Liz Mathis Has Key Vote — Should She Support Nuclear Power Bill?

A bill under consideration in the Iowa Senate would allow MidAmerican Energy to raise its rates to pay for construction of a nuclear power plant.

But the public debate on this bill dovetails with the anniversary of the tsunami that struck Japan last year on March 11, followed by the meltdown of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant. The disaster left many skeptical of the safety of nuclear reactors.

State Sen. Liz Mathis, whose district includes Marion and Iowa’s only nuclear power plant, in Palo, has said in a recent release that she has not yet made up her mind on the issue.

What do you think Mathis should do? Do you have environmental concerns about an additional nuclear power plant? Do you think nuclear power would be good for Iowa and its economy? Let us know in the comments.

"This has especially become a hotter topic as bills are getting debated and passed and amended," she wrote. "Please know this: I’m doing my homework on this topic, asking a lot of questions, and paying attention to what you are saying."

According to the Gazette, Dr. Arjun Makhijani, president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research in Takoma Park, spoke at the Iowa City Public Library last Sunday on the one-year anniversary of the Japanese disaster and the bill.

"Nuclear reactors are risky and expensive," Makhijani said. "I do not believe the small reactors that are produced are going to alleviate this problem. I think there’s more hype than substance to that."

The bill passed the Iowa House last year and has been tabled since then. Key legislators disagree on the likelihood of getting the bill to the floor of the Senate, but support on the energy bill from Mathis could be important should the bill be voted on.