nuclear-news

Investors and power generators turning to non nuclear energy sources

Meanwhile, power generators are turning elsewhere to meet the nation’s growing energy needs.

According to the Energy Information Administration, the U.S. added 23,144 megawatts of non-nuclear power generating capacity in 2009, the equivalent of about 23 atomic reactors.

Nuclear industry’s other big hurdle: finance NRG put brakes on new plant; industry aims at loan guarantees By Steve Gelsi, MarketWatch, 1 April 11, “……..with the cost of a plant reaching $6 billion or more, and its income stream years away, the payoff for investors is not terribly appealing, Dobson said. Safety concerns and regulatory scrutiny resulting from the Fukushima accident merely add to a murky financing mix, he said.“On the regulated side, bond investors … are worried about the regulatory picture as well as the cost of capital,” Dobson said. “One feeds into the other. Companies are saying they need U.S. government involvement to push this along. On the financing side, bond investors are saying, ‘These things seem like a lot of risk and why do I want to be the guy standing behind this?’”…..
Meanwhile, other types of power such as wind, natural gas and solar, cost less and take less time to build, offering investors quicker returns,…..
Meanwhile, power generators are turning elsewhere to meet the nation’s growing energy needs.

According to the Energy Information Administration, the U.S. added 23,144 megawatts of non-nuclear power generating capacity in 2009, the equivalent of about 23 atomic reactors.

The figure includes 11,000 MW of natural gas generation, nearly 10,000 MW of wind energy and 880 MW from solar panels in 2009 alone.
Nuclear industry’s other big hurdle: finance – MarketWatch

April 2, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA