The big news this week is that $50 billion dollars of loan guarantees for new nuclear power stations and ‘clean coal’ plants have been removed from the US economic stimulus bill.

This is a real victory for environmental activism. Many environmental organizations together with tax watchdog groups argued that the loan guarantee would be primarily use by the nuclear industry which would not produce any imminent jobs. Their efforts resulted in a clear victory.

The stripping of the loan guarantees from the bill sends a clear signal that nuclear power cannot and will not play a part in boosting the faltering US economy. With $20 billion being included in the stimulus package for renewable energy projects, it’s clear which direction the wind is blowing and the sun is shining.