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The News That Matters about the Nuclear Industry Fukushima Chernobyl Mayak Three Mile Island Atomic Testing Radiation Isotope

Public insurance essential for nuclear industry to survive

The Other Nuclear Power Subsidy – A Liability Cap, ThePopTort 19 Feb 2010 “…. loan guarantees aren’t the only potential subsidy from which this industry benefits.  Since the 1950s, when it passed the Price Anderson Act, Congress put a cap on the liability of the nuclear industry in the event of a major accident.  So if there’s anything like, say, the Chernobyl disaster (the 1986 accident in the Ukraine where the containment structure couldn’t hold an explosion causing lethal radiation to spill out killing thousands, harming hundreds of thousands and rendering hundreds of square miles uninhabitable), the industry won’t be responsible beyond a relatively small amount. Taxpayers will.

In other words, if the nuclear power industry were fully responsible for the health and safety risks of these plants, the industry wouldn’t exist……. Continue reading

February 20, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Obama’s resuscitation of nuclear industry is bound to fail

Obama’s Nuclear Option – Amy Goodman Truthdig 16 Feb 2010
“……….Obama’s publicly financed resuscitation of the nuclear power industry in the U.S. is bound to fail, another taxpayer bailout waiting to happen.Opponents of the plan, which includes a tripling of existing nuclear plant construction-loan guarantees to $54.5 billion, span the ideological spectrum. Continue reading

February 18, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, climate change, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Australia rules out nuclear power

To meet its climate goals, Australia shouldn’t rely on either nuclear power or fossil fuels, Hepburn said. Instead the country should aggressively conserve energy and use more renewable power.

Rudd Rules Out Introducing Nuclear Power in Australia  BusinessWeek By Ben Sharples and Stuart BiggsFebruary 17, 2010, (Bloomberg)Australia, which holds the world’s biggest known uranium resources, has ruled out introducing nuclear power to the country and instead will pursue other low- carbon energy options, including ‘clean’ coal. “Australia has multiple other energy sources and we will not be heading in the direction of civil nuclear power,” Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told reporters in Canberra today……….Australia, the world’s biggest coal producer, will explore technologies including CCS, in which the nation leads the world, Rudd said………… Continue reading

February 18, 2010 Posted by | business and costs | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Shaky financial outlook for new loan-backed nuclear plants

The loan guarantee is conditional upon NRC approval. But if the project ever gets off the ground, there are plenty of red flags signaling that it’s a very bad investment for taxpayers.

Obama’s Nuclear Boondoggle | Mother Jones By Kate Sheppard| Wed Feb. 17, 2010 In its eagerness to woo Republicans with nuclear-friendly policies, the Obama administration plans to hand out $54.5 billion in government-backed loans to kick-start a nuclear renaissance. On Tuesday, it announced the first beneficiary of this largesse—and apparently the best candidate it could find was a proposed plant that’s been put on hold by federal regulators due to serious safety concerns. Continue reading

February 18, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | , | Leave a comment

Uranium company made losses

First Uranium posts Q3 loss on higher costs, forex loss Feb 16 (Reuters) – First Uranium Corp (FIU.TO) posted a quarterly loss, hurt by higher corporate expenses and a $7.4 million foreign currency loss.

For the third quarter ended Dec. 31, the company reported loss of $14.4 million, or 9 cents a share, compared with a profit of $1.3 million, or 1 cent a share, a year ago……… In January, South African authorities withdrew environmental authorization for a new tailings storage facility at First Uranium’s key Mine Waste Solutions tailings recovery project.

UPDATE 1-First Uranium posts Q3 loss on higher costs, forex loss | Reuters

February 17, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, South Africa | , | Leave a comment

Toxic financial loans to nuclear industry

Nuclear power, strike 2 MNN – Mother Nature Network  Karl Burkart 15 Feb 2010 Even Wall Street won’t touch nuclear because it is too financially risky. At least 1 out of 2 nuclear plants will fail, leaving taxpayers with the burden of debt.Sun, Feb 14 2010 Continue reading

February 16, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear energy – financially, it’s a corporate killer

”the risks faced by developers à are so large and variable that individually they could each bring even the largest utility company to its knees financially.”

ENERGY: Nuclear Does Not Make Economic Sense Say Studies Australia.to 14 February 2010   by Julio Godoy

BERLIN,   (IPS)  – The enormous technical and financial risks involved in the construction and operation of new nuclear power plants make them prohibitive for private investors, rebutting the thesis of a renaissance in nuclear energy, say several independent European studies. Continue reading

February 15, 2010 Posted by | 2 WORLD, business and costs | , , , , | Leave a comment

Olkiluoto nuclear plant – a shining example of folly of nuclear costs

ENERGY: Nuclear Does Not Make Economic Sense Say Studies Australia.to 14 February 2010   by Julio Godoy
“…….Actually, there is a new nuclear power plant that serves as a warning example of the risks involved in such a project: the nuclear power plant of Olkiluoto 3 in Finland, under construction since 2004.

Although the plant was supposed to have started delivering electricity in May 2009, its completion was postponed several times in the past two years. Continue reading

February 15, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, Finland | , , , , | 1 Comment

Big Powers to get big nuclear sales to India

Doors Wide Open For Nuclear Technology Exports to India By Prakash Joshi IDN-InDepth News 15 Feb 2010

NEW DELHI (IDN) – The door has finally been thrown open for a free flow of nuclear exports to India. The four nuclear weapons states — USA, Russia, France and Britain — Continue reading

February 15, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, India | , , , | Leave a comment

Is AREVA losing faith in the ‘nuclear renaissance’ ?

Areva Switching From Nuclear Power To Solar ? The Oil Drum  by Big Gav  February 14, 2010

French energy company Areva (best known for its nuclear power business) has purchased solar thermal power company Ausra – yet another example of a promising Australian technology company ending up with foreign ownership.

One possible positive interpretation of the news is that Areva are losing faith in the oft-predicted but unrealised “nuclear renaissance” and now see the real future growth opportunities in large scale solar power, with nuclear power (at best) a legacy business……………. Continue reading

February 15, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, climate change, France | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Future of Florida’s nuclear power plants looking doubtful

Progress Energy slowly raising more doubts about future of Levy County nuclear plant tampabay.com Robert Trigaux, Times Business Columnist February 12, 2010 Progress Energy slowly raising more doubts about future of Levy County nuclear plant “…..Maybe it’s not such a good time to build a nuke plant in Florida after all.That’s may take, at least, after listening to Progress Energy CEO Bill Johnson’s remarks to analysts Thursday in discussing fourth quarter earnings (up 53 percent over 2008!) and emphasizing his second thoughts about a Levy nuclear site. Continue reading

February 15, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | , , , | Leave a comment

AREVA’s nuclear reactor safety features now too costly to compete with Korea’s nukes

It was speculated that those expensive features may have cost the company the UAE contract, and Areva has considered scaling back some of those additions for future designs.

Where Is Nuclear Power Really Heading?A Look at Obama’s Call for New Nuclear and the Reactors that Might Be Built by  solveclimate Dave Levitan – Feb 5th, 2010

“…….The cost issues surrounding safety have already come up internationally. The United Arab Emirates awarded a high-profile contract for a new plant to a South Korean company late in 2009, after the French company Areva had been positioned as the front-runner.

The Areva EPR reactor has some advanced safety features including a “core catcher” room that could help prevent compromised nuclear fuel from escaping the reactor, as well as an enforced shell that could theoretically withstand an airplane impact. Continue reading

February 6, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, France | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Nuclear Renaissance” just not happening

there have actually been very few new reactors started in recent years, and that nuclear energy as a percentage of global energy production has actually retreated since 2001.

NUCLEAR RENAISSANCE? Nuclear second coming could run out of steam – A Canadian think tank has challenged the idea that a nuclear renaissance is in full swing stating that new reactor construction is likely to be held back by a variety of issues : MineWeb Cameron French (Reuters) 05 Feb 2010TORONTO (Reuters) – Expectations of a sharp rise in nuclear generating capacity over the next two decades are likely overblown, a Canadian think tank said on Thursday, disputing conventional wisdom that a nuclear renaissance is in full swing. Continue reading

February 6, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, Canada | , , | Leave a comment

Future for U.S. Nuclear power industry really is doubtful

Problematically, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has a policy that does not require newer designs to be substantially safer than old designs,

Where Is Nuclear Power Really Heading?A Look at Obama’s Call for New Nuclear and the Reactors that Might Be Built by  solveclimate Dave Levitan – Feb 5th, 2010 “…..Energy Secretary Steven Chu and the president are making it clear that they intend to move forward. Thus, the question arises: After more than a decade without any new nuclear plants being built in the U.S., what exactly would new nuclear power look like?

Slowed Momentum, Escalating Costs…. Continue reading

February 6, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cameco, Exelon, USEC, – Nuclear and Uranium Stocks are Losers

Top Nuclear Stocks Losers (NYSE: CCJ,EXC,USU) Trak In, Business and Finance News by EIN, 2010/02/05 Dallas, Tx – Cameco Corporation (USA) (NYSE:CCJ) went down 2.94% to $27.37 on 2.29 million shares. The stock hit an intraday high and an intraday low of $28.30 and $27.34 respectively. In the last six months the stock went down over 6%. Cameco Corporation is a Canada-based company. The Company, along with its subsidiaries, is engaged in the exploration, development, mining, refining, conversion and fabrication of uranium for sale as fuel for generating electricity in nuclear power reactors in Canada and other countries. Continue reading

February 5, 2010 Posted by | 2 WORLD, business and costs | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment