During his confirmation hearing, Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) discussed nuclear energy and other topics with Chris Wright, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for Secretary of Energy.
Sen. Gallego spoke of his previous support for annual appropriations for small modular reactors (SMRs): "However, SMRs, and nuclear energy more broadly, face several challenges, including the cost of scaling, commercialization, public perception, and permitting. " He asked Wright how he intends to expand and improve the development of SMRs.
While he was new to politics, Wright answered that he believed the Department of Energy "absolutely" had a role in developing nuclear energy.
"It is also research, it is also communication about the energy, and the technology like this should be a huge part of America's future energy source. But that will not happen without action within the legislature of the United States," Wright continued.
The Arizona Senator then asked what sort of legislation would help in this endeavor, to which Wright replied that the ADVANCE Act, signed into law by President Biden in July, "is a great first step, but certainly more can be done."
Sen. Gallego noted, "Arizona is a state with ample renewable resources (the Sun) and a rapidly growing industrial sector. Since the passage of the [Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)], Arizona has seen billions of dollars in new clean energy investments."
However, "some Republicans have started talking about dismantling and narrowing the energy provisions from the IRA, which in the end would not actually save money, and doing so would actually cost Arizona middle-class jobs, economic growth, and cost of clean energy production, which I think we all agree we want as much energy production no matter what or where it comes from."
As a result, Gallego asked Wright if he would preserve the Inflation Reduction Act's clean energy provisions and ensure the previously authorized funds were efficiently distributed.
Wright said that he is not involved in the lawmaking process rather than its implementation but will efficiently distribute funds and lead the charge on researching and developing new technologies related to energy production, which he called "a critical role."
