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| Date: | January 13, 2011 | | Contact Name: | Susan Closmore | | Contact Phone: | 651-329-9923 | | Contact Email: | susan.closmore@senate.mn | | For Immediate Release | |
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| SEN. MICHELLE BENSON CO-AUTHORS BILL TO LIFT NUCLEAR BAN |
St. Paul-- In an effort to reduce our dependence on oil, Senator Michelle Benson (R- Ham Lake) joined Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch, Senator Dave Brown and Senator Al DeKruif this week in authoring a bill to repeal Minnesota’s moratorium on any new nuclear power plants. Existing nuclear power plants demonstrate that nuclear power is clean and cost-efficient.
“Lifting the moratorium allows us to begin a discussion about the role of nuclear power in Minnesota. Businesses, particularly manufacturing businesses, rely on reasonably priced energy to maintain jobs and plan for growth. Nuclear power is part of an ‘all of the above’ approach to base load power,” said Senator Benson. “We need to make a conscious effort to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and nuclear power has proven to be a clean and cost-efficient alternative.”
In 2009, the Minnesota Senate voted 42-24 to repeal the state moratorium on any nuclear power plants. During the 2010 legislative session, the same amendment was ruled not germane to various bills by the DFL majority. The 2011 bill was introduced on Monday, January 10 and has been referred to the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications. Senator Benson is a member of this committee and it meets today.
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Senator Michelle Benson (R- Ham Lake) was elected to her first term in November 2010 and serves on three committees including Agriculture and Rural Economies, Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications, and Health and Human Services in the Minnesota Senate. Senator
