| "Obstacles to new build must be surmounted" US Energy Secretary tells BNIF | | Print | |
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United States Secretary of Energy, Spencer Abraham yesterday said that modern nuclear plants are better run, better managed and vastly more efficient than in the past, and that the US government would instigate a raft of measures to help the development of advanced nuclear technologies both in the near and long term: "I believe that the American government has a clear role to help remove the barriers to an expanded role for nuclear power," he said. At a lunch organised jointly by BNIF and the World Nuclear Association, Abraham explained that when the US administration began to address their long term energy needs upon taking office in early 2001 it soon became apparent that the inclusion of nuclear in the generation mix was "just common sense". He acknowledged, however, that we as an industry need to do a better job of "clarifying the true arguments for nuclear power." Much in the vein of our domestic question "What does keeping the nuclear option open mean?" Abrahams described the barriers and practical considerations which must be addressed in order to ensure nuclear continues to contribute to global environmental imperatives. " . . . significant barriers make it extremely difficult for a utility to make the business decision to order a new nuclear power plant. How do we remove the impediments that increase financial risk and create uncertainty?" He saw three elements as key to dismantling this barrier: liabilities [insurance]; Waste; R&D. "It is our intent to establish a competitive process that encourages utilities to coalesce around the most promising nuclear plant technologies. We believe that one or two nuclear plant designs are already close to meeting the economic requirements of the markets, and we will consider supporting the certification of these designs and their application in a "one-step" licensing process." he said, adding, "proving this one-stop licensing process works will be crucial to removing a major risk of investing in new nuclear power plants." Nuclear Power 2010, a scheme that aims to have a new plant built and online by the end of the decade, would certainly benefit from the realisation of that initiative. It involves the government and the private sector working together to explore sites and technologies and to maximise on the benefits of evolving regulatory and licensing procedures. Notes: To read the full text of Secretary Abraham's speech, which includes Yucca Mountain, Generation IV, international anti-proliferation measures and a football gag, please click here For further details contact Ruth Stanway, Manager, Media and Public Affairs 44(0)77666650 or This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it |
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