Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates said the United States should strive to “outperform” foreign adversaries in nuclear energy.
Gates said: CBS News “Face the Nation” President Trump said Sunday that Americans should care about the need for the U.S. to be a leader in nuclear energy because “we really don’t want all the nuclear reactors in the world being built by our adversaries.”
His interview came on the heels of news that Microsoft has moved forward with construction of a new nuclear power plant in Wyoming.
CBS’ Margaret Brennan asked Gates whether the nuclear plant would rely on Russian uranium. Gates said Congress recently passed legislation to redirect the funds away from Moscow, and that the company has suppliers in the UK and South Africa, and plans to mine the uranium in the US.
The billionaire argued that Americans should want nuclear energy produced in the United States because “economically, it creates a huge number of jobs,” and that the materials used in reactors should be closely monitored and should not “contribute” to foreign military activities.
“So there are many strategic benefits to U.S. leadership in this area,” he said, specifically the amount of jobs needed to build and operate nuclear power plants over the next five years.
Brennan asked Gates if he was worried about what would happen to this energy source and the country’s goals if former President Trump was re-elected and repealed the Inflation Control Act that expands support for nuclear power.
Gaetz said he has worked with both Democrats and Republicans on the issue and called the bipartisan support “fantastic.”
He said Republicans support not outsourcing energy for national security reasons and creating more jobs at home, while Democrats appreciate it being a clean energy source away from fossil fuels.
Gates noted that many nuclear energy projects are focused on Republican-leaning states such as West Virginia, Wyoming and Texas.
“The more of these we have, the more bipartisan support there will be,” he said.
He went on to note that the case for nuclear energy being beneficial to the United States may have to be “restated” depending on which party controls Congress and the White House, but he believes many of the energy-related provisions passed by Democrats in recent years “will probably survive” regardless of the election outcome.
