Should the United States build additional nuclear plants? - 2012 Presidential Election - ProCon.org

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2012 Presidential Election

Last updated on: 12/2/2012 10:00:00 PM PST

Should the United States build additional nuclear plants?

Democrat

Republican

3rd Parties / Independents

	Barack Obama Pro
Former Candidates
Candidate Summary Chart
Additional Resources

Mitt Romney
Pro

Virgil Goode
Not Clearly Pro or Con

Gary Johnson
Not Clearly Pro or Con

Jill Stein
Con

Candidates' positions are categorized as Pro (Yes), Con (No), Not Clearly Pro or Con, or None Found. Candidates who have changed their positions are listed as Now their most recent position. Candidates are listed by party and in alphabetical order by last name. Black & white photos indicate candidates who have withdrawn or who no longer meet our criteria for inclusion.

Should the United States build additional nuclear plants?

Pro (Yes)

Con (No)

Virgil Goode (Cst) - Not Clearly Pro or Con

Virgil Goode, former US Representative (R-VA), stated the following on his campaign website page "The Issues," available at www.goodeforpresident2012.com (accessed May 8, 2012):

"The United States must develop its own resources and alternative fuel sources. Hydrogen, biodiesel, and other alternative energy sources have potential in making us less dependent on foreign fossil fuels. I also support the utilization of nuclear power and expanded drilling opportunities for natural gas and oil in this country so that our energy needs are met by domestic and not foreign sources."
May 8, 2012 Virgil Goode

Gary Johnson (Lib) - Not Clearly Pro or Con

Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico, stated the following on Nov. 2, 2011, during an online Town Hall meeting, "Green Energy vs. Fossil Fuels vs. Nuclear - Gary Johnson Online Town Hall Q&A 11-2," available at YouTube.com:

"I’m a free market guy when it comes to energy. In a free market approach to energy I don't know if we build any new nuclear facilities given that no private underwriter is going to underwrite the liabilities associated with nuclear. I am open to seeing the government in a role to do that. It is an exciting notion to me that we have zero carbon emission from nuclear and the new electrical generation facilities are a one refuel for fifty years of life. To me that’s a really exciting prospect."
Nov. 2, 2011 Gary Johnson

Barack Obama (D) - Pro

Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States, stated the following during his Feb. 23, 2012 speech at the University of Miami, "Remarks by the President on Energy," available at www.whitehouse.gov:

"[W]e’ve got to have a sustained, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy. Yes, oil and gas, but also wind and solar and nuclear and biofuels, and more... We supported the first new nuclear power plant in three decades."
Feb. 23, 2012 Barack Obama

Mitt Romney (R) - Pro

Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, stated the following on his campaing website page "Energy," available at www.mittromney.com (accessed May 9, 2012):

"As president, Mitt Romney will make every effort to safeguard the environment, but he will be mindful at every step of also protecting the jobs of American workers...

The first step will be a rational and streamlined approach to regulation, which would facilitate rapid progress in the development of our domestic reserves of oil and natural gas and allow for further investment in nuclear power...

[Mitt Romney would like to] [e]xpand NRC [Nuclear Regulatory Commission] capabilities for approval of additional nuclear reactor designs."
Mitt Romney

Jill Stein (Grn) - Con

Jill Stein, MD, former Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, stated the following in her Jan. 2012 speech "A People's State of the Union: A Green New Deal for America," available at www.jillstein.org:

“A new world really is possible. We can, and must, shift to an economy in which 100% of our electricity is generated renewably. We can and must leave the old economy behind – which was based on mining, extraction, and dirty dangerous expensive nuclear power. We can and must stop poisoning ourselves, our children, and other living beings.”
Jan. 2012 Jill Stein

FORMER CANDIDATES

(Candidates who have withdrawn or who no longer meet our criteria appear
below in black and white and in alphabetical order.)

Michele Bachmann

Michele Bachmann
None Found

Herman Cain

Herman Cain
None Found

Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich
None Found

Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman
None Found

Ron Paul

Ron Paul
Pro

Rick Perry

Rick Perry
None Found

Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum
None Found

Buddy Roemer

Buddy Roemer
Not Clearly Pro or Con

Pro (Yes)

Con (No)

Michele Bachmann

Michele Bachmann (R) - None Found

Withdrew on Jan. 4, 2012; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate’s position on this question.

Herman Cain

Herman Cain (R) - None Found

Withdrew on Dec. 3, 2011; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate’s position on this question.

Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich (R) - None Found

Withdrew on May 2, 2012; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate’s position on this question.

Jon Huntsman

Jon Huntsman (R) - None Found

Withdrew on Jan. 16, 2012; no additional research done as of that date to determine candidate’s position on this question.

Ron Paul

Ron Paul (R) - Pro

Ron Paul, US Representative (R-TX), stated the following during a Mar. 15, 2011 interview with David Asman on Fox News' FOX Business Show, available at YouTube.com:

"David Asman: The overreaction about nuclear energy [after the Fukushima incident], do you think there is some of that going on in the beltway?

Ron Paul: Oh I think a lot of it is overreaction... I think nuclear energy is very very dangerous, but I’m also convinced it is the safest form of energy that we can have...

The regulators are going to be down here, the environmentalists are going to go nuts... I'm scared to death they are going to quit building nuclear power plants here. After 35 years we finally got around to doing it and I imagine just like they closed down drilling in the gulf in deep water, they will probably close down any more development...

David Asman: Do you think that there will be another nuclear energy plant built in the United States in our lifetime? Ron Paul: I wouldn't bet a lot of money on it. I think it should."
Mar. 15, 2012 Ron Paul

Rick Perry

Rick Perry (R) - None Found

Withdrew on Jan. 19, 2012; no position found as of that date.

Buddy Roemer

Buddy Roemer (Ind) - Not Clearly Pro or Con

Buddy Roemer, former Governor of Louisiana, stated the following in his Apr. 19, 2012 video "Governor Buddy Roemer on Global Warming," available at YouTube.com:

"I enjoy having a variety of energy sources in America, produced domestically. Strengthen our dollar, lower the price of oil, and move on to other kinds of energy. I would include nuclear and I would include natural gas... nuclear can be safe but it's not safe now. We store nuclear fuels at each of these sites. I would open Yucca Mountain and store it wisely and well. I would use everything in America to be free."
Apr. 19, 2012 Buddy Roemer

Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum (R) - None Found

Withdrew on Apr. 10, 2012; no position found as of that date.

Additional Resources:

Should the United States Build Additional Nuclear Power Plants? - See the 2016 presidential candidates' positions on this issue.

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