HOLTS SUMMIT, Mo. – Rep. Travis Fitzwater, R-Holts Summit, returned from Abu Dhabi last Wednesday, just in time to attend the premier of the new Star Wars movie.
COURTESY/TRAVIS FITZWATER
Fitzwater calls trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) a “nuclear fact finding tour,” because “it was.”
Speaker Todd Richardson appointed Fitzwater, who represents the area holding Missouri’s only nuclear power facility in the state house, to the National Convention of State Legislature’s Nuclear Legislative Workgroup. Fitzwater was joined on the trip by five legislators from other states, including Michigan, Washington, North Carolina, and Iowa.
The tour highlighted a partnership the UAE has built with the United States in order to develop their own nuclear energy program.
The UAE started their nuclear program in 2009 by decree of their president, President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
“They wanted to create sustainable energy that they could rely on long-term,” Fitzwater said. “Obviously, they can’t rely on oil. They have wind and solar power, but it could not supply all their energy needs.”
COURTESY/TRAVIS FITZWATER
Those leading the UAE’s nuclear program then turned to the United States for advice and hired many Americans to help develop and implement the program. Today, there is even one project resource manager in Abu Dhabi from Iberia, Missouri, who once worked at the Callaway Nuclear Plant in Holts Summit.
By 2020, the UAE will have built four nuclear plants. Because of the UAE’s regulatory environment, the country will be able to build those plants in just 11 years. The Middle Eastern nation has also prioritized international transparency throughout development to ensure there was no question of the desire for nuclear weapons power.
“They want to have clean energy for the next 60 years,” said Fitzwater.
COURTESY/TRAVIS FITZWATER
During the trip, the legislators met with the U.S. ambassador to the UAE, Barbara Leaf.
“From her, we learned about our relationship with the Middle East and the UAE,” Fitzwater said. “We are a very integrated trade partner. The UAE is one of the only Middle Eastern countries who are a great ally of ours.”
Fitzwater also spoke to the wealth he witnessed in the Emirates.
“It was amazing to see how they’re increasing the modernization of their cities,” he said. “All the cars are brand new, there are impressive skyscrapers. It is a fascinating culture – they have so much wealth. Abu Dhabi alone produces 2.4 million gallons of oil each day.”
Fitzwater said that there have been no deaths in the six years of the program, despite the harsh climate.
COURTESY/TRAVIS FITZWATER
“What they’ve done is chosen to work with the United States, the [International Atomic Energy Agency],” said Fitzwater. “They want to build a safe nuclear power program. They know their energy resources are going to run out. It is very forward thinking of them to use their wealth to build an invest in a long-term energy solution. They’re going to make some of the safest plants in the world because they have unlimited resources. They’re going above and beyond even the international standards and creating the safest, most redundant system they can.”
Fitzwater said they also looked to nuclear failures to safeguard their own program.
“They looked at Fukushima, where things fell apart. They developed new safeguards to prevent anomalies like what happened in Japan. They’ve truly created a really interesting environment.”
All pictures courtesy of Rep. Travis Fitzwater.
Rachael Herndon was the editor at The Missouri Times and also produced This Week in Missouri Politics, published Missouri Times Magazine, and co-hosted the #MoLeg podcast. She joined The Missouri Times in 2014, returning to political reporting after working as a campaign and legislative staffer.
Rachael studied at the University of Missouri – Columbia. She lives in Jefferson City with her husband, Brandon, and their two children.
