nuclear-news

Mystery of USA Republicans supporting socialised nuclear industry

I can’t understand why they’re pushing an energy agenda that calls for building new nuclear power plants. Those facilities are super-expensive and are virtually impossible to build without a big helping hand from the government.

GOP’s nuclear option –  Rochester City Newspaper, November 8, 2010 By Jeremy Moule. Republicans just took back control of Congress in an electoral wave,which presumably had something to do with their incessant calls for less government spending. Which is why, for the life of me, I can’t understand why they’re pushing an energy agenda that calls for building new nuclear power plants. Those facilities are super-expensive and are virtually impossible to build without a big helping hand from the government.

Not to mention the inevitable taxpayer-borne costs of the long, detailed regulatory reviews.
Granted, Republicans’ position on nuclear power isn’t that different from President Obama’s. His administration has already offered loan guarantees for the nuclear power industry, which is supposed to help companies get loans to build the plants.

On paper, the guarantees are supposed to encourage private banks to lend to the companies because if any company defaults, the government will pay off its outstanding loans. Given the herky-jerky history of nuclear power plant construction in the US, some company is bound to default at some point.

GOP’s nuclear option – News Blog – Rochester City Newspaper

November 9, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear technology, reactors, uranium