In another one of Obama's theatrics, he's pledged $8 billion in loan guarantees for the construction of two new nuclear power plants in Georgia in what is being billed as an outreach to the Republicans (Click to See Full Story: Obama's latest bipartisan outreach: nuclear energy). However, in reality, Obama knows very well that those two plants will never, ever, be built.
Money has never been the issue as to why America hasn't built a new nuclear power plant in over 30 years. So, Obama's loan guarantees are just a hollow effort. We haven't built any new plants because of regulations and because of the environmental movement. In the last three decades, the environmentalists like Greenpeace and the Sierra Club and other non-affiliated local eco groups have kept every newly proposed nuclear plant tied up in the courts for years upon years until the builders/operators finally just give up in frustration. Even when the builders/operators do win and approval is given to proceed, the conditions of that win are so punitive that it makes the power plant economically unjustifiable and the plant is never built. Typically, this is because the nuclear plant designers are forced to include very costly, multi-millennium, highly secure storage capability at the local site; rather than rely on the more cost- effective solution of centralized storage at Yucca Mountain.
Obama knows this. He's campaigned "against" nuclear plants and the safe storage of nuclear waste at Yucca:
In fact, Obama's budget has removed all but maintenance spending for Yucca Mountain. Stephen Chu, Obama's Energy Secretary, has already indicated that he will pull Yucca Mountain's operating license at the end of this month; which is the final step prior to shutting it down completely.
So, you be the judge. Is he really serious about nuclear power? Or, as the title of this blog entry suggests, isn't this just another form of Kabuki Theater on Obama's part?
Lastly, the political left of this country is adamant about shutting Yucca Mountain down. They know that as long as Yucca doesn't become operational, the cost and space needed to build and locally store spent nuclear fuel will make most new nuclear power plants both operationally and economically impracticable.
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1 comment:
This is another genius article...I only wish you were teaching university students.
For Obama to act again like he is the savior, this time in the area of energy (loaning taxpayer money), while he, his czars, environmentalists and Gorebabies have been causing scarcities of energy and chaos in markets...it is the Kabuki dance and you nailed it. Why can't more people see through this insanity?
Keep it coming!!
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