Several conservative Senate Republicans failed Tuesday to amend a resolution calling for the development of renewable energy sources to include nuclear power.
SJR1, sponsored by Senate Minority Leader Pat Jones, D-Holladay, was approved 27-1 without the amendment and now goes to the House. Only Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, voted against it.
Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, had argued that nuclear power should be added to the list of renewable energy sources in the bill — wind, geothermal and solar. Buttars said leaving nuclear power off that list sent the message the state isn't interested in its development.
"A lot of people are afraid of nuclear power," Buttars said, calling nuclear power a renewable resource. "It's like comparing a Model-T to a new Lexus."
Sen. Mark Madsen, R-Lehi, agreed. "It's a wholly natural process," Madsen said. "This really is a renewable source of energy at the least and a perpetual source at best."
However, Sen. Scott McCoy, D-Salt Lake, said that's just not true since the uranium needed to produce nuclear power is itself a finite resource. "I'm pretty sure the laws of physics are the same in Utah," McCoy said.
Two Republicans, Sen. Lyle Hillyard of Logan and Sen. Wayne Niederhauser of Sandy, suggested nuclear power development should be encouraged in a separate resolution. "We do have an apples and oranges situation here," Niderhauser said.
