[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 155 (Wednesday, December 1, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H7760]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        H.R. 5866, THE NERD ACT

  (Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, by 2030, America's 
energy needs will increase by 40 percent, and our nuclear power plants 
are, on average, 30 years old and are nearing the end of their life 
cycles.
  We need more energy.
  The Nuclear Energy Research and Development Act, which passed the 
House last night, accelerates the development of small, pre-made 
reactors that can be built in factories and shipped to sites at a 
fraction of the cost. Today, a typical nuclear power plant costs $10 
billion, takes 5 years to build, and produces more than 1,100 
megawatts. Small reactors cost $750 million, which can be quickly added 
to the grid and shipped into the place.
  We need energy independence; but to rebuild our economy, we need 
products that can be developed here, built in our factories, and sold 
all over the world; or we can keep sending our dollars to OPEC. This 
year, the U.S. will buy $350 billion of foreign oil; and for roughly 1 
day's worth of oil purchased from a foreign country, this bill invests 
in the technology that produces these new energy plants.
  The stimulus bill gave us windmills made in China. Let's not repeat 
that mistake. If we don't do this in the USA, other countries can and 
will make them and ship them here. Let's support U.S. jobs for U.S. 
energy.
  I urge the Senate to quickly adopt H.R. 5866.

                          ____________________