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renewable energy sources-wind and solar-Obama

OBAMA SINGS A said government support will help the u.s. export, rather
NUCLEAR TUNE than import, these technologies in the future.
The two plants are expected to cost about $14 bil-
RENAISSANCE: Administration lion, and Southern would build them next to two oper:"
ating nuclear power plants. Southern expects to have
offers $8.3 billion in loan guarantees the reactors running by 2016 and 2017.
for nuclear power plants But neither the reactor design nor the site has been
fully approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Last October, NRC announced flaws in the new West-
HE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION has offered to inghouse APlOOO design that Southern wants to use.
Two operating
nuclear power
plants sit next to
the excavation
T provide $8.33 billion in loan guarantees to back
construction of two 1,100-MW nuclear reactor
power plants to be built in Burke, Ga., by Southern,
NRC said the reactor's shield building for its primary
,containment structure was inadequate.
NRC spokesman Scott Burnell notes that NRC has
site for Southern's an electricity-generating company. President Barack approved an early site permit for Southern, which
planned new power Obama made the announcement at a Maryland electri- allows the utility to begin excavation. NRC has also
plants. cal union training facility on Feb. 16, stressing his goal of received Southern's application for a combined con-
creating new jobs by reviving struction and operating license. NRC estimates that it
an industry that produces 20% could approve Southern's application by 2011, but to do
of the nation's electricity but so, NRC would also have to have approved the APlOOO
hasn't built a plant in 30 years. design, which is incomplete at this time, he says.
Obama said that the project Critics worry about a loan default, which, under the
would result in "thousands" of loan guarantee, taxpayers would be required to cover.
construction jobs and 800 per- A report on such loan guarantees by the Congressio-
manent jobs, as well as the elim- nal Budget Office warned that the default risk is high;
ination of 16 million tons of CO 2 more than half of those receiving loans could default
emissions per year, the amount because of nuclear power's high construction costs and
that would be emitted by an consequent high and uncompetitive electricity prices
equivalent coal-fired plant. compared with that of electricity from natural gas- or
Equating nuclear energy with coal-fired powerplants.-JEFF JOHNSON

WWW.CEN-ONLINE.ORG 8 FEBRUARY 22,2010

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