New study finds that it would cost taxpayers and ratepayers $1.9 trillion to $4.1 trillion more over the life of 100 new nuclear reactors than it would to generate the same electricity from a combination of more energy efficiency and renewables.

Letter to President Obama from national environmental groups urging no more nuclear loan guarantees.

Nuclear Loan Guarantees: Another Taxpayer Bailout Ahead? New report from Union of Concerned Scientists warns that the risk to taxpayers of loan guarantees for new reactors could total $360 Billion to $1.6 Trillion.

243 grassroots groups/small businesses urge Senate to drop nuclear/coal loan guarantees from stimulus bill.

Letter from Washington-based groups in opposition to $50 billion in loan guarantees for new nuclear reactors and "clean coal" technologies.

PSR analysis of the huge new nuclear subsidies—including unlimited taxpayer loan guarantees for new reactors–in the “Gang of 10” energy bill, due for a Senate vote in mid-September. And you thought the Gang of 10 bill was only about offshore oil drilling……Stay tuned here for more info.

The Brave New World of Nuclear Power Economics, an article by NIRS executive director Michael Mariotte

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!