The Joint Subcommittee Studying the Licensing of Nuclear Generation Facilities was established pursuant to S.J.R. 136 of the 1977 General Assembly. The Joint Subcommittee devoted substantial time and effort toward studying the issues of the safety and security of nuclear power plants operating in the Commonwealth. Because of the highly controversial and complex nature of the topic of nuclear power, the Subcommittee received many opinions and reviewed voluminous information on the subject.

Based upon the information presented to and reviewed by the Subcommittee, the Subcommittee concludes that nuclear power plants of the type now in operation or planned for operation in Virginia provide a proven technology for the production of electrical power, that the risks to the public health and safety from the operation of such plants are extremely low, and that the Commonwealth must continue to utilize such plants to meet its energy needs for the decades immediately ahead.