Reporting from Los Angeles and Washington - Seeking common ground with Republicans on energy and climate issues, President Obama on Tuesday pledged $8 billion in loan guarantees needed to build the first U.S. nuclear power plant in nearly three decades.

The move, along with a tripling of nuclear loan guarantees in the president's budget, represents a new federal commitment to the low-carbon-emitting, but highly controversial, nuclear power sector long championed by the GOP.

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Reporting from Los Angeles and Washington - Seeking common ground with Republicans on energy and climate issues, President Obama on Tuesday pledged $8 billion in loan guarantees needed to build the first U.S. nuclear power plant in nearly three decades.

The move, along with a tripling of nuclear loan guarantees in the president's budget, represents a new federal commitment to the low-carbon-emitting, but highly controversial, nuclear power sector long championed by the GOP.

Industry groups and Republican leaders praised the announcement, which has been expected for months, but some environmentalists and free-market think tanks protested.

Speaking at a training center at the Lanham, Md., headquarters of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 26, Obama spoke favorably of nuclear power as part of a mix of energy alternatives to oil.

"In order to truly harness our potential in clean energy, we'll have to do more," Obama said. "In the near term, as we transition to cleaner energy sources, we'll have to make tough decisions about opening new offshore areas for oil and gas development. We'll need to make continued investments in advanced biofuels and clean coal technologies, even as we build greater capacity in renewables like wind and solar.

"And we'll have to build a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in America," he said.

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ORIGINAL: DarkSteven

I just wish that he also changed our ridiculous nuclear waste policy so that, instead of binning up nuke waste, we reenriched and reused it.  Recycling at its best - reduces costs and reduces waste.

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ORIGINAL: DomKen

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ORIGINAL: DarkSteven

I just wish that he also changed our ridiculous nuclear waste policy so that, instead of binning up nuke waste, we reenriched and reused it.  Recycling at its best - reduces costs and reduces waste.

Re enriching spent fuel isn't that helpful and does nothing for most of the high level waste. While you can centrifuge out uranium that has yet to split that still leaves all the fission end products that aren't yet stable but half half lifes long enough that they are not useful for maintaining a reaction. That material, most of each spent fuel rod, must still be disposed of safely which we have establish how we're going to do it.

Before a single plant gets started Yucca mountain should be opened or another nuclear waste receiver should be up and running.

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ORIGINAL: Sanity


Right. Obama's opposition to opening Yucca Mountain as a permenant disposal solution stands in direct contradiction with his stated new found love for nuclear.

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ORIGINAL: DomKen

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ORIGINAL: DarkSteven

I just wish that he also changed our ridiculous nuclear waste policy so that, instead of binning up nuke waste, we reenriched and reused it.  Recycling at its best - reduces costs and reduces waste.

Re enriching spent fuel isn't that helpful and does nothing for most of the high level waste. While you can centrifuge out uranium that has yet to split that still leaves all the fission end products that aren't yet stable but half half lifes long enough that they are not useful for maintaining a reaction. That material, most of each spent fuel rod, must still be disposed of safely which we have establish how we're going to do it.

Before a single plant gets started Yucca mountain should be opened or another nuclear waste receiver should be up and running.

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ORIGINAL: DomKen

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ORIGINAL: DarkSteven

I just wish that he also changed our ridiculous nuclear waste policy so that, instead of binning up nuke waste, we reenriched and reused it.  Recycling at its best - reduces costs and reduces waste.

Re enriching spent fuel isn't that helpful and does nothing for most of the high level waste. While you can centrifuge out uranium that has yet to split that still leaves all the fission end products that aren't yet stable but half half lifes long enough that they are not useful for maintaining a reaction. That material, most of each spent fuel rod, must still be disposed of safely which we have establish how we're going to do it.

Before a single plant gets started Yucca mountain should be opened or another nuclear waste receiver should be up and running.

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ORIGINAL: Thadius

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ORIGINAL: DomKen

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ORIGINAL: DarkSteven

I just wish that he also changed our ridiculous nuclear waste policy so that, instead of binning up nuke waste, we reenriched and reused it.  Recycling at its best - reduces costs and reduces waste.

Re enriching spent fuel isn't that helpful and does nothing for most of the high level waste. While you can centrifuge out uranium that has yet to split that still leaves all the fission end products that aren't yet stable but half half lifes long enough that they are not useful for maintaining a reaction. That material, most of each spent fuel rod, must still be disposed of safely which we have establish how we're going to do it.

Before a single plant gets started Yucca mountain should be opened or another nuclear waste receiver should be up and running.

Indeed. Which is another reason I am skeptical, the current administration's moves on Yucca, would suggest it isn't a reality. Perhaps, we can start putting this material up on the moon (partially tongue in cheek)?

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ORIGINAL: FirmhandKY

Is Yucca Mountain in McCain territory? 

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ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

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ORIGINAL: FirmhandKY

Is Yucca Mountain in McCain territory? 

Reid, actually.  I guess President Obama figured his Vegas cracks hadn't already cost Nevada enough jobs...

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ORIGINAL: samboct

Actually, I think he picked Steven Chu because he was a sharp guy (Nobel Laureate- never met a dumb one of those yet, although some are wacko.) and a good administrator.  After hearing Chu speak a couple of years ago at an MRS meeting on global climate change, my takeaway is that Chu is loyal and following the party line, even at the cost of his own reputation.  I know very few scientists who can discuss "clean coal" without either apoplexy or gales of laughter.  He might be pro-nuke, but technology keeps changing- supercaps 5 years ago weren't really on the horizon since the storage rates were too low and they were too expensive.  Nuke technology on the other hand, moves, very, very slowly since the industry is so secretive.  They have to be- the waste issue still hasn't been solved and nobody's close after decades of study and billions of dollars.


Sam