Former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, who served as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency during the Bush Administration, spoke to a crowd gathered at the Clinton School on Tuesday night about the future of nuclear energy.
Introduced by Clinton School student Fernando Cutz, Whitman, who currently serves as co-chair for the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition (CASEnergy Coaliton), spoke about the role that the coalition plays in providing U.S. citizens with facts about nuclear energy.
There will be a 24percent increase in energy needs by 2035, and CASEnergy is committed to dividing base power in the cleanest way possible to prepare the country for that time, Whitman said.
Whitman said CASEnergy is having a great impact on local communities, even playing a role in creating jobs in 28 states.
Addressing the issue of the cost of nuclear energy, Whitman said nuclear energy is cost competitive with wind energy. Statistics show that the average nuclear reactor costs between $8 billion and $10 billion, but Whitman said most of that cost is on the front end.
Whitman emphasized the importance of establishing a national energy policy as soon as possible, stressing that the United States cannot afford to put it off any longer.
Whitman also said that the involvement of both government and private institutions is imperative to furthering the prospects of nuclear energy.
“We must do a better job of energy conservation,” she said, encouraging the audience that the best way to get involved in the future of energy is to learn about how nuclear energy can best fit with the community.
*This post was written by Clinton School student Veena Rangaswami (’13).