Mark Udall

There is no silver bullet that can solve all of our energy challenges. That’s why I have long advocated for an all-of-the-above approach that combines emerging renewable energy technologies with more traditional energy sources to power our economy and create jobs. In other words: I’m looking for the silver buckshot.

That’s where safe nuclear energy comes in. It has emerged as a key player in our search for a stable and clean domestic energy source. But nuclear, like all of our energy sources, faces several challenges: licensing and construction are expensive and time intensive. 

That’s why I was pleased yesterday when the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on my Nuclear Energy Research Initiative Improvement Act of 2009. This bipartisan bill authorizes the U.S. Department of Energy to conduct research into modular and small-scale reactors, enhanced proliferation controls, and cost-efficient manufacturing.

Listen to the hearing

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Small modular reactors have great potential to safely advance nuclear power, and help expand our clean-energy economy. I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to improve, and ultimately pass, the Nuclear Energy Research Initiative Improvement Act.

This morning I appeared on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' to discuss my fight to create a bipartisan task force to rein in spending and take action to reduce the national debt.

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This week marks the beginning of the international climate conference in Copenhagen and the next phase in our efforts - both domestic and international - to address one of the greatest challenges facing our world: climate change.

Climate change is a global problem that requires a global solution. One country or region cannot solve it alone. While the U.S. and other developed countries - which, historically, have accounted for the overwhelming majority of carbon emissions - have significant emission reduction responsibilities in the near term, it is important that all countries take responsibility for their contribution to global carbon pollution, and act accordingly.

The path to Copenhagen begins here at home, with our innovations and strength leading the way. Whatever the U.S. policy ends up being, there are actions that we can take right now to combat climate change. It begins with the deployment of an all-of-the-above approach that incorporates new clean energy technologies - like wind, solar, geothermal, and bio-fuels - with investments in more mature clean energy technologies, like nuclear power and natural gas.

But diversifying our energy sources, investing in energy efficiency, and lowering our greenhouse gas pollution all make sense for reasons other than climate change. America must lead in the new energy economy to put Americans back to work. We need to develop the cutting edge energy technologies and be the ones selling them to other countries. We need to ensure American families and businesses are getting the most bang for their energy buck, and we must also produce more of our energy needs at home and lessen our dependence on foreign oil to strengthen our national security.

We have an opportunity and an obligation to act, and it's more important now than any previous generation that we do so. We have identified a vast global problem, but we also have the solution at hand - the development of a new clean energy economy - and this solution will help create jobs and reduce poverty across the globe.

What we need is the collective political will to make this solution a reality. The resolve to address the climate challenge has been steadily increasing, and I believe the meeting in Copenhagen offers a great opportunity to take the next step in a global agreement. I will continue to be involved in the legislative process and push to find a solution that works for all of us, both the global community and the United States.