Nuclear power is the most important form of clean energy, former EPA Administrator Christie Todd Whitman told the Governor's Conference on Energy at the Greater Richmond Convention Center this afternoon.
"Our nuclear industry is extremely safe," Whitman said. "Americans will need clean, cost-effective energy sources."
Nuclear power plants emit essentially no greenhouse gases, Whitman said. She is the co-chair of the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition, which promotes nuclear energy's benefits.
At a panel discussion on the North Anna nuclear power plant's shutdown during the Aug. 23 central Virginia earthquake, a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission official said, "The plant actually rode it out very well as far as we can tell today."
The two Dominion Virginia Power nuclear reactors remain shut down as the NRC reviews the impact of the quake, which exceeded the plant's design strength, on the station.
The NRC's Martin Virgilio said the federal agency hopes to complete its review activities "in the next week or so."
The full NRC will receive a briefing Friday on the North Anna shutdown. No U.S. commercial reactor had ever been tripped offline by an earthquake before North Anna shutdown in August.
About 900 people have registered for the three-day event, hosted by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.
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