The federal government is warning the owners of a troubled nuclear power plant in Georgia that any move to cancel a planned expansion would lead to demands for immediate repayment of nearly $6 billion in federal loans. In a letter to the plant’s three owners, the Department of Energy said late Friday that if the construction project is cancelled, the government is “prepared to move swiftly to fully enforce its rights under terms of the loan guarantee agreements, including the repayment provisions.”
US News 21st Sept 2018 read more »
Daily Mail 21st Sept 2018 read more »
When I served as Energy secretary under President George W. Bush, our administration was deeply concerned that over 50% of our oil was imported, with much of it coming from unstable places. We considered this a major national security matter. Today, that national security concern has been solved through a combination of American ingenuity, technology and fully embracing our abundant natural resources. But now, we face a similar national security challenge. The U.S. nuclear fleet, generating 20% of this country’s electricity (and about 60% of our carbon-free energy) has become almost entirely dependent on foreign uranium, much of it from countries with elevated geopolitical risks. At its peak in 1980, U.S. uranium production stood at 43.7 million pounds, enough to supply all of our U.S. reactors and a substantial portion of our allies’ requirements. In 2017, U.S. uranium production was less than 2.4 million pounds, accounting for about 5% of the nation’s requirements, even though our uranium reserves are sufficient to meet our domestic demand.
USA Today 20th Sept 2018 read more »