Nuclear Renaissance?
Five years ago, the nuclear industry was trumpeting a nuclear renaissance. Out of the original pool of 17 applicants that intended to participate in the revival, 5 applicants have suspended or outright canceled their plans to build a new reactor. Today, Unistar, joins those ranks. I am reminded of a quip made by former Nuclear Regulatory Commissioner, Peter Bradford, “In a real renaissance, the masterpieces precede the applause.”
UniStar halts application for Nine Mile
The Associated Press
SCRIBA, N.Y. – UniStar has asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to temporarily suspend its review of an application to build a new reactor at Nine Mile Point in upstate New York.NRC spokesman Neil Sheehan said Monday that UniStar made the request because of uncertainties over the availability of federal loan guarantee money for new nuclear power plants. The proposed Nine Mile Point 3 plant on Lake Ontario was not selected as a finalist for federal loan guarantees.
Baltimore-based UniStar said that without federal loan guarantees, the company cannot continue to invest in new nuclear projects at the same pace. The company plans to continue to push for an additional round of federal loan guarantee funding.
Allison Fisher is the Energy Organizer for Public Citizen
Citizen Energy 
Taxpayer money should not support nuclear power especially when the U.S. Government does not hold the nuclear power industry liable in the event of an accident. It is also true, and ignored, that determined terrorists could gain entry, disable all safety measures , and trigger a meltdown. If this occurred in Southern California at San Onofre, it could cause thousands of cancers and poison hundreds of square miles for centuries.
Not only does the industry have limited liability in the event of an accident, they have a very poor track record estimating how much reactors cost to build. Estimated costs for constructing new nuclear reactors have increased fourfold since 2001. This year alone, cost estimates have ranged from 8.4 cents per kilowatt hour to a high of 30 cents. The billions they are seeking from the government to build a new generation of reactors could be better invested in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Want to oppose taxpayer backed loan guarantees? Take action here: http://action.citizen.org/t/6693/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=28110
By the time any new nuclear plants get built, the price of power will probably have escalated greatly. We have to ask ourselves what is the cost of makeing our planet un-inhabitable?
Hi- do you have any view on the EFR reactors supported by Jim Hansen and others? (see link below)
http://www.skirsch.com/politics/globalwarming/ifr.htm
Thanks, Wakean Maclean
I believe Oak ridge did run one of these reactors years ago and they don’t use material that can be weaponized they tell us. I do not know whether or not they can be used in an explosive/dirty bomb configuration, nor do I know many details of their operation.
Yeah cost: Let’s face it everything will increase in cost greatly, particularly if we do not have an acceptable solution to our energy crisis. As we’re told there are thousands of things made from oil including plastics. We are really throwing oil away by burning it and evenpolluting the atmosphere with it.
We do need to save it for those things we really need it for.
believe Oak ridge did run one of these reactors years ago and they don’t use material that can be weaponized they tell us. I do not know whether or not they can be used in an explosive/dirty bomb configuration, nor do I know many details of their operation.
Yeah cost: Let’s face it everything will increase in cost greatly, particularly if we do not have an acceptable solution to our energy crisis. As we’re told there are thousands of things made from oil including plastics. We are really throwing oil away by burning it and evenpolluting the atmosphere with it.
We do need to save it for those things we really need it for.