Nuclear Economics

The Department of Energy has issued a solicitation for applications for its loan guarantee program authorized by Congress in late 2007. This solicitation is for $30.5 billion in taxpayer-backed loan guarantees, and includes $18.5 billion for new atomic reactors, $2 billion for front-end nuclear fuel cycle facilities (uranium enrichment plant), and $10 billion for renewable energy, energy efficiency and transmission projects. You can read the reactor solicitation here; the fuel cycle solicitation here; and the renewables/efficiency/transmission solicitation here.

Nuclear Power Plant Electricity: A Simple Costing Manual. This is a basic primer from energy consultant Philip D. Lusk that shows how to calculate the kilowatt/hour cost of electricity from a new nuclear reactor. Under the model’s fairly universal assumptions, the cost of electricity from a standard new reactor will be about 19.75 cents per kw/h. Most renewable and efficiency projects would be well below this number, and on an economic basis alone should be implemented first.

Testimony of former NRC Commissioner Peter Bradford to South Carolina PSC on the economics of Duke Power’s proposed Lee reactors, nuclear power and climate and more. Very useful!

Analysis of FY 2009 Department of Energy Budget, by Robert Alvarez of Institute for Policy Studies.

Think New Atomic Reactors Can be Built Cheaply and On-time? Think Again!

14 top energy company beneficiaries of nuclear loan guarantees spent $48 million on lobbying. Co-Op America news release.

Fact sheet on Senate provision on taxpayer loan guarantees for new reactors, prepared by coalition of organizations.

Letter from taxpayer groups to Senate on nuclear loan guarantees.

Issue brief on taxpayer loan guarantees for new nuclear reactors, from Environmental and Energy Study Institute.

The current Energy Bill could give unlimited authority to the Department of Energy (with no further congressional oversight) to award federal guarantees to commercial banks that finance both new nuclear and also coal to liquid construction projects. A broad alliance of groups have produced fact sheets that you can use for background in letters to the editor, calls to congress and educating your friends: Controversial Loan Guarantees in Current Energy Bill Why Wall Street Wants American Taxpayers  to Finance Nuclear Power Foreign Companies to Benefit from U.S. Taxpayer Loan Guarantees Energy Bill Provisions Undermine Constitutional Safeguards on Taxpayer Purse Nuclear Power Loan Assistance Will Gobble Up Money For Innovative Technologies