| I'm still a bit skeptical about using it in vehicles. Toyota's been betting on that for 25 years and it hasn't really worked for them. Never say never, maybe it will, but I think it's most useful for these high-temperature industrial processes, and we already have a pathway for decarbonizing transportation with electricity that's working extremely well. Tesla's going to be soon the most valuable automobile company in the world, already in the US, and they're about to overtake Toyota. There is now a semitruck company that's been stood up by Tesla and another that is going to be a hybrid with electricity and green hydrogen, so we'll see whether or not they can make it work in that application. But I think electricity is preferable for cars and trucks. | |
| We're coming to some community questions in a minute. Let me ask you, though, about nuclear. Some environmentalists believe that nuclear, or maybe new generation nuclear power is an essential part of the equation if we're to get to a truly clean future, a clean energy future. Are you still pretty skeptical on nuclear, Al? | |
| Well, the market's skeptical about it, Chris. It's been a crushing disappointment for me and for so many. I used to represent Oak Ridge, where nuclear energy began, and when I was a young congressman, I was a booster. I was very enthusiastic about it. But the cost overruns and the problems in building these plants have become so severe that utilities just don't have an appetite for them. It's become the most expensive source of electricity. Now, let me hasten to add that there are some older nuclear reactors that have more useful time that could be added onto their lifetimes. And like a lot of environmentalists, I've come to the view that if they can be determined to be safe, they should be allowed to continue operating for a time. |