Governor Inslee Approves Supplemental Washington State Appropriations Budget; Includes Nuclear Power Study (Washington PUD Association)

(OLYMPIA, WA) -- Governor Inslee signed the supplemental appropriations budget this morning. The budget contained language authorizing a joint select Nuclear Energy Task Force to study the generation of energy in the region through the use of nuclear power.

Dale Atkinson testified twice on behalf of Energy Northwest in support of this legislation. The American Nuclear Society, the Nuclear Energy Institute and IBEW submitted support letters, and WPUDA joined Energy Northwest in supporting legislation calling for the study. The original bill did not advance to a House vote by the legislative deadline despite strong bipartisan support in both houses, but Senator Ericksen, the bill’s sponsor, inserted the nuclear energy task force language into the supplemental appropriations bill in conference committee.