Damon Moglen: To those who have watched the nuclear industry collapse, the recent bankruptcy of Westinghouse Electric Corp. is nothing short of the industry’s death rattle and the final chapter in the 20th century’s deluded affair with nuclear power. The company’s demise can only be read as decisive proof: There is no economic future in nuclear power. For decades, Westinghouse was the goliath of nuclear reactor design and construction. Approximately half of the world’s nuclear power reactors are based on Westinghouse technology. In 2006, when Toshiba bought Westinghouse for $5.4 billion, the seller projected that by 2020 the global market for nuclear power generation was expected to have grown by 50 percent. This comes at the same time that California’s consideration of the historic proposal to close the state’s last nuclear power plant and replace it with greenhouse gas-free renewable energy. The renewable energy alternatives cost less than continuing to operate the controversial, aging reactors at Diablo Canyon.
San Diego Tribune 28th April 2017 read more »
Late Friday evening, Georgia Power issued a terse press release. Thousands of people who have been tensely anticipating a crucial decision regarding the fate of the Plant Vogtle expansion project cannot stop worrying yet. We will now mark our calendars for May 12 as the next deadline for announcing a decision about whether the massive project will be continued through completion. During the wait, Georgia Power employees will continue their efforts to produce a detailed project schedule and a credible cost-to-complete estimate that can pass muster with its partner companies (Oglethorpe Power, MEAG and Dalton Utilities) and the Georgia Public Service Commission. While planning, budgeting and accountability negotiations continue, skilled workers will continue pressing forward.
Forbes 29th April 2017 read more »