nuclear-news

USA govt unable to kickstart the ‘nuclear renaissance’

“In addition to loan guarantees, you need an environment that’s right, that makes it look like a good investment,’’ Dr. Chu said. But many of those factors, including the price of natural gas, are obviously beyond federal control, raising substantial doubts about how much the government could do to encourage new nuclear construction……..

Nuclear ‘Renaissance’ Is Short on Largesse, NYTimes.com, December 7, 2010 By MATTHEW L. WALD The federal aid now in place for new nuclear plants is far from sufficient for the so-called “nuclear renaissance” that backers are seeking, a panel made up of members of Congress, high-ranking federal officials and leaders of major nuclear companies agreed on Tuesday.

Ground has been broken on only two new nuclear plants with a total of four reactors, and some companies have withdrawn their applications for licenses to build. “We can’t make the numbers work,’’ said Chip Pardee, chief nuclear officer of Exelon, the nation’s largest operator of civilian nuclear reactors, who sat on a panel of 25 at a conference organized by the Idaho National Laboratory of the Energy Department and a private group called the Third Way……..

The administration is seeking the expansion of a loan guarantee program but has so far been unable to commit all of the loan guarantee money already approved by Congress. “In addition to loan guarantees, you need an environment that’s right, that makes it look like a good investment,’’ Dr. Chu said.

But many of those factors, including the price of natural gas, are obviously beyond federal control, raising substantial doubts about how much the government could do to encourage new nuclear construction……..Nuclear ‘Renaissance’ Is Short on Largess – NYTimes.com

December 9, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | politics, USA