France to cut oil use by 2020 with new reactor

[tocqueville]

By Marguerita Choy
2 hours, 32 minutes ago

PARIS (Reuters) - President Jacques Chirac announced plans on Thursday to cut oil consumption in France, including the launch of the latest nuclear reactor prototype so that French trains will not use a drop of oil in 20 years' time.

Chirac sealed France's commitment to nuclear power by announcing the launch of a fourth generation prototype reactor to be in use by 2020.

France has become the world's second largest nuclear power producer after it decided after the 1970s oil shocks to reduce its oil dependence by building a fleet of 58 nuclear reactors.

Chirac also said in a New year's speech that France had to develop solar energy, electronic and hybrid diesel cars, and increase production of biomass fuels five times over the next two years.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060105/sc_nm/energy_france_nuclear_dc

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Silly people.

Don't they know that the world is going to end in 2012? They are just wasting their time.

[depakid]

2. Smart planning, but

I'm curious about what they do for waste disposal- one thing about low entropy energy, aside from produit net (the 18th Century French economists' view of solar powered, renewable agriculture surplus)- there's no free lunch when it comes to energy production. There's always a downside.

[Coastie for Truth]

3. Post Sago Mine Disaster

I say "Right On" -- my Dad was born in a Consol Company Town and was a UMWA lawyer -- he "knew coal" --- our garage collapsed into a Consol sink hole when I was a toddler -- I "knew coal".

I am an alumnus of Westinhouse Nuclear -- I say "good."

PS - My Engineering Doc is from a State Land Grant University, Appalachin, Coal Field "School of Mines"