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Loan guarantee for Vogtle new nuclear plant – a dangerous waste of tax-payers’ money?

nukes-hungrygroups that oppose the construction of the Vogtle reactors are arguing that the proposed loan guarantee for the project is “Solyndra-like,” a reference to the scandal over a solar panel manufacturer in California that went bankrupt in 2011 after receiving a $535 million federal guarantee.

the Vogtle project is more than a year behind schedule, they noted. And the owners and the contractor are enmeshed in a $900 million dispute on costs

Nuclear Opponents Invoke Solyndra NYT, By MATTHEW L. WALD, 31 Jan 13,  Are new nuclear power plants a good bet for taxpayers? Congress evidently thought so in 2005, when it set aside $17.5 billion in loan guarantees to help restart nuclear construction in this country after a three-decade drought.

The theory at the time was that nuclear power was essential to maintaining diversity in the nation’s electric power system and to cutting carbon dioxide emissions by reducing reliance on fossil fuels. The program was signed into law by President George W. Bush, and President Obama later proposed expanding that program to more than $50 billion.

Eight years later, no actual loans have been made, and opponents of one nuclear project in Georgia are now arguing that none should be, because the risk of default is too high. Continue reading →

February 1, 2013 Posted by | politics, USA | Leave a comment

Bulgarian government confirms it will not build new nuclear power plant

Failed referendum leaves Bulgaria without nuclear future Rt 31 January, 2013,  A referendum on nuclear energy in Bulgaria failed due to low turnout, and the country’s ruling party has confirmed it will not build a new nuclear plant….. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borisov confirmed that his ruling center-right GERB party would not resume construction on a nuclear power plant in Belene.

In March 2012, the GERB party scrapped the 2,000-megawatt nuclear plant project, which had been under construction by Russia’s Atomstroyexport since 2008. The Bulgarian government said that the country could no longer afford the plant’s 6.4-billion euro price tag……

Kozloduy’s two operational 1,000-megawatt reactors, designed by the Soviet Union, were modernized in 2005 and 2006 to meet EU safety demands. They will be operable until 2027 and 2032 respectively, at which point Bulgaria will no longer generate nuclear energy.

February 1, 2013 Posted by | Bulgaria, politics | Leave a comment

Britain’s new nuclear power plans stalled, ad Cumbria refuses to host waste dump

flag-UKNuclear plans in disarray after Cumbria votes ‘no’ to radioactive dump   The future of new nuclear power stations in Britain has been dealt a serious blow, after a council threw out plans for a giant radioactive waste dump near the Lake District.Telegraph UK, By Rowena Mason, and Emily Gosden 30 Jan 2013

 Cumbria County Council voted against hosting an underground nuclear landfill amid fears about safety and the threat to tourism.

Eddie Martin, Conservative leader of the council, told a public meeting he did not feel ministers had offered enough reassurances to Cumbria.

The Coalition wants to see several nuclear power stations built over the next decade, but the plans cannot go ahead unless there are “effective arrangements” for storing the future waste.

Cumbria was the only county council that came forward offering to explore the possibility of a “geological disposal facility” on its land but it has now ruled itself out of contention. Continue reading →

January 31, 2013 Posted by | politics, UK, wastes | Leave a comment

China likely to abandon three major nuclear energy projects

flag-ChinaNo nuclear restart in sight Global Times | 2013-1-29  By Liang Fei
China’s three largest major inland nuclear projects, operated by China
National Nuclear Corp, China Power Investment Corp and China Guangdong
Nuclear Power Holding Co respectively, are not likely to resume
construction any time soon, experts said Tuesday. ….

The three inland nuclear power projects, located in Taojiang county in
Central China’s Hunan Province, Tongshan county in Central China’s
Hubei Province, and Pengze county in East China’s Jiangxi Province,
have already invested around 10 billion yuan ($1.6 billion), China
Economic Weekly reported Tuesday.

“It is very likely that these inland projects will ultimately be
abandoned,” Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy
Economics Research at Xiamen University, told the Global Times. Continue reading →

January 31, 2013 Posted by | China, politics | Leave a comment

Virginia’s Senate set to block legislation that would allow uranium mining

Opponents: Va. Uranium Bill Doomed in Committee
http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/Opponents-Va-Uranium-Bill-Doomed-in-Committee-188934761.html
 RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Opponents of uranium mining in Virginia say
they have the votes in a Senate committee to block legislation that
would effectively end a decades-old state moratorium on mining the
radioactive ore.

They said Tuesday the vote won’t even be close.

The predictions are coming from the Virginia Coalition, the Alliance
for Progress in Southern Virginia and the Southern Environmental Law
Center.

Sen. John Watkins’ legislation is scheduled to be heard Thursday by
the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. He did not
immediately return a message left with his office by The Associated
Press to respond to the dire predictions for his bill.

Virginia Uranium Inc. wants the General Assembly to end the 1982
mining ban so it can tap a 119-million-pound deposit of the ore in
Pittsylvania County.

January 31, 2013 Posted by | politics, Uranium, USA | Leave a comment

Vogtle nuclear plant a financial debacle for USA’s loan guarantee program

Georgia nuclear power plant could be Solyndra redux, report says
A report by two energy-consulting firms says the US government has not protected US taxpayers well enough against the risks of federal loan guarantees to a new nuclear power project. Christian Science Monitor, By Mark Clayton, Staff writer / January 30, 2013 Construction of the first newly licensed US nuclear power plant in decades could become a “Solyndra-like” debacle thanks to billions in federal loan guarantees whose terms appear too weak to protect taxpayers, according to one group’s analysis of internal documents released by the US Department of Energy.

The two-reactor $14 billion Vogtle plant being built in Georgia is seen as a test of the US nuclear industry’s planned “renaissance” with a new nuclear reactor design and updated construction processes all aimed at cutting time and costs.

But two Massachusetts-based energy-consulting firms, Earth Track and Synapse Energy Economics, say the $8.3 billion in federal loan guarantees backing the project were crafted with excessively favorable financial terms for the recipient companies, weak federal oversight, and possible political interference in the loan-guarantee process.      The two firms analyzed hundreds of Energy Department e-mails and financial documents released earlier this month to the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE), a green-energy watchdog group that won access to them in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. …..

In their report, Earth Track and Synapse say the documents reveal: Continue reading →

January 31, 2013 Posted by | business and costs, politics, USA | Leave a comment

Low turnout in Bulgaria’s nuclear referendum – invalidates result

Bulgaria nuclear vote ‘invalidated by low turnout’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21217882 27 Jan 13,    A
controversial referendum on whether to build a new nuclear power plant
in Bulgaria appears to have been invalidated by low turnout.

An exit poll put turnout at around 20% – far below the 60% required
for the poll, which was called on the basis of an opposition petition.

The opposition Socialists want the centre-right government to reverse
its decision not to build the plant.

The poll has been seen as a barometer for elections later this year. Continue reading →

January 28, 2013 Posted by | Bulgaria, politics | 2 Comments

French govt putting up funds to promote nuclear companies

FRANCE PREPARES FUND TO SUPPORT SMALLER NUCLEAR FIRMS PARIS http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/-/world/15961651/france-prepares-fund-to-support-smaller-nuclear-firms/ 27 Jan 13, – The French government plans to unveil a fund to support small and mid-size businesses in the country’s nuclear industry, a spokeswoman for the industry ministry said on Saturday, confirming a report in Le Monde newspaper.

The government also plans to set up an association bringing together French nuclear players in addition to the 123 million-euro (105 million pounds) fund, which will be designed to take stakes in companies, bolster their capital and facilitate tie-ups, the spokeswoman said.

It will be financed by major groups such as utility EDF , nuclear reactor maker Areva and engineering firm Alstom , as well as France’s FSI strategic investment fund.

While the proportions are yet to be determined, Le Monde reported that the FSI would provide “a large third” of the sum.

The moves will be decided at a meeting of the French nuclear industry strategic committee on Tuesday, attended by Industry Minister Arnaud Montebourg and Ecology Minister Delphine Batho.

The industry ministry spokeswoman said it wants to show support for a sector that employs 200,000 people in France and which will likely hire 110,000 workers by 2020. (Reporting by Yann Le Guernigou; Writing by James Regan; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

January 28, 2013 Posted by | France, politics | Leave a comment

Nuclear plant operators, not taxpayers, should pay for safety upgrades, says EU Parliament

safety-symbol-Sm“Nuclear operators should bear €25 billion cost of making Europe’s reactors safer“http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/content/20130121STO05427/html/Nuclear-operators-should-bear-%E2%82%AC25-billion-cost-of-making-EU-reactors-safer 25-01-2013 Nuclear operators, flag-EUnot taxpayers, should cover the costs of necessary safety upgrades as well as pay for everything they are liable for in the event of a nuclear accident, according to a resolution approved by the EP’s energy committee on 24 January. Improving Europe’s nuclear power plants so that they can withstand a natural disaster is estimated to cost up to €25 billion.
Threat to the public

Nuclear energy accidents, whether caused by human error or an earthquake, pose a severe risk to public health. The consequences from the explosion in the Chernobyl plant in 1986, the world’s worst nuclear disaster, are still being felt today as discussed in the EuroparlTV video above.

The aftermath of Fukushima

After the Fukushima accident in Japan in March 2011, 145 reactors in 15 EU member states were tested to assess whether nuclear power plants here could withstand a natural disasters. The checks showed that nearly all nuclear power plants need safety improvements. Continue reading →

January 26, 2013 Posted by | EUROPE, politics, safety | Leave a comment

Gross contradiction: Germany stopping domestic nuclear power, but promoting it overseas

“a gross contradiction, that we are pushing forwards with the change in energy generation while supporting atomic energy abroad.”

Germany still supports foreign nuclear power http://www.thelocal.de/national/20130121-47451.html#.UP7XzR19JLs
 21 Jan 13 Despite the German government’s dedication to ridding the country of nuclear power, it will continue to use public money to guarantee the construction of such power stations in other countries, it was reported at the weekend. The parliamentary committee for sustainable development voted unanimously at the end of last year to recommend the government stop financial backing for foreign atomic energy projects.

But it is set to receive a letter from Economy Minister Philipp Rösler, rejecting such a strategy, Der Spiegel magazine reported on Sunday.

The change in energy policy only applies to domestic production, the letter says. The government considers it a “sovereign decision of other states to choose a different construction for their own energy policy.”

Chairman of the committee, Andreas Jung, from Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union, said it was “a gross contradiction, that we are pushing forwards with the change in energy generation while supporting atomic energy abroad.”

The government is currently promoting its policy with the slogan, “High time that something changed”, while Environment Minister Peter Almaier has been talking of establishing an international club of countries stepping away from nuclear energy.

January 23, 2013 Posted by | Germany, marketing of nuclear, politics | Leave a comment

Money pours into Virginia Assembly from uranium company

money-lobbyingUranium firm pumps money into assembly BY MARY BETH JACKSON, The Register & Bee, 21 Jan 13,  The Senate bill proposing to lift the moratorium on uranium mining will be considered by a committee in which 80 percent of its members have taken money from Virginia Uranium.

Sen. John Watkins has said the legislation, filed Friday with the Senate Clerk, will be vetted through the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee; 12 of 15 committee members have accepted campaign money and trips from Virginia Uranium since 2008.

Virginia Uranium wants to mine a 119-million-pound uranium ore deposit in Pittsylvania County, approximately six miles from Chatham. The company has been lobbying the legislature to write regulations for uranium mining and milling, which would effectively lift a 1982 moratorium on the industry. Continue reading →

January 23, 2013 Posted by | politics, Uranium, USA | Leave a comment

Swiss referendum might bring earlier shutdown for nuclear power

ballot-boxSmSwiss to vote on new proposal for phase out
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-Swiss_to_vote_on_phase_out_initiative-1801134.html
18 January 2013
flag-SwitzerlandA Green-led initiative to phase out the use of nuclear energy in
Switzerland by 2029 has secured enough support for a national
referendum on the issue to be held. A date for the vote has yet to be
announced. Continue reading →

January 21, 2013 Posted by | politics, Switzerland | Leave a comment

Climate change, renewable energy, top priorities for Obama’s second term

Obama to focus on renewable energy, climate change http://www.salon.com/2013/01/17/obama_to_focus_on_renewable_energy_climate_change/  BY  WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says tackling climate change and enhancing energy security will be among President Barack Obama’s top priorities in his second term.

Obama will have to do that work with new heads of the agencies responsible for the environment. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, Environmental Protection chief Lisa Jackson and Jane Lubchenco, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, all have announced they are leaving. Energy Secretary Steven Chu is expected to follow his colleagues out the door in coming weeks.

The White House says no decisions have been made on replacements for any of the energy or environment jobs, but says Obama’s priorities will remain unchanged, including a focus on renewable energy sources such as wind and solar and expanded production of oil and natural gas.

January 18, 2013 Posted by | politics, USA | Leave a comment

France’s President Hollande calls for renewable energy spending

Hollande calls for more renewable energy spending http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=56456 16 Jan 13, French President warns failure to invest in developing renewable energy will increase demand for fossil energy, risks of global warming. Middle East Online

ABU DHABI – French President Francois Hollande called on Tuesday for pumping more investments in renewable energy projects to prepare for the post-oil era and to avoid global warming.

“If we don’t spend … we will have a catastrophe,” Hollande told the opening session of the World Future Energy Summit (WEFS) in Abu Dhabi. Continue reading →

January 17, 2013 Posted by | France, politics | Leave a comment

Opposition growing to nuclear waste plan for Cumbria’s Lake District

waste-lake-Emmerdale-Cumbri‘Nuclear waste? No thanks,’ say Lake District national park tourism
chiefs, Martin Wainwright guardian.co.uk,  16 January 2013
Board joins clamour against idea of digging repository to hold power
station waste under landscape much loved by visitors Cumbria’s tourism
board has joined the growing clamour against any further research into
the burying of nuclear power station waste within the borders of the
Lake District national park.

The board – which oversees the park, the county’s largest earner and
one of the most-visited group of attractions in the UK – has also
stated its strong opposition to investigations in the Solway Coast
area of outstanding natural beauty on the West Cumbrian side of the
famous lakes and fells…..
A crucial meeting of the three councils potentially affected – Cumbria
county and Allerdale and Copeland districts – will decide on 30
January whether to agree to full-scale preliminary planning for a
repository whose underground facilities would cover an area larger
than the nearby town of Workington.
The three councils are the only ones in the UK still considering a
government request to provide underground nuclear storage, but
Cumbria’s fractured geology has already narrowed potential areas to
limited parts of the western coast, including the Ennerdale valley in
the national park.

There were gasps at public meetings in November when mock-ups of the
possible construction project were shown.

The projections, based on a French scheme, showed how construction and
surface maintenance buildings might irrevocably scar the beautiful
foothills of legendary fells such as Great Gable and Pillar…….

January 17, 2013 Posted by | politics, UK, wastes | Leave a comment

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