cmaukonen's picture

    Japan earthquake: Impact on US nuclear energy future?

    By cmaukonen on Mon, 03/14/2011 - 11:28pm |

    This piece on the BBC website kind of says it all.

    John Rowe, the CEO of America's largest nuclear producer Exelon, has said his firm is reluctant to invest in new nuclear plants because they are increasingly cost prohibitive when compared to natural gas, which is relatively cheap.

    "The nuclear industry was in trouble in the US long before last week's earthquake and tsunami," said Ellen Vancko of the Union of Concerned Scientists.

    "Spiralling construction cost estimates, declining energy demand, low natural gas costs and the failure to put a price on carbon already spelled trouble for this industry."

    Mr Cochran of the NRDC says that by his estimate, over the years 130 proposed nuclear plants have been cancelled at some point during the planning, licensing and construction process. That's more than the total number of plants that have ever been built in the US.

    It doesn't bode well for the future of new plants, particularly now that increased attention will be paid to nuclear safety, perhaps adding new hurdles for proposed plants.

    No additional comment is really necessary. Nuclear is not an option for electric power. Too many dangerous and complex hurdles to overcome.

    Comments

    But now there are reports that the fracking process for retreiving natural gas leaves radio active material in the water...we're screwed. Maybe if we're lucky the Afghanis will teach us how to live in caves.


    by stillidealistic on Tue, 03/15/2011 - 2:37am

    In Afghanistan they take care of they're prophets, In Ameican we get taken advantage of by those who only seek profits


    by Resistance on Tue, 03/15/2011 - 7:34am

    I'd rather have Proffitts than either of those two choices.


    by Verified Atheist on Tue, 03/15/2011 - 2:47pm

    I listened as Democracy Now! interviewed a nuke whistleblower this morning. He said 23 of 104 US nuclear plants, including the leaky Vermont Yankee, are essentially identical to the Japanese plants that are now melting down. They also interviewed local opponents to extending Yankee's operation beyond its 2012 close date. I'll add a link when they post the podcast.


    by Donal on Tue, 03/15/2011 - 9:02am

    So capitalism comes to the rescue?


    by Richard Day on Tue, 03/15/2011 - 10:11am

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