Indian government’s dangerous rush to get nuclear power
the Indian government tried to limit liability to only if it could be proved that a supplier had done an act ‘with the intent to cause nuclear damage’. This astounding insertion left a huge loophole for contractors doing shoddy work to wriggle out of paying any damages if things go wrong………Given India’s pervasive culture of poor management and corruption, Mr Singh’s government should think carefully before plunging headlong into a risky track from which there is no going back.
Dangers in India’s path to nuclear energy, THE BUSINESS TIMES, By YOGI AGGARWAL, August 31, 2010, THERE have been few acts by the Indian government in recent months that have given rise to as many misgivings as its attempt to push through the nuclear liability Bill. Continue reading
Demands to scrap plans for nuclear plant in Jaitapur
The most important point that has come from the discussions with the NPCIL is the information that the project does not have proper disposal or storage mechanism for nuclear waste and the information in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), prepared by the NEERI about the nuclear waste storage and disposal, is completely false,”
Jaitapur nuclear plant needs thorough regulatory scrutiny’, The Hindu , 29 Aug 2010, The Konkan Bachao Samiti (KBS), which is opposing the proposed Jaitapur nuclear power plant (JNPP) in Ratnagiri, has said that several questions on the project remain unanswered. Continue reading
USA’s grand solar opportunity depends on USA Senate
One factor could snarl that time line: the expiration of federal incentives, specifically the Treasury Dept.’s cash grant program, which currently covers 30% of a project’s costs, as long as construction has begun by the end of 2010. SEIA and other groups are pushing to have the qualifying construction start date extended by two years, to the end of 2012…….
Members of the US Senate Finance Committee didn’t return calls asking when they would vote on extending the program…….
Solar power: Brighter long-term investment outlook, The Economic Times, 29 Aug 2010, With utilities adopting standards to increase the amount of solargenerated electricity in coming years, the US could bolster its presence in the global solar-power market. The quickening growth pace could present attractive opportunities for investors, Continue reading
Nuclear industry worried as India agonises over Nuclear Liability
Industry upset with N-liability bill changes – India – The Times of IndiaTNN, Aug 25, 2010, NEW DELHI: Amid indications that the government may amend the nuclear liability bill yet again to accommodate the Opposition’s protest against dilution of the clause dealing with supplier liability, industry on Tuesday mounted a campaign warning that the toughening of the very same provisions could scare away suppliers — both Indian and foreign. Continue reading
Obama’s visit to India panicking Indian govt over Nuclear Liability Bill
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ccording to the new draft, an Indian operator of a nuclear supply can sue the supplier only if the supply in question was made with the intent of causing nuclear damage.……As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is keen on the passage of the bill before US President Barack Obama’s visit to India, the government will take a call on the issue in the next two days.
BJP to oppose diluted Nuclear liability bill – The Economic Times, 23 August 2010, NEW DELHI: With the Cabinet diluting the right to recourse of the operator to sue the supplier in the event of a nuclear accident, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) once again moved into the ‘nay-sayer’ column and vowed to defeat the civil nuclear liability bill in Parliament….. Continue reading
Germany to keep nuclear fuel tax, phase out nuclear power
At the weekend Peter Müller, the leader of the small state of Saarland and a member of Ms Merkel’s CDU party, said in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper that his regional government did not support any move to extend the life of the plants and would vote against any law change [that would allow nuclear plants to continue]
Merkel stands firm on nuclear tax plan, FT.com, By James Wilson August 22 2010 Angela Merkel on Sunday stood by plans for a tax on nuclear power as debate intensified over her government’s energy policy following public criticism by leading business people. Continue reading
USA political problem – no State wants nuclear wastes
The timeline for removing Hanford’s nuclear waste could be extended by decades if Obama’s decision to terminate the Yucca Mountain project stands
Nuke waste dump influences races outside Nevada, Google hosted news, By KEVIN FREKING (AP) – 21 Aug 2010, WASHINGTON — The Obama administration’s decision to bypass Nevada’s Yucca Mountain as a nuclear waste repository should give Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid a boost in his bid for a fifth term…….
Washington and South Carolina are plaintiffs in a lawsuit designed to keep Yucca Mountain as an option for stockpiling the nation’s nuclear waste. Continue reading
USA Republicans preventing inspections of Russia’s nuclear arsenal
because of the Republican tactics, the old START agreement–which was endorsed by Republican and Democratic administrations in the years since the Cold War ended–has expired. So, for the first time in 15 years the Pentagon has lost its ability to inspect the Russian strategic nuclear bases.
On START Treaty, U.S. Suffering From Senate Republican Ignorance, (usnews.com), By John Aloysius Farrell August 19, 2010 Continue reading
Germany struggles over question of its aging, dilapidated nuclear facilities
“There is no reason to negotiate with the nuclear power companies,” ….“A fuel tax is not needed to pay for extending the life of the plants but to keep the taxpayers from footing the bill of up to €10 billion for refurbishing old, dilapidated waste storage facilities.”….
analysts argue that the more Germany expands the renewable energy sector, whether for domestic consumption or exporting the equipment, the greater the potential for creating jobs.
Merkel Takes an ‘Energy Trip’, By JUDY DEMPSEY NYTimes.com, August 18, 2010 BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel, facing intense pressure from nuclear power companies to extend the life of their plants, began a cross-country tour Wednesday before deciding on a long-term energy policy with far-reaching implications for Germany, which has Europe’s largest economy…… Continue reading
Little chance of Indian govt passing Nuclear Liability Bill
Desperate govt reaches out to Left. Indian Express.com, 16 Aug 2010, Keen to push through the nuclear liability Bill in the ongoing session of Parliament, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Friday reached out to the Left to build a consensus on the contentious Bill.
However, given the Bill is crucial to implementing the India-US nuclear deal, which they had unsuccessfully tried to block, there is little chance of the Left parties coming on board.
At the meeting, CPM’s Sitaram Yechury and CPI’s D Raja listed the Left’s four objections to the Bill. Its primary concern is that it virtually exempts foreign suppliers from any liability in case of an accident — this, Left leaders say, was done at the instance of the US…… Desperate govt reaches out to Left
India’s nuclear power system to be entirely State run
No private players in nuclear power sector: Chavan, Hindustan Times, Press Trust Of IndiaNew Delhi, August 13, 2010 Keeping in abeyance suggestions of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, government ton Friday said it has no intention to allow private sector to set up nuclear power plants independently. “At this stage, government does not intend to change the related provision of the Atomic
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