Dallas Morning News on the Waxman-Markey Bill

Hat tip to NNN reader Walker for passing along this Dallas Morning News Editorial that somehow didn't make it into our media clips. From Friday, May 8th:

First step toward a balanced energy policy

...The [Waxman-Markey] bill is long on environmental policy mandates but short on energy.

For instance, there's no mention of nuclear energy in the more than 600 pages, nor does the bill provide critical details about the cap-and-trade mechanism proposed to reduce CO{-2} emissions.

[snip]

No energy or environmental bill can be complete without a serious and comprehensive strategy to develop nuclear energy, essentially a carbon-free but reliable power source. [Ed: emphasis added]

U.S. electricity use is projected to increase 45 percent by 2030. This means nuclear and other cleaner energy alternatives are necessary to wean the nation from coal and other fossil fuels, which today account for about 85 percent of U.S. energy production. Congress should not squander an opportunity to promote nuclear energy as an integral part of the transition.

This bill must streamline the permitting process for nuclear plants, address safety concerns and provide incentives for companies to invest in nuclear power.