ANS Nuclear Policy Wire November 7, 2018

November 7, 2018

Introducing Frank Pallone As Democrats are poised to take control of the U.S. House, chairmanship of the House Energy & Commerce Committee will move to Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ-6).   As Chairman, Pallone will be responsible for setting the committee's agenda and designing oversight panels. While not a vocal nuclear supporter, he recently voted yes on passage of H.R. 3053, the Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act. However, Pallone is no fan of the Trump administration's plan to support ailing coal and nuclear plants, stating he will "conduct oversight of President Trump's efforts to upend competitive electricity markets by providing preferential rates and other subsidies to coal and nuclear generation."  He may also investigate DOE officials' relationships with coal executive Bob Murrary.    In other news, yesterday Arizona voters "rejected a ballot initiative to require electric utilities to get 50% of their electricity from renewables by 2030." This is good news for the Palo Verde nuclear plant, which otherwise would have faced potential early retirement.