NEI Nuclear Notes

All of the reports from the Australian Task Force on Uranium Mining, Processing and Nuclear Energy have been issued. Click here for an index. As a first pass, Seeker Blog is taking a look at their findings concerning total lifecycle emissions. For the latest on the state of debate on carbon trading in Australia, click here .

From Nuclear Engineering International : Encouraging investment through stable, consistent and predictable energy market rules are the key factor in determining the future of nuclear power in Europe, a new report from the World Energy Council (WEC) concludes. The report points out that there are solid economic reasons to support the development of nuclear power in Europe, with the economics behind nuclear power particularly attractive considering that planned lifetime extensions, capacity increases and licence renewals can further reduce costs. Click here for the executive summary and here for the full report.

The incoming CEO of French energy giant Total has told the Financial Times that he's determined to add nuclear to his company's portfolio : Christophe de Margerie, who will take over as Total's chief executive this month, will continue to focus on the hunt for hydrocarbons - gas and oil - something he his well known for in the industry. But in an interview he revealed his nuclear ambitions. "Being in the energy business, [which] we consider not only as our business but also as a responsibility vis á vis the consumers, we will certainly one day have to be part of this [nuclear] adventure," he said. Although it was not an immediate concern, he said, as access to hydrocarbons became more difficult, Total was branching out into other forms of energy. Renewables would only ever satisfy a small portion of the world's overall energy needs, even though they would be important sources in certain countries that lacked oil and gas. So for Total, "if it is not hydro...

The latest from the AP . A final House vote could come as soon as today. For previous posts, click here and here . Technorati tags: Nuclear Power , Nuclear Energy , Environment , Energy , Politics , Technology , Economics , Electricity , Kansas

The nuclear renaissance will get stopped in its tracks if the NRC doesn't have the resources to get the job done -- so Lynn Weaver, president emeritus of the Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, has a suggestion : The reason for the licensing delay is simple and straightforward: a critical shortage of manpower, which is expected to become acute within a year, at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The NRC knows that it needs to expand its work force, because it's facing a flood of regulatory reviews for new nuclear plants and existing plants that are seeking a renewal of their operating licenses. But it doesn't have the money. Congress is bogged down in a dispute over federal spending. It passed only two of the 11 spending bills for the fiscal year that began last October, those covering defense and homeland security. The rest of the government is operating under a continuing resolution that holds spending to last year's levels. As a result, the NRC's budge...

James Lovelock's book, The Revenge of Gaia is being translated into German, which is why Der Speigel got around to interviewing the venerable climate scientist . I'm guessing most environmental radicals won't like what he has to say: Lovelock has nothing but ridicule for environmentalists' favorite issues, such as "sustainable development" and "renewable energy," calling them "well-meaning nonsense." He is convinced that wind and solar energy will never be even remotely capable of meeting worldwide energy needs. In China alone, for example, a new large coal power plant is put into operation every five days, imposing additional burdens on the atmosphere. The only solution, according to Lovelock, is the massive expansion of nuclear energy worldwide. A reliable supply of electricity, says Lovelock, is the key issue when it comes to survival on a warmer planet. He loses no sleep over the risks of nuclear power. "Show me the mass graves o...

The anti-nukes are on the move "down under" and Ian Hore-Lacy is calling them out on their deceptive tactics in a post titled, Fear by Survey . Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Electricity , Environment , Energy , Politics , Technology , Economics , Australia