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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Hundreds of employees, advocates, and allies of the |
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nuclear energy industry are gathering in Austin on April 10, 2025, |
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for Texas Nuclear Legislative Day at the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Nuclear electric power generation is an important |
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source of energy for Texas, ranking among the state's top four |
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sources, just behind natural gas, wind, and coal; currently, the |
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state has two nuclear power plants, Comanche Peak Nuclear Power |
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Plant and the South Texas Project, with a combined installed |
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capacity of more than 5,000 megawatts of electricity; together, |
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they power nearly three million homes and employ some 2,200 Texans; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, In 2023, Governor Greg Abbott instructed the Public |
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Utility Commission of Texas to form a working group to study and |
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plan for the use of advanced nuclear reactors in Texas in order to |
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meet the growing need for electric power generation; the 100 |
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experts and stakeholders of the Texas Nuclear Reactor Working Group |
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dedicated approximately 50,000 hours to researching and preparing |
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recommendations on strategies to position the state as the national |
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leader in the industry; and |
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WHEREAS, The November 2024 report of the working group notes |
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that the state's existing nuclear power plants produce 10 percent |
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of the energy on the ERCOT grid and that during extreme weather, |
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they have proven resilient as well as safe; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas benefits from existing facilities and |
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educational programs related to nuclear power; the state is home to |
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the Pantex Plant, near Amarillo, the nation's primary site for |
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maintaining the safety, security, and reliability of the |
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U.S. nuclear stockpile; two world-renowned nuclear degree and |
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research programs are based in Texas, and many other colleges and |
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universities in the state have top-tier programs focused on |
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specific attributes of nuclear plant operations; moreover, the |
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mining of uranium for the nuclear fuel supply chain is expanding in |
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Texas; and |
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WHEREAS, Over the past decade, Texas has been one of the |
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nation's fastest-growing states, both in population and gross |
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domestic product, and the nuclear power industry represents an |
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important resource for meeting the state's energy needs; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize April 10, 2025, as Texas Nuclear |
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Legislative Day at the State Capitol and extend to all those |
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participating sincere best wishes for an informative and enjoyable |
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visit to Austin. |