[cdn-nucl-l] Economic case for new nuclear reactors

["Jerry Cuttler" <jerrycuttler@rogers.com>]

Does social acceptance trump economics?
To achieve social acceptance, myths have to be exposed and compared to
reality -- not an easy task.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Ted Rockwell
To: mbrexchange@list.ans.org
Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2004 4:32 PM
Subject: RE: [MbrExchange] EnLG 2004dec5 UK: Business told to make economic
case for new nuclear reactors

This business of "proving you're economic" reminds me of Jim Muckerheide's
story of the two hunters.  One asked if he could wear the other's running
shoes, instead of his own tattered sandles.  "There's a hungry bear out
there, and if he gets wind of us, I want to be able to run fast."

"That's stupid," said the other one.  "You can't outrun a bear."

The answer was profound:  As he laced up the shoes, he said quietly, "I
don't have to outrun the bear.  I just have to outrun you."

Nuclear power doesn't have to be more economic than some professor's
calculations on some mythical "renewables."  It just has to outrun coal, gas
and whatever else might be competing in the real world.

Ted Rockwell
-----Original Message-----
From: mbrexchange-admin@list.ans.org
[mailto:mbrexchange-admin@list.ans.org]On Behalf Of Gene
Sent: Sunday, December 05, 2004 12:08 AM
To: mbrexchange@list.ans.org
Subject: [MbrExchange] EnLG 2004dec5 UK: Business told to make economic case
for new nuclear reactors

Business told to make economic case for new nuclear reactors
The UK INDEPENDENT 05 December 2004

The Government has challenged the nuclear industry to come up with
economically viable proposals for building new power stations.

Mike O'Brien, the energy minister, told The Independent on Sunday that it
was up to the private sector to prove that nuclear power was economic.

He added that the Government would look at "commercially serious
propositions", whether they were from UK or foreign nuclear companies.

In last year's energy White Paper, the Government favoured renewable forms
of energy such as wind power over nuclear stations, most of which will be
decommissioned in the next 15 years. But it added: "We do not rule out the
possibility that at some point in the future new nuclear build might be
necessary if we are to meet our carbon targets". Nuclear power, like
renewable energy, does not emit carbons.

Mr O'Brien said that nuclear generation must first be proved to be economic
before it can return to the policy agenda.

British Energy, the privatised nuclear generator, was rescued from
administration by the Government two years ago. Sellafield operator BNFL is
still loss-making.

"There has been much debate about whether the Government is keeping the
nuclear option open," said Mr O'Brien. "But at the moment there is no
commercial proposition on the table. We are always getting people saying 'We
could do something.' But when we check it, there is nothing there. If we
thought that a project was a commercially serious proposition, we would look
at it."

He said that the issue of how to store existing nuclear waste safely would
have to be resolved before new nuclear build becomes realistic.

A year ago, the Government announced details for the second phase of wind
farm construction to provide up to 15 per cent of the UK's electricity