NEI Nuclear Notes

Visit Boots and Sabers : Nuclear energy has been a safe and clean form of energy for over 40 years. It's about time we welcome it back into America'’s emerging energy portfolio. Thanks to reader Jim Pfefferle for the pointer. Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Electricity , Environment , Energy , Politics , Technology , Economics

A couple of weeks back we pointed to the story on how Miss Nevada expressed her support for the Yucca Mountain project in a Q&A session with officials from the Miss America Pageant. Now comes this sad report : The family of Miss Nevada Crystal Wosik has been taunted with threats and harassment from unknown sources in the aftermath of remarks she made Jan. 19 to Miss America pageant judges in support of the planned nuclear waste repository, her mother, Lena Wosik, said. In telephone interviews Friday and Monday, Lena Wosik said, "It's been horrible for the family" to receive messages that mentioned "baby killer" and which chastised her 23-year-old daughter for backing the federal government's effort "to dump toxic waste on our families," in the words of one messenger. "It's been hurtful and sad for the other kids," Lena Wosik said, referring to Crystal's brothers. She said the messages were left on a telephone answering machi...

With the Ukrainian natural gas supply disruption still fresh in the minds of many Europeans, a number of countries are scrambling to find alternatives to Russian natural gas : [B]ear in mind that Russia has alerted its European consumers that their prices will increase by about 50% to $240 per 1,000 cm by the end of 2006, and the Ukrainian crisis provides no confidence that Russia has any intention of seeing its largely state-run energy industry as anything other than a political tool. EU members will have to write cheques to Russia for natural gas in 2006 edging up toward some $30 billion. In that light, coughing up an extra $10 billion to reduce their long-term Russian exposure seems a much more viable — and likely unavoidable — option. In addition, the article notes, "Roughly 40% of Europe’s natural gas imports come from or through Russia — and 80% of that transits Ukraine. A glance at the map shows that there are not any obvious alternate suppliers." Technorati tags:...

Treehugger took a look at used fuel reprocessing, and is keeping an open mind: Nevertheless, the current efficiencies of most alternative energy processes suggest that the energy demands of the near future cannot be satisfied with windmills and wave power while maintaining (and spreading to developing areas) the standard of prosperity we enjoy today. Biofuels compete with foods and create a unique new set of ecological compromises. The nuclear question is back on the table in countries (like Germany ) where existing facilities are reaching their age limits. It is good to know there are people out there working on better answers for the waste. And so what if it takes a decade or two? That is nothing compared to millenia. For a look at NEI's position on the issue, which insists that the federal government take title and move used fuel as soon as is practicable, and that the nation still needs a used fuel repository at Yucca Mountain, click here . Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nu...

From Energy Outlook : We face huge, complex problems across the entire energy spectrum, and although they will lend themselves to patient solutions, there are no quick or cheap fixes. Oil isn't a bad place to start, but this can't be done in a vacuum, without understanding and accounting for all the knock-on effects. Otherwise, we risk making the broader picture worse, particularly in the area of greenhouse gas emissions. Whether our long-term personal transportation will be based on plug-in hybrids or hydrogen fuel cells, we require a comprehensive strategy for the natural gas, renewables, coal and nuclear power that will generate the electricity and hydrogen upon which they will depend. Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Electricity , Environment , Energy , Politics , Technology , Economics

From Bloomberg : The Bush administration, reversing a 29-year-old government policy, is seeking to reprocess the waste produced by nuclear reactors in the U.S. and other nations. The administration requested $250 million in the budget it unveiled today for development of a process to reduce and recycle radioactive waste. The process would foster expansion of nuclear power in the U.S. by reducing by 80 percent the amount of waste sent to the storage site in Yucca Mountain, Nevada. The proposed Global Nuclear Energy Partnership would also take spent fuel from other nations, addressing growing concern about the proliferation of nuclear weapons by keeping the capability to enrich and recycle nuclear material in U.S. hands, according to budget documents released today. For our previous posts on GNEP, click here and here . And it looks like Russia might be interested . Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Used Fuel , Energy , Reprocessing , Technology , Electricity , Yucca Mountain

In his younger days, G. Pascal Zachary marched against the opening of the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant . But today, the noted author thinks nuclear has to have a place in the country's future energy mix : We need to encourage the few utilities that are pacesetters in nuclear power, notably Entergy and Exelon, to build new plants fast. We need to use tax dollars to make it happen. We need to stop using citizen activism and the legal system to stymie nuclear power and rob the country of one clear path toward energy independence. At the same time we need to push wind, solar and other renewable technologies. We need to promote mass transit and curtail automobile use by sharply raising taxes on gasoline and restricting cars altogether from some areas. We need to campaign more vigorously for conservation. And, yes, we need nuclear power. The coming energy crises are likely to be too painful and costly for Americans not to embrace nuclear. There's plenty more. Be sure to read ...