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Lieberman-Warner Climate Bill: Warner Amendment

As the IT folks in Senator Warner's office are undoubtedly really busy, below is a transcription of a draft of the Warner amendment. According to Sen. Warner, his proposed amendment will be the first one to be offered up, and will likely be introduced Wednesday morning.

AMENDMENT NO. ____
CALENDAR NO. _____

Purpose: To modify a subtitle relating to low- and zero- carbon electricity technology.

To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a program to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases, and for other purposes.

AMENDMENTS intended to be proposed by Mr. Warner (for himself and Mr. Lieberman) + Sen. Carper [D-DEL].

Viz:
On page 164, strike line 15 and insert the following:
(c) EDUCATION AND TRAINING - For each

Beginning on page 181, strike line 1 and all that follows through page 183, line 3, and insert the following:
SEC. 536 EDUCATION AND TRAINING

(a) Definition of Applicable Period -- In this section, the term "applicable period" means --
(1) each 5-year period during the period beginning on January 1, 2012 and ending on December 31, 2047: and
(2) the 3-year period beginning on January 1, 2048, and ending on December 31, 2050

(b) Nuclear Science and Engineering Education -- For each applicable period, the Secretary of Energy shall use 1/3 of the amounts made available under section 534 (c) for the calendar years in the applicable period to increase the number and amounts of nuclear science talent expansion grants and nuclear science competitiveness grants provided under section 5004 of the America COMPETES Act (42 U.S.C. 16532).

(c) Nuclear Energy Trades Training and Certification -- For each applicable period, the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with nuclear energy entities and organized labor, shall use 1/3 of the amounts made available under section 534 (c) for the calendar years in the applicable period to expand workforce training to meet the high demand for workers skilled in nuclear power plant construction and operation, including programs for --
(1) electrical craft certification;
(2) preapprenticeship career technical education for industrialized skilled crafts that are useful in the construction of nuclear power plants;
(3) community college and skill center training for nuclear power plant technicians;
(4) training of construction management personnel for nuclear power plant construction projects;
(5) regional grants for integrated nuclear energy workforce development programs

(d) Climate Change Science And Policy Education -- For each applicable period, the Secretary of Education shall use 1/3 of the amounts made available under section 534 (c) for the calendar years in the applicable period to support climate change policy and science education in the United States.

On page 292, strike line 22 and insert the following:
SEC. 901. FINDINGS; SENSE OF SENATE
(a) Findings. -- Congress finds that --
(1) more than 40 years of experience in the United States relating to commercial nuclear power plants have demonstrated that nuclear reactors can be operated safely;
(2) in 2007, nuclear power plants produced 19 percent of the electricity generated in the United States;
(3) nuclear power plants are the only baseload source of emission-free electric generation, emitting no greenhouse gases or criteria pollutants associated with acid rain, smog, or ozone;
(4) in 2007, nuclear power plants in the United States
(A) avoided more than 692,000,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions; and
(B) accounted for more than 73 percent of emission-free electric generation in the United States;
(5) a lifecycle emissions analysis by the International Energy Agency determined that nuclear power plants emit fewer greenhouse gases than wind energy, solar energy, and biomass on a per kilowatt-hour basis;
(6) construction of a new nuclear power plant is estimated to require between 1,400 and 1,800 jobs during a 4-year period, with peak employment reaching as many as 2,400 workers;
(7) (A) once operational, a new nuclear power plant is estimated to provide 400 to 600 full-time jobs for up to 60 years; and
(B) jobs at nuclear power plants pay, on average, 40 percent more than other jobs in surrounding communities;
(8) revitalization of a domestic manufacturing industry to provide nuclear components for new power plants that can be deployed in the United States and exported for use in global carbon reduction programs will provide thousands of new, high-paying jobs and contribute to economic growth in the United States;
(9) data of the Bureau and Labor Statistics demonstrate that it is safer to work in a nuclear power plant than to work in the real estate or financial sectors;
(10) while aggressive energy efficiency measures and an increased deployment of renewable generation can and should be taken, the United States will be unable to meet climate reduction goals without the construction of new nuclear power plants;
(11) modeling conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy Information Administration demonstrate that emission reductions are greater, and compliance costs are lower, if nuclear power plants are used to provide a greater percentage of electricity;
(12) the United States has been a world leader in nuclear science; and
(13) institutions of higher education in the United States will play a critical role in advancing knowledge about the use and the safety of nuclear energy for the production of electricity.

(b) Sense of Senate Regarding Use of Funds -- It is the Sense of the Senate that Congres should stimulate private sector investment in the manufacturing if nuclear project components in the United States, including through the financial incentives program established under this subtitle.

SEC. 902 DEFINITIONS
On page 293, line 14, insert: (D) establishing procedures, programs, and facilities to achieve ASME certification standards
On page 294, strike line 10 and insert the following:
or low carbon generation, including --
(A) a technology referred to in section
832(a); and
(B) nuclear power technology

[snip]

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