Blatant Reality

The Department of Energy just announced that it will be investing in
developing the next generation of Nuclear Plants. This announcement
comes after the actions of the Obama Administration to halt the
development of the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Repository without any
alternatives being offered.

Here is the press release:

Department of Energy Announces $40 Million to Develop
the Next Generation Nuclear Plant

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today announced
selections for the award of approximately $40 million in total to two
teams led by Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse Electric Co. and San
Diego-based General Atomics for conceptual design and planning work
for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP). The results of this
work will help the Administration determine whether to proceed with
detailed efforts toward construction and demonstration of the NGNP.
If successful, the NGNP Demonstration Project will demonstrate
high-temperature gas-cooled reactor technology that will be capable of
producing electricity as well as process heat for industrial
applications and will be configured for low technical and safety risk
with highly reliable operations. Final cost-shared awards are subject
to the negotiation of acceptable terms and conditions.

About 16 percent of the Nation’s greenhouse gas emissions come from
industrial process heat applications. The process heat or steam
generated by the high-temperature nuclear reactors could be used for
highly-efficient electricity co-generation, which has the potential to
help energy-intensive industries, such as petrochemical producers,
reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

“This investment reflects President Obama’s commitment to building the
next generation of nuclear reactors that will create thousands of jobs
and supply the clean energy to power our economy,” said Secretary Chu.
“It’s time for America to recapture the lead in the nuclear energy
industry and lay the foundation for a stronger, cleaner, and more
competitive economic future.”

The NGNP project is being conducted in two phases. Phase 1 comprises
research and development, conceptual design and development of
licensing requirements. The selections announced today will support
the development of conceptual designs, cost and schedule estimates for
demonstration project completion and a business plan for integrating
Phase 2 activities. The Department of Energy will use information from
its independent Federal advisory committee, the Nuclear Energy
Advisory Committee, information and data gathered in Phase 1, and
other factors in determining whether the project should continue to
Phase 2.

Phase 2 would entail detailed design, license review and construction
of a demonstration plant.

The Department will now negotiate the final terms and conditions for
the awards with the intention of completing conceptual designs by
August 31, 2010.