U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions had a ready audience Wednesday for his spirited call for more U.S. nuclear power plants, as he took part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Teledyne Brown Engineering's new plant. The site is off Mooresville Road near Interstate 65.
Sessions, R-Mobile, congratulated Teledyne for its soon-to-be large role in the renewal of nuclear power in the U.S. He then explained his view of a sensible American energy policy, which includes reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
"It should reduce pollution, it ought not be greatly expensive, and it should reduce greenhouse gases," Sessions told the crowd. "What does all of those things better than nuclear power?"
Sessions noted that there are 31 nuclear reactor construction applications expected to be filed with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by the end of next year.
Teledyne's new plant will produce gas centrifuge service modules. The modules will house centrifuges that will be used by USEC Corp. to enrich uranium at its American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon, Ohio. That plant's construction schedule is under review but was originally slated for completion in late 2009.