The debate over nuclear power in recent months has revolved around taxpayer backed loan guarantees for new nuclear projects. Not only has the President announced $8.3 billion in federal loan guarantees for a two-reactor project in Burke County, Georgia, his budget proposal includes tripling the nuclear loan guarantee program from $18.5 billion to over $54 billion. Unfortunately, some groups have used this debate to disguise their anti-nuclear agenda in anti-loan guarantee rhetoric. The basic construct of their argument is that nuclear energy is so risky and so expensive that using …
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Nuclear Energy Institute is calling on the Obama Administration to create a blue-ribbon commission to look at alternatives to the nation’s current approach to nuclear waste management. While blue-ribbon commissions are often excuses for doing nothing, a commission in this case has substantial merit. Nuclear energy is critical to meeting the nation’s economic, environmental, and energy objectives. Despite being affordable, safe, abundant and environmentally clean, significant obstacles stand in the way of a broad expansion of U.S. nuclear power. Central among them is …
