A $50 Billion Nuke Power Bomb Is Dropping Toward Obama's Stimulus Package

[ensho]

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/01/31-4


The desperate, dangerous nuclear power industry has dropped a $50 billion stealth bomb meant to irradiate the Obama Stimulus Package.

It comes in the form of a mega-loan guarantee package that would build new reactors Wall Street wouldn't finance even when it had cash. It will take a healthy dose of citizen action to stop it, so start calling your Senators now.

The vaguely worded bailout-in-advance provision was snuck through the Senate Appropriations Committee in the deep night of January 27. It would provide $50 billion in loan guarantees for "eligible technologies" that would technically include renewable sources and electric transmission. But the handout is clearly directed at nukes and "clean coal."

The Stimulus Package is explicitly meant to create jobs within the next two years. But according to sources at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, no new reactors could be licensed for construction within that time. Nor could any new coal plants. And thus the funds in this rider are to "remain available until committed." That means their "stimulus" might not go into effect for many years.

-snip-

Numerous national groups, including the Nuclear Information & Resource Service (www.nirs.org) are providing sign-ins for sending e-mails to the Senate. They also urge that you call your Senator at 202-224-3121.

Time is fast slipping by for the nuke power industry. As the popularity of renewables and efficiency escalates, the most obvious source of new jobs and prosperity has become truly green technologies. Atomic power has long since been priced out of the market. Only massive federal and ratepayer subsidies could bring it back, to the direct detriment of the revolution in renewables.

Defeating this latest money grab will help drive another nail in the coffin of the 20th century's most expensive failed technology. It is an essential step toward a truly green-powered future.
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this is what Patrick Moore was shilling on Wash. Journal this a.m. although he didn't mention the 'bomb'.

[w4rma]

1. Over 5% of the stimulus package to this? Bad. (nt)

[dbackjon]

2. thanks for the heads up - calling to make sure it is INCLUDED

GO NUCLEAR POWER - the greenest alternative for mass power production available.

[NightWatcher]

3. you forgot your :sarcasm: smilie

[dbackjon]

13. Not at all. Very serious, and 100% correct

[Kolesar]

8. Combined heat and power is an option

I am trying to figure out to what extent it can be implemented, though. CHP and efficiency could *probably* supplant half of the coal fired electricity that the US and other countries use.

[EFerrari]

12. The language is nuclear or coal. n/t

[dbackjon]

18. Now that I will call on - should be all nuclear

[McCamy Taylor]

4. Guys, every politcian owes someone something. Obama owes Big Nuclear. Let it rest.

At least it isn't a company that profits from war. Just don't live next to one. Personally, I would rather live next to a nuke than a "clean" coal plant or a petrochemical refinery. And, in the long run, we are going to have to get at least some of our energy from fusion reactors. We will have to in order to survive as a species.

[NightWatcher]

6. a little nuclear here? a little "clean coal" there? NOPE

I never thought I'd be arrested protesting this shit under an Obama Admin.

[McCamy Taylor]

9. Then you did not pay attention during the primary. He was always for nuclear energy. Always.

If you didn't like nukes you should have cast your vote elsewhere. Too late for take backs.

[NightWatcher]

17. paid attention. did not like then. do not like now. Still better than McCain

but we need to change his mind when it comes to nuclear and dirty coal

[MadHound]

7. Next can be a relative term

With a nuclear plant mishap, next to one could be either a block, or a few hundred miles away, depending on what goes wrong.

Nuclear power isn't the answer and never will be until we figure out what to do with all the waste products and how to eliminate human error. Until then, nuclear power is just a major accident waiting to happen, again and again and again.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

5. This seems like an excellent use for stimulus money.

Investing in alternatives to fossil fuels is a great idea, and nuclear is still the most cost-effective.

[MadHound]

11. Really, you think so?

Have you factored in all the costs of nuclear, mining the uranium, processing the uranium, the health costs to both people and the environment, the cost of human error, the costs of all that waste?

Oh, and don't forget to factor in the fact that while solar, wind, etc. get virtually no government money, nuclear power is heavily subsidized and frankly we're all on the hook for the insurance to cover a nuclear plant since no private insurance agency will even consider picking them up.

Factor all that in, and nuclear really isn't that cost efficient at all.

[Kolesar]

19. Wind cannot "reliably" provide enough power at any hour

What do you recommend to replace Ohio's coal-fired generation?

[ThomWV]

10. I am fully in favor of nuclear power and the sooner we get restarted on it the better

It is so much cleaner and safer than burning coal that it seems insane not to be using it for our base load operations right now.

[truebrit71]

15. Yup. I agree. Nothing like water that glows in the dark and deformed babies next to the nuke plants.

..and all built and maintained by the LOWEST bidder...

What could go wrong?
:sarcasm:

[MadHound]

16. Hmm, what about all that tritium leakage into groundwater?

What about all that waste that is slowly seeping away? What about all those accidents and incidents?

It isn't a choice between coal and nuclear, there are many other alternatives out there. The best one is to decentralize our power system, and start having individual houses do their own energy generation.

Until they figure out what to do with nuclear waste, and how to eliminate human error, nuclear is going to be nothing but a chimera.

[EFerrari]

14. Amy pointed out Wall Street couldn't get this financed when they HAD money. n/t

[Peace Patriot]

20. Gawd! All I can say is...

THROW DIEBOLD AND ALL 'TRADE SECRET' VOTING MACHINES INTO 'BOSTON HARBOR' NOW!

[maveteran]

21. Say what you want about nuclear power

but large portions of Europe have been benefitting from it for 30 years with nary a problem. Being knee-jerk anti-nuke is a loser and just makes one look irrational.