Obama Acts to Ease Way to Construct Reactors

[frigidmagi]

nytimes

[quote]The Obama administration moved vigorously on two fronts Friday to promote nuclear power, proposing a tripling of federal loan guarantees for new projects and appointing a high-level commission to study what to do with nuclear waste.

Administration officials confirmed that their 2011 federal budget request next week would raise potential loan guarantees for the projects to more than $54 billion, from $18.5 billion. A new Energy Department panel will examine a vastly expanded list of options for nuclear waste, including a new kind of nuclear reactor that would use some of it.

The current loan guarantees were provided in the 2005 energy act but have not been disbursed because of bureaucratic elays. The Energy Department has said it would start issuing those soon. Because the loan guarantees are supposed to cover 80 percent of construction costs, the current amount of $18.5 billion would cover only about three projects.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu has been saying for weeks that the administration would seek a greater amount of guarantees; commercial investment has been hard to come by because there is so much uncertainty about the cost and schedule for building plants.

When President Obama said in his State of the Union address on Wednesday that the country should build “a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants,â€

[Stofsk]

So on one hand, he's promoting nuclear reactors, but on the other hand, he's threatening to cancel NASA programs.

Obama's making my feelings conflicted.

[SirNitram]

I wouldn't compare a large-scale improvement of nuclear power policy to cancelling a badly overpriced, behind schedule BigDumbBooster being bounced. NASA being infused with alot of cash, and I can repost Buzz Aldrin's and the NASA Chief's opinions: Hints: THey like it. It does useful stuff, like work on new propellents, develop 'taxi' systems, refueling in space, and long term space travel tests in space.

[Stofsk]

Fair enough.

[Hotfoot]

If we can get the reactors, awesome. If we can get BREEDER reactors, even better, but I'm not holding my breath on that one.

[frigidmagi]

It does useful stuff, like work on new propellents, develop 'taxi' systems, refueling in space, and long term space travel tests in space.

Assuming it doesn't get canceled after the next election. Speaking from my own experience, a working flawed system in the hand is worth 10 promises on the government paper.

In short let me see it.

[SirNitram]

It does useful stuff, like work on new propellents, develop 'taxi' systems, refueling in space, and long term space travel tests in space.

Assuming it doesn't get canceled after the next election. Speaking from my own experience, a working flawed system in the hand is worth 10 promises on the government paper.

In short let me see it.

I don't really consider a mockup with a solid rocket in it's ass a working flawed system. It's just proof you can put an SRB or conclave rocket in a very big tube and get it airborne.

[frigidmagi]

Perhaps, but from my view the engine passed the test. Still I'll be more then happy to see it replaced with something better. I just have open doubts that anything better will actually make it to the production stage.

[SirNitram]

Perhaps, but from my view the engine passed the test. Still I'll be more then happy to see it replaced with something better. I just have open doubts that anything better will actually make it to the production stage.

I feel I should renew my point: A single stage of a two stage rocket managed to fly. It was the non-innovative, by the book, guaranteed to fly even if it was unaerodynamic one.(Check toy rockets which are designed after sci-fi series to see that, yes, a solid fuel will fire anything up.)

[frigidmagi]

I feel I should renew my point: A single stage of a two stage rocket managed to fly. It was the non-innovative, by the book, guaranteed to fly even if it was unaerodynamic one.(Check toy rockets which are designed after sci-fi series to see that, yes, a solid fuel will fire anything up.)

That's a good point. I suppose I'll just have to hope that this theoretical new booster somehow beats the odds and actually makes it to production stage.