Benton County Commissioner Claude Oliver hopes to build on the discussions he recently had in Chicago to promote nuclear energy and medical isotopes.

Oliver led a Tri-City delegation to the annual convention of RainbowPUSH Coalition at the invitation of the Rev. Jesse Jackson to highlight the benefits of developing nuclear industry, particularly in the face of an impending energy crisis.

The Tri-Cities has the necessary infrastructure to help advance that cause, Oliver said. It's about providing cheap, clean energy and generating a source of medical isotopes, he said.

Gary Troyer and Carl Holder of Citizens for Medical Isotopes were other members of the delegation.

"We got a terrific response," said Troyer, the chairman of the citizen group, who spoke at the convention about the potential of medical isotopes in treating various kinds of cancers.

Researchers from Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago agreed with what the Tri-City delegation had to say about the need to develop the U.S. nuclear industry, Troyer said.

Over the years, the cost of fossil and other fuels has risen substantially, but the cost of nuclear power has fallen by 54 percent, to about 1.68 cents per kilowatt-hour, Oliver said.

The energy crisis will only worsen as global oil prices rise, he said. Poor people may see their heat turned off in winter because they can't pay high heating oil and natural gas costs, Oliver said.

The convention helped pitch the message to a larger audience, Oliver said, adding that a concerted national effort is necessary.

The generation of wind and solar energy is expected to double by 2025, but that's not enough to take care of the country's energy needs. It'll barely cover 5 percent to 6 percent of that, Troyer said.