With the Kerry-Boxer cap & trade legislation on an indefinite hold in the Senate because of concerns over high unemployment and the likelihood of contentious 2010 elections, two other senators, Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Jim Webb (D-VA), are trying their hand at a bipartisan approach to clean energy.

Yesterday, Alexander and Webb introduced “The Clean Energy Act of 2009″ that will provide $20 billion over the next 10 to 20 years to fund five “Mini-Manhattan Projects” to create advances in nuclear technology and other clean tech, and ultimately, to create those much discussed “green” jobs.

As Senator Alexander stated in the press release, “This legislation will create the business and regulatory environment to double our country’s nuclear power production within 20 years and . . . to make advanced clean energy technologies effective and cost-competitive.

The legislation proposes funding for Generation IV nuclear reactors and nuclear waste reduction projects, as well as projects to study carbon capture, non-ethanol biofuels, electric vehicles, electric storage, and cost competitive solar.

Alexander and Webb see this bill has a jobs creator and way to produce cost effective “carbon-free” sources of energy. As Senator Webb said, “By making a concerted investment in nuclear power and other renewable energy technologies, we can effectively address our nation’s energy requirements and also the need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Further reading: Generation IV reactors - http://www.gen-4.org/

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mmTlhxxICs

Copyright 2009 — K.J.Collins