H. C. R. No. 43 As Introduced

As Introduced

130th General Assembly

Regular Session

2013-2014

H. C. R. No. 43

Representatives Boose, Thompson

Cosponsors: Representatives Amstutz, Beck, Blessing, Brenner, Buchy, Grossman, Lynch, Romanchuk, Ruhl, Sheehy, Stebelton, Young

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

To establish a sustainable energy-abundance plan for 1
Ohio to meet future Ohio energy needs with 2
affordable, abundant, and environmentally friendly 3
energy. 4

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF OHIO
(THE SENATE CONCURRING):

       WHEREAS, Ohio has many natural energy resources that are 5
finite; and 6

       WHEREAS, World energy usage is expected to increase; and 7

       WHEREAS, Solar and wind energy technologies are not expected 8
to provide future and abundant base-load power or peaking 9
energy-on-demand power affordably; and 10

       WHEREAS, Extending Ohio's current energy boom will rest in 11
creating a long-term energy plan and developing clean and 12
affordable energy technologies such as liquid fluoride thorium 13
reactors, molten salt reactors, and small modular reactors; and 14

       WHEREAS, America possesses a nearly inexhaustible supply of 15
thorium and uranium (more than a billion years) that dramatically 16
exceeds all known potential energy reserves including those of 17
renewable energy; and 18

       WHEREAS, The elements thorium and uranium have the practical 19
potential to provide unlimited energy resources for Ohioans and 20
Americans on demand in the near future and to provide many other 21
tangible benefits; and 22

       WHEREAS, Better utilization of thorium and uranium in 23
specially designed reactors such as molten salt reactors and 24
liquid fluoride thorium reactors can provide energy security from 25
other nations by utilizing Ohio coal and a reactor's nuclear heat 26
to produce an abundance of synthetic transportation fuels. These 27
synthetic fuels can be produced for many future generations of 28
Ohioans in a safe, affordable, and in a most environmentally 29
friendly manner; and 30

       WHEREAS, The efficient use of thorium or uranium in a 31
specially designed molten salt reactor allows for greatly 32
increased environmentally friendly energy production that improves 33
the economics of many recycling technologies and raises the 34
standard of living; and 35

       WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon Ohio legislators to be 36
forward-thinking in addressing the future energy challenges for 37
the next generation of Ohioans; and 38

       WHEREAS, Ohio is uniquely capable to commercialize small 39
modular reactors, liquid fluoride thorium reactors, and integral 40
fast reactors with its research and development assets of the 41
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Plum Brook 42
(Sandusky, Ohio), the National Aeronautics and Space 43
Administration John H. Glenn Research Center (Cleveland, Ohio), 44
the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Dayton, Ohio), USEC's 45
uranium-enrichment facility (Piketon, Ohio), The Ohio State 46
University's nuclear-research-and-development facilities 47
(Columbus, Ohio), and other private companies and nonprofit 48
organizations that specialize in nuclear-technology development in 49
Ohio; and 50

       WHEREAS, The academic, scientific, manufacturing, and 51
business communities in Ohio have some of the best talent and 52
research and development records in the world. Development of this 53
groundbreaking and economic game-changing technology would serve 54
Ohio's and America's economy better than current federal efforts 55
to develop this technology in partnership with China; and 56

       WHEREAS, Advanced technology using thorium and uranium can 57
affordably provide medical isotopes of materials for medical uses 58
such as treating cancer and HIV/AIDS, diagnostic procedures, and 59
improved health care; and 60

       WHEREAS, S.99, the "American Medical Isotopes Production Act 61
of 2011," was signed into law by President Barack Obama on January 62
2, 2013, and seeks to ensure a reliable domestic supply of 63
molybdenum-99; and 64

       WHEREAS, Molybdenum-99 is used in some sixteen million 65
medical procedures annually in the United States; and 66

       WHEREAS, No domestic supply of molybdenum-99 currently 67
exists, and present suppliers use old reactors that result in 68
frequent supply disruptions; and 69

       WHEREAS, The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, charged with 70
licensing nuclear reactors, is not well-funded for establishing 71
procedures for new, advanced reactor designs based on different 72
architectures from today's fleet of light water reactors; and 73

       WHEREAS, Small modular reactors and liquid fluoride thorium 74
reactors represent a business opportunity that Ohio's 75
manufacturing base is well-suited to exploit. This could 76
potentially result in creating forty thousand manufacturing jobs 77
in total within Ohio, because these jobs have the ability to 78
complement Ohio's coal industry, oil industry, and natural gas 79
hydraulic fracturing industry; now therefore be it 80

       RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 130th General Assembly 81
of the State of Ohio, make the following recommendation for 82
solutions to energy and medical-isotopes production; and be it 83
further 84

       RESOLVED, That the State of Ohio shall create a long-term 85
energy plan that addresses the long-term energy needs of the 86
country; and be it further 87

       RESOLVED, That the State of Ohio shall encourage the research 88
and development of liquid-fluoride-thorium-reactors and 89
small-modular-reactors technologies as a long-term solution to 90
Ohio's energy needs; and be it further 91

       RESOLVED, That the State of Ohio shall ask of the federal 92
government, the Department of Energy, and the Nuclear Regulatory 93
Commission to establish a method for fast-track licensing of 94
liquid fluoride thorium reactors to be built and operated in the 95
United States by private industry for production of medical 96
isotopes and energy; and be it further 97

       RESOLVED, That the State of Ohio shall invest in, seek to 98
acquire grants for, implement programs for, encourage its 99
institutions of higher learning to conduct research into, and 100
attract companies for the development of future technologies that 101
will provide greater energy resources more affordably, abundantly, 102
and in a more environmentally friendly manner; and be it further 103

       RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives 104
transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the news 105
media of Ohio. 106

WHEREAS, Ohio has many natural energy resources that are	5
finite; and	6

WHEREAS, Solar and wind energy technologies are not expected	8
to provide future and abundant base-load power or peaking	9
energy-on-demand power affordably; and	10

WHEREAS, Extending Ohio's current energy boom will rest in	11
creating a long-term energy plan and developing clean and	12
affordable energy technologies such as liquid fluoride thorium	13
reactors, molten salt reactors, and small modular reactors; and	14

WHEREAS, America possesses a nearly inexhaustible supply of	15
thorium and uranium (more than a billion years) that dramatically	16
exceeds all known potential energy reserves including those of	17
renewable energy; and	18

WHEREAS, The elements thorium and uranium have the practical	19
potential to provide unlimited energy resources for Ohioans and	20
Americans on demand in the near future and to provide many other	21
tangible benefits; and	22

WHEREAS, Better utilization of thorium and uranium in	23
specially designed reactors such as molten salt reactors and	24
liquid fluoride thorium reactors can provide energy security from	25
other nations by utilizing Ohio coal and a reactor's nuclear heat	26
to produce an abundance of synthetic transportation fuels. These	27
synthetic fuels can be produced for many future generations of	28
Ohioans in a safe, affordable, and in a most environmentally	29
friendly manner; and	30

WHEREAS, The efficient use of thorium or uranium in a	31
specially designed molten salt reactor allows for greatly	32
increased environmentally friendly energy production that improves	33
the economics of many recycling technologies and raises the	34
standard of living; and	35

WHEREAS, It is incumbent upon Ohio legislators to be	36
forward-thinking in addressing the future energy challenges for	37
the next generation of Ohioans; and	38

WHEREAS, Ohio is uniquely capable to commercialize small	39
modular reactors, liquid fluoride thorium reactors, and integral	40
fast reactors with its research and development assets of the	41
National Aeronautics and Space Administration Plum Brook	42
(Sandusky, Ohio), the National Aeronautics and Space	43
Administration John H. Glenn Research Center (Cleveland, Ohio),	44
the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Dayton, Ohio), USEC's	45
uranium-enrichment facility (Piketon, Ohio), The Ohio State	46
University's nuclear-research-and-development facilities	47
(Columbus, Ohio), and other private companies and nonprofit	48
organizations that specialize in nuclear-technology development in	49
Ohio; and	50

WHEREAS, The academic, scientific, manufacturing, and	51
business communities in Ohio have some of the best talent and	52
research and development records in the world. Development of this	53
groundbreaking and economic game-changing technology would serve	54
Ohio's and America's economy better than current federal efforts	55
to develop this technology in partnership with China; and	56

WHEREAS, Advanced technology using thorium and uranium can	57
affordably provide medical isotopes of materials for medical uses	58
such as treating cancer and HIV/AIDS, diagnostic procedures, and	59
improved health care; and	60

WHEREAS, S.99, the "American Medical Isotopes Production Act	61
of 2011," was signed into law by President Barack Obama on January	62
2, 2013, and seeks to ensure a reliable domestic supply of	63
molybdenum-99; and	64

WHEREAS, Molybdenum-99 is used in some sixteen million	65
medical procedures annually in the United States; and	66

WHEREAS, No domestic supply of molybdenum-99 currently	67
exists, and present suppliers use old reactors that result in	68
frequent supply disruptions; and	69

WHEREAS, The Nuclear Regulatory Commission, charged with	70
licensing nuclear reactors, is not well-funded for establishing	71
procedures for new, advanced reactor designs based on different	72
architectures from today's fleet of light water reactors; and	73

WHEREAS, Small modular reactors and liquid fluoride thorium	74
reactors represent a business opportunity that Ohio's	75
manufacturing base is well-suited to exploit. This could	76
potentially result in creating forty thousand manufacturing jobs	77
in total within Ohio, because these jobs have the ability to	78
complement Ohio's coal industry, oil industry, and natural gas	79
hydraulic fracturing industry; now therefore be it	80

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the 130th General Assembly	81
of the State of Ohio, make the following recommendation for	82
solutions to energy and medical-isotopes production; and be it	83
further	84

RESOLVED, That the State of Ohio shall create a long-term	85
energy plan that addresses the long-term energy needs of the	86
country; and be it further	87

RESOLVED, That the State of Ohio shall encourage the research	88
and development of liquid-fluoride-thorium-reactors and	89
small-modular-reactors technologies as a long-term solution to	90
Ohio's energy needs; and be it further	91

RESOLVED, That the State of Ohio shall ask of the federal	92
government, the Department of Energy, and the Nuclear Regulatory	93
Commission to establish a method for fast-track licensing of	94
liquid fluoride thorium reactors to be built and operated in the	95
United States by private industry for production of medical	96
isotopes and energy; and be it further	97

RESOLVED, That the State of Ohio shall invest in, seek to	98
acquire grants for, implement programs for, encourage its	99
institutions of higher learning to conduct research into, and	100
attract companies for the development of future technologies that	101
will provide greater energy resources more affordably, abundantly,	102
and in a more environmentally friendly manner; and be it further	103

RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the House of Representatives	104
transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the news	105
media of Ohio.	106