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Trouble in selling a troubled nuclear reactor

Anyone Want to Help Build a Reactor?, NYTimes.com, By MATTHEW L. WALD, November 1, 2010, A partnership between Constellation Energy and Electricité de France to build a new reactor in Maryland has broken up, with Constellation concluding that the economics are unfavorable because of electricity market conditions and the terms demanded by the Energy Department for a loan guarantee.
But Electricité de France wants to go forward and has bought out Constellation’s share of the joint venture, Unistar Nuclear. The problem is that American law requires that the plant have an American partner as a majority owner. Whom could the company recruit?….

Another possiblity for EDF would be to seek a change in the law, to allow foreign ownership of a nuclear reactor. (That rule dates from the cold war days.) But on Friday, the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Gregory Jaczko, was noncommittal when asked what he thought of this idea.

The commission’s job, he said, is to enforce the law, and “I’m not aware of any proposals in Congress” for changes…….. Anyone Want to Help Build a Reactor? – NYTimes.com

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

Californians vote for solar energy and ‘green collar’ jobs

the solar energy sector has created 17,000 jobs since 2009, and supports roughly 46,000 related jobs in the U.S. Employment in solar is expected to surpass 60,000 jobs by the end of 2010.
“Californians get it,” said Rooney. “California continues to lead the way on a critical national policy debate by rejecting the Prop. 23 notion that clean energy means fewer jobs.

CALIFORNIA VOTERS REJECT PROP 23 AND SEND MESSAGE: “RENEWABLE ENERGY IS HERE TO STAY”altenergy.com Solar Industry Leader Says Validation of AB32 Cements Foundation for Continued Investment and Job Creation in America’s Largest Renewable Power Market   NOVATO, CA—November 3, 2010 Continue reading →

November 4, 2010 Posted by | renewable, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Despite Republican win, USA’s nuclear industry is stalled

A renaissance in nuclear power may be stalled regardless of action by Congress, said Chris Gadomski, the lead analyst for nuclear power with Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

Nuclear Power Gains in Republican House Victory; `Cap and Trade’ Suffers – Bloomberg, By Jim Efstathiou Jr. and Jim Snyder – Nov 4, 2010 “…………Nuclear power remains a tough sell …. The U.S. has no long-term plan to dispose of spent reactor fuel, and building nuclear plants remains prohibitively expensive without government subsidies, said John Walke, clean- air director for the New York-based Natural Resources Defense Council. Continue reading →

November 4, 2010 Posted by | politics, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Obama diverted renewable energy funding, while touting renewables

the administration received dozens of applications, but then made little progress in getting them processed. So far, less than 3 percent of the money set aside for [renewable energy] loan guarantees has actually been formally assign…….

Obama Talks Big About Clean Energy While Cash Stripped From Key Program Internal Memo Advises President Obama to Fix Program or Scrap It  ABC News By MATTHEW MOSK and TIM FLEMING. Nov. 3, 2010 While President Obama has touted his deep commitment to a clean energy industry, the administration has quietly drained more than half of the $6 billion allocated to a key renewable energy program Continue reading →

November 4, 2010 Posted by | politics, USA | , , | Leave a comment

Sorry state of Americans’ knowledge of climate change

Americans’ scary scarcity of global warming knowledge, The Science Friday Blog,  October 29, 2010 by Neil Wagner Study: 52% of Americans deserve an “F” for their climate change researchers from Yale University and the University of Wisconsin have published results of a study that show just how little the American public understands climate change. If the authors of the study were to give grades to those surveyed, 1% would get an A,  7% a B,  15% a C,  25 % a D and  52% an F! Yikes! That IS scary!

On the bright side, 75% said they would like to know more about the issue and that schools should teach our children about climate change.

New York Times story about the study … Americans’ scary scarcity of global warming knowledge

November 3, 2010 Posted by | climate change, USA | , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear power plants just not getting built in USA, despite govt loans

President Obama even proposed another $36 billion in federal loan guarantees for the industry in February of this year.

Yet last year, only one application was filed. And none at all this year…

Obstacles to Nuclear Construction in the United States, by Tony D’Altorio, Investment U Research  November 2, 2010 Electricite de France or EDF ADR (PINK: ECIFY) just got dumped by Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG). And that could spell some big changes to its plans. Continue reading →

November 3, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Top airline pilot against security radiation scanning for pilots

let pilots avoid the same high-intensity searches that the public endures at TSA checkpoints.

APA president advises against new body scanners dallasnews.com, AIRLINE BIZ Terry Maxon, 1 Nov 10, Allied Pilots Association president Dave Bates is suggesting that American Airlines pilots go through a pat-down search by Transportation Security Administration personnel rather undergo the repeated radiation from the “advanced imaging technology” body scanners used at many airports……. Continue reading →

November 2, 2010 Posted by | health, USA | , , | 1 Comment

Patients treated with radioactivity can endanger others

Are Radioactive Cancer Patients Endangering Us All? | The Stir, 2 Nov, 10, “………there’s growing concern about thyroid cancer patients, who are treated with radioactive iodine, which may present problematic levels of radiation to those around them for up to a week.In fact, after thyroid treatment, patients are advised not to hug children or pregnant women (who are considered particularly vulnerable), or to sleep next to another person, for several days Continue reading →

November 2, 2010 Posted by | health, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nuclear industry stalled as now uneconomic

Seven reactor projects around the country have been deferred in the last few months…..Other companies have looked at the economics of building nuclear reactors and decided to wait. In September, Exelon, the largest nuclear operator in the United States, stepped back from a plan to build a twin-unit reactor plant in Texas…..

Economy puts brakes on nuclear reactor plans The Blade ~ Toledo Ohio October 31, 2010 A third reactor for this Maryland site is stalled by an impasse over funding.  — Just a few years ago, the economic prognosis for new nuclear reactors looked bright. The prospect of growing electricity demand…..and government loan guarantees prompted companies to tell the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that they wanted to build 28 reactors. Continue reading →

November 1, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Company’s share plunge due to ‘worthless’ nuclear power investments

its investment in UniStar Nuclear Energy was worthless, given the deteriorating nuclear energy market……….

Constellation Energy swings to 3rd-qtr loss as nuclear investments’ value plunges,  Canadian Business Online, October 29, 2010, BALTIMORE (AP) – Constellation Energy Group Inc. said Friday it swung to a third-quarter loss as it absorbed more than $1 billion in charges related to the drop in value of its nuclear joint ventures Continue reading →

October 29, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | , , , , | Leave a comment

Glitches in nuclear weapons systems are cause for alarm

“It is yet another indication of the risk associated with having these types of weapons around,”

Missile Mishap Revives Alarm Over Nuclear Arsenal, AOL News, Joseph Schuman, (Oct. 27) — Computer glitches, hardware failures and unexplained communication outages happen all the time. But when the affected systems control nuclear-armed missiles, it gets a little scary. Continue reading →

October 29, 2010 Posted by | safety, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

California debate on nuclear power stacked by pro nuclear interests

the electric utilities are big campaign donors at the Capitol.

State panel to debate nuclear power Los Angeles Times, Patrick McGreevy, 27 Oct 10, “………..David Weisman of the Alliance for Nuclear Responsibility complained that the hearing lineup appeared stacked in favor of those who support expanded nuclear power in California Continue reading →

October 28, 2010 Posted by | spinbuster, USA | , , , , , | Leave a comment

America’s nuclear weapons – unnecessary and expensive

Americans, for the first time in their history, face the prospect of total annihilation. In addition, the U.S. government has vast superiority over all other countries when it comes to conventional war.

How Many Nuclear Weapons Does the U.S. Government Need?, THE HUFFINGTON POST, Lawrence Wittner , 26 Oct 10, A good case can be made that the U.S. government, the first to develop nuclear weapons, would be much better off today without them. Continue reading →

October 26, 2010 Posted by | USA, weapons and war | , , , , , | Leave a comment

South Carolina residents to pay up in advance, for nuclear power station build?

customers should not be billed upfront for project expenditures that have not actually been incurred.

SCE&G seeks to recoup up to $200MM for nuclear expansion project, Penn Energy, October 26, 2010    By Dorothy Davis South Carolina Electric & Gas Company (SCE&G) plans to return to state regulators to request up to $200 million from customers in the form of gradual rate increases for expenses related to its nuclear expansion project in Fairfield County. Continue reading →

October 26, 2010 Posted by | business and costs, USA | , , , | Leave a comment

US nuclear missiles shut down by power failure

Power Failure Shuts Down Squadron of Nuclear Missiles,  The Atlantic, Oct 26 2010, President Obama was briefed this morning on a power failure at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming that took 50 nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), one-ninth of the U.S. missile stockpile, temporarily offline on Saturday.

The base is a main locus of the United States’ strategic nuclear forces. The 90th Missile Wing, headquartered there, controls 150 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic nuclear missiles. They’re on full-time alert and are housed in a variety of bunkers across the base……. Power Failure Shuts Down Squadron of Nuclear Missiles – Marc Ambinder – Politics – The Atlantic

October 26, 2010 Posted by | safety, USA | , | Leave a comment