor

Concerned Citizens of Litchfield and Dutchess Counties
CT

Peg Ryglisyn

Michael Albrizio

Connecticut Opposed to Waste

Broad Brook, CT

DELAWARE

Alan Muller, Executive Director
Green Delaware
Port Penn, DE

J. Roy Cannon, Clerk Coordinating Council

Green Party of Delaware

Newark, Delaware

GEORGIA

Adele Kushner, Executive director

Action for a Clean Environment

Alto, GA

Bob Darby

Food Not Bombs/Atlanta

Atlanta, GA

Tom Ferguson

Foundation for Global Community/Atlanta

Atlanta, GA

Sue Harmon, President

Peace Corner Group

Gainesville, GA

Sara Barczak, Safe Energy Director

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy

Savannah, GA

Jackie Ward
Executive Assistant
Southern Organizing Committee for Economic & Social Justice
Atlanta, GA

ILLINOIS

Stephanie Mertens

Adorers of the Blood of Christ Justice and Peace Office

Red Bud, IL

Margaret Nagel

Chicago Media Watch

Evanston, IL

Sandra Lindberg

Organizer

No New Nukes

Bloomington, IL

Kelly Ann Conn

Nuclear Energy Information Service

Evanston, IL

INDIANA

Chris Williams

Executive Director

Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana

Indianapolis, IN

Richard Hill

President, Save the Valley, Inc.

PO Box 813

Madison, IN

KENTUCKY

Mary Davis

Yggdrasil Institute of Earth

Island Institute

Georgetown, KY

MARYLAND

Mike Tidwell

Chesapeake Climate Action Network

Takoma Park, MD

Laurel Paget-Seekins

Jonah House

Baltimore, MD

MASSACHUSETTS

Deb Katz
Citizens Awareness Network

Shelburne Falls, MA

Cindy Luppi
Clean Water Action Alliance of MA

Boston, MA

Mary Lampert

Pilgrim Security Watch

Duxbury, MA

MICHIGAN

Kay Cumbow

Citizens for Alternatives to Chemical Contamination

Lake, MI

Keith Gunter

Citizens' Resistance at Fermi Two

Monroe, MI

Michael J. Keegan

Coalition for a Nuclear Free Great Lakes

Monroe, MI

Alice Hirt

Don't Waste Michigan

Holland, MI

John Blair, president

Valley Watch, Inc.

Evansville, IN

MINNESOTA

John Bailey
Institute for Local Self-Reliance
Minneapolis, MN

Scott Mathern-Jacobson

Loaves & Fishes Catholic Worker

Duluth, MN

Gladys Schmitz, SSND

Mankato Area Environmentalists

Mankato, MN

George Crocker

North American Water Office

Lake Elmo, MN

MONTANA

Jeanne Charter

Bull Mountain Land Alliance

Shepherd/Roundup, Montana

MISSOURI

Bea Covington

Executive Director

Missouri Coalition for the Environment

St. Louis, MO

Carla Klein

Ozark Chapter Director

Missouri Sierra Club

Columbia, MO

NEW MEXICO

Greg Mello

Los Alamos Study Group

Albuquerque, NM

NEW JERSEY

Edith Gbur

Jersey Shore Nuclear Watch

Toms River, NJ

Sylvia Zisman

Union County Committee for Peace and Social Action

Springfield, NJ

Norm Cohen

Unplug Salem Campaign and Coalition for Peace and Justice
Linwood, NJ

NEW YORK

MaryJane Shimsky

Citizens for Safe Energy

Hastings-on-Hudson, NY

Kathleen Whitley

Program Manager

Sustainable Energy Alliance of Long Island
Bridgehampton, NY

NORTH DAKOTA

Lisa Brown, president

North Dakota Peace Coalition

Bismarck, North Dakota

OHIO

Amy K Ryder

Cleveland Director

Ohio Citizen Action

Cleveland, OH

Mark D. Stansbery

Community Organizing Center

Columbus, Ohio

Chris Trepal
Earth Day Coalition
Cleveland, OH

OREGON

Lynn Sims

Don't Waste Oregon

Portland, Oregon

PENNSYLVANIA

Scott D. Portzline

Security Consultant

Three Mile Island Alert

Harrisburg, PA

TENNESSE

Faith Young

Energy People

Dixon Springs, TN

Sarah Dalrymple

Students Promoting Environmental Action in Knoxville

Knoxville, TN

TEXAS

Tristan Mendoza

Texas Radiation Online

Austin, TX

UTAH

Steve Erickson, director

Citizens Education Project

Salt Lake City, UT

WASHINGTON

Greg Wingard
Executive Director
Waste Action Project
Seattle, WA