A bill proposed by U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL) will not only spur energy research to keep America at the forefront of technology, but it may also create jobs in Illinois.
Hultgren’s Accelerating American Leadership in Science Act was announced in a Nov. 15 press release from the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology (SST), chaired by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX).
In proposing the legislation, Hultgren, a member of the energy subcommittee, said well-funded labs, particularly those related to energy research, are the “crown jewels” in the nation’s scientific achievement.
“I introduced the Accelerating American Leadership in Science Act (AALSA) to ensure the United States remains the destination for the best and brightest in the world to continue their work exploring the outer reaches of our scientific knowledge,” Hultgren said in the release. “The research done at these facilities, and the technology they produce, reaffirms American leadership in fields that will improve lives and increase domestic jobs here in Illinois.”
According to the release, the AALSA outlines four goals related to the expansion of nuclear energy capability, including upgrading the Advanced Photon Source, building a Long Baseline Neutrino facility, providing a proton power upgrade to the Spallation Neutron Source and constructing a second target station for the Spallation Neutron Source
The Advanced Photon Source is at the Argonne National Laboratory near Darien and lists as achievements everything from designing batteries for electric cars to battling skin cancer, according to fact sheets on its website.
Located at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, the Spallation Neutron Source boasts on its website research in military and medical applications.
Two other bills were also announced by the committee, including the Department of Energy Research Infrastructure Act, sponsored by Rep. Steve Knight (R-CA) and the Nuclear Energy Research Infrastructure Act, proposed by Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX).
Smith lauded the projects as a “crucial priority” for the SST Committee.
“Together, these three bills direct and authorize investments in DOE user facilities across the country that jointly host more than 30,000 researchers each year,” Smith said in the press release.“
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