NEI Nuclear Notes

File it under “Another Country Considers Nuclear” – but with an asterisk this time: Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Monday that his government is carrying out initial studies into starting a nuclear energy program. Chavez brought up the issue during a news conference, saying the South American country needs an atomic energy program. And this isn’t necessarily diabolical. For all that Chavez is viewed as a bad actor, Venezuela certainly needs more electricity and while almost totally dependent on renewable energy sources (62% hydro, 38% thermal), these are tapped – like Venezuela, Brazil has also turned to nuclear energy because it cannot further grow its hydro capacity. Venezuela is largely an urban nation, with 86% of its 26 million people clustered into cities. So a nuclear energy plant could bolster its capacity rapidly – and it needs it; Chavez declared a state of emergency earlier this year after a drought hampered its hydro capabilities. As a result of th...