FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 24, 2026
Contact:
Madison Hardy
Janessa Tolman
WASHINGTON – In a recent interview, U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho) sat down with The Ranch Podcast to discuss nuclear energy, public lands, the SAVE America Act, and key issues of importance to Idahoans.
Click here to listen to Senator Risch’s interview on The Ranch Podcast
Excerpts from the podcast below, lightly edited for clarity:
On Nuclear Energy: “There has been a tremendous renaissance in nuclear energy in the last couple of years.”
“There have been a constant parade of people into my office who are people who have the means and want to get into the industry—whether it’s through their development of a Small Modular Reactor (SMR) or their development of a micro reactor.”
“The SMR and the micro are really going to change things. The micro is going to come online this year and the SMR is not going to be far behind it. It is going to dramatically change the way that energy is produced on this planet.”
“The kind of energy that we’re going to need over the next decade is staggering. It cannot be produced any other way than by nuclear energy.”
On Public Lands: “Out of all the issues I deal with, I’ve never seen one that generates the kind of interest that [public lands] does.”
“This is not a partisan issue. There are people on both sides of the aisle [. . .] in full support of the fact that we love our public lands. It’s part of our soul. It’s part of our history; it’s part of us. We are not going to sell off the public lands, period.”
On the SAVE America Act: “We Republicans are saying, look, if you’re going to vote, it’s fair that everybody knows that you are who you say you are and you are qualified to vote. Is that asking too much?”
“Our point of view is only qualified United States citizens should be allowed to vote.”
About Jim Risch
Jim Risch proudly represents the people of Idaho in the United States Senate. He currently chairs the Foreign Relations Committee and sits on the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Risch previously served as Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and State Senator. For the latest press releases and constituent services visit risch.senate.gov.
