Nuclear News: US’s nuclear industry begs for $50 billion public cash
Today's big stories from the nuclear industry:
Exelon says $50 bln loan program would spark nukes
‘WASHINGTON, Oct 29 (Reuters) - The chief executive of Exelon Corp (EXC.N), the largest U.S. nuclear power generator, said an additional $50 billion in government loan guarantees for nuclear power would be enough to spark the industry to build new plants. The current nuclear loan guarantee program of $18.5 billion could be expanded if utilities and lawmakers who back the industry win new incentives in U.S. climate legislation. "We think that ($50 billion) would be enough to give nuclear a real start for the next couple of decades," John Rowe, Exelon's president and chief executive, told reporters after testifying before a Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works panel. Republican senators like Lindsey Graham have said they would support climate legislation only if it includes far more incentives for nuclear, which is virtually free of greenhouse gas emissions. "It is truly staggering that an industry this big and this mature can claim to need so much government help to survive and thrive in a world in which technologies that don't emit global warming pollution will benefit," Ellen Vancko, a nuclear expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists said in a release.’
Le Havre cancels 'nuclear ships' calls
‘TWO Russian ships that had been expected to pick up controversial shipments of nuclear material in the French port of Le Havre have been diverted away from the port following protests by environmental organisation Greenpeace. The port said that the calls of the 4,998 gt Kapitan Mironov and the 4,998 gt Kapitan Lus, scheduled respectively for today...’
Iran demands changes to deal with the West on nuclear ambitions
‘Iran demanded important changes in a crucial international nuclear fuel deal yesterday, challenging the basis of the agreement struck with the US, France and Russia. Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), announced that he had received Iran's proposal in Vienna yesterday, five days after the deadline for its submission expired. He called it only an initial response, which suggested that it fell short of the demands of the international community. Iran had been asked to ship out most of its nuclear fuel stockpile before the end of the year for reprocessing into higher grade material under international supervision. Reports in Iran's state-controlled media said that Tehran had demanded "important changes". They hinted that Iran wanted to export the fuel only in small batches while simultaneously importing the higher-grade fuel.’
Officials From U.S. And North Korea Hold Dialogue At UCSD
‘MAUREEN CAVANAUGH (Host): I'm Maureen Cavanaugh, and you're listening to These Days on KPBS. The Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue Forum this week on the campus of UC San Diego made international headlines. The news was not really about what happened there but who took part in the forum. North Korea's number two nuclear negotiator was here in San Diego, joined by officials from the U.S., South Korea, China, Russia and Japan. Those just happen to be the member nations of the 6-party nuclear negotiation talks that North Korea walked out of last spring. By all accounts no breakthroughs were made at the UCSD conference, but it is one in a series of signs that diplomatic efforts are being made to find a way to bring North Korea back to the negotiating table over the issue of nuclear weapons. Joining me to discuss the Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue Conference is my guest, the event's founder, Susan Shirk, Director of the University of California's Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation, and professor of political science at UCSD. Professor Shirk, welcome.’
Report: EDF's new boss would dump Constellation
‘EDF Group, parent of Electricite de France and partner of Constellation Energy in an expanded joint venture and proposal to build a third nuclear reactor at Maryland's Calvert Cliffs, has a new boss. Henri Proglio is his name. People have been wondering whether he would take a different approach to EDF's expanded partnership with Constellation, which is under review at the Maryland Public Service Commission. Now Thibaut Madelin, energy correspondent for Les Echos, is stating as a fact, without offering any evidence, that Proglio wants to dump Constellation. In a piece about Proglio's appearance before the French economic affairs legislative commitee, Madelin says Proglio "would like... to exit a proposed joint venture with the American Constellation." Lower down in the piece Madelin says this: Henri Proglio, who would like to make the group's French operations transparent to determine the true cost of nuclear development, seems at any rate ready for strategic change. He wonders about the proposal to buy 50 percent of the nuclear assets of the American Constellation. An exit could be delivered on a plate in coming days with the pending decision of the Maryland public service commission. This would allow the operation under certain conditions. Henri Proglio is free to accept them or not.’
