United States - Japan Roundtable

Program Mission and Overview

The Howard Baker Forum sponsors the U.S.-Japan Roundtable on Nuclear Energy Cooperation to provide a public policy forum for U.S. and Japanese companies that are partnering to expand safe and secure nuclear power in the United States, Japan and emerging markets worldwide. The Roundtable achieves this objective through three essential program elements:

Members meetings plan future sessions and communication strategies that advance the Japanese-American brand in nuclear energy.
Roundtables focus on current developments affecting nuclear energy and strengthening the U.S.-Japan partnership.
The Forum on Energy Website collects and globally distributes balanced media coverage of nuclear energy worldwide.

Roundtable participants hear from Congressman Zach Wamp from Tennessee during Session One at the Newseum

The Roundtable is a "community of interest" that provides a platform for exchange and cooperation between U.S. and Japanese public and private participants with a stake in supplying safe and secure nuclear power to meet the world's growing energy demands.

Members Meetings

Yasuo Yoshinari, Chief Operating Officer for Hitachi GE Nuclear Energy, engages in the discussion at the October 2010 Members Meeting

The first Members Meeting was held at the Baker Donelson conference center in Washington, DC in October, 2010 and focused on planning the 2011 program. A panel reviewed developments in the Federal Loan Guarantee Program and the Director of the Office of Federal Loan Guarantees, John Silver addressed the group. The second Members Meeting on June 14, 2011 discussed the development of a post-Fukushima communications strategy and members also heard from NRC Chairman Jaczko.

Roundtable Sessions

Session I

Dr. Gregory Jaczko, Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, addresses Session One participants

The Howard Baker Forum hosted the first Roundtable session on September 24th, 2009 at the Newseum, in Washington, DC. The program was a tour d' horizon of the revival of nuclear power in America from diverse perspectives—business, finance, technology, regulation and government. The session demonstrated the inter-related aspects of regulation; federal and state government support; advanced, safe and secure technologies; finance options; and budget and timing considerations.

Session II

The second Roundtable session on May 5th, 2010 at the Newseum sought to address the facets of nuclear energy in the U.S., looking at the much-improved political outlook for nuclear power in the U.S. and its ability to mitigate global warming. The conferees examined the complex arrangements for financing the American Nuclear Renaissance from federal loan guarantees to overseas investment loans, and then -- shifting to overseas markets -- discussed the competitive outlook for U.S. and Japanese partners engaged in the global competition to provide nuclear power to the developing world.

Senator Jim Webb speaks at the second Roundtable session

Session III

His Excellency Namik Tan, Ambassador of Turkey to the United States, offers opening remarks at Session Three

The third Roundtable session, held on February 23, 2011, focused on the challenges facing Japanese and American partners in emerging markets where they compete against state-owned nuclear companies. The program included an address by the Turkish Ambassador, His Excellency Namik Tan, and presentations by U.S. and Japanese business executives identifying the various challenges their companies face in emerging markets. The session established a foundation for a robust assessment of the competitive landscape and the policies that are needed to improve the prospects for the safe and secure expansion of nuclear power to the developing world.

Session IV

The Howard Baker Forum hosted the fourth Roundtable session on "The Post-Fukushima World: Nuclear Energy Policy, Regulations and Markets" on Friday December 2, 2011 at the Newseum. The program reviewed the Japanese and American responses to the Fukushima Daiichi accident and expert panels assessed the implications for nuclear safety policy and global markets.

Shunsuke Kondo, Chairman of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission

Session V

Ichiro Takahara, Director-General, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry

"American Viewpoints on Japan’s Zero Nuclear Option," took place on December 5, 2012 at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. This event assessed the global implications of Japan’s energy policy and delivered perspectives from American and Japanese government officials, private industry executives and policy experts. Featured speakers included Mr. Ichiro Takahara of METI, U.S. NRC Commissioner William Osterdorff, Senator Lamar Alexander, and Chairman Kondo of the Japan Atomic Energy Commission. A panel of distinguished American nuclear policy specialists highlighted the negative economic, environmental, and nonproliferation consequences of a zero nuclear policy.

The Forum on Energy

The Forum on Energy is a dynamic online information center designed to collect and share developments in the field of nuclear energy. The Forum’s content reflects a range of compelling voices that recognize the vital role of nuclear energy as countries around the globe seek sustainable, renewable forms of energy.

The Forum on Energy launched on March 5, 2012.

We invite you to visit www.forumonenergy.com.

Become A Member

If you or your organization would like to become a member of the U.S.-Japan Roundtable, please contact , Director of the Howard Baker Forum.

To learn more about the program and upcoming events, please contact .

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