6930 Carroll Avenue, #340, Takoma Park, MD 20912; 301-270-6477; nirsnet@nirs.org; www.nirs.org
TELL DOE AND CONGRESS:
DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT TAXPAYER LOANS TO FRENCH GOVERNMENT FOR NEW NUKES IN U.S.!
PLUS: THE VIRTUAL MARCH ON WASHINGTON CONTINUES GROWING--JOIN IN NOW!
October 27, 2010
Dear Friends:
It's official: Constellation Energy wanted out of the Calvert Cliffs-3 nuclear reactor project so badly that last night they agreed to sell their 50% share of it to Electricite de France (EDF) for $140 million, plus EDF will give back about $100 million in stock it owns in Constellation. Here is a Baltimore Sun story on the deal.
In other words, Constellation thinks the $240 million or so it's getting is worth more than 60 years of electricity sales from a $10+ billion nuclear power plant. That should tell you something about nuclear power's economic viability when ratepayers aren't forced to subsidize new reactors.
But it's not clear our public officials are getting the message.
Some Maryland politicians--like House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and a lot of nuclear industry advocates, are hoping EDF can somehow resurrect Calvert Cliffs-3 and the entire nuclear "renaissance," which is crumbling before their eyes. Incredibly, they're even hoping EDF will still get, and accept, the $7.5 Billion loan the Department of Energy promised before Constellation backed out of the project!
But Electricite de France is exactly what its name sounds like: it's part of the French government. Why on earth should U.S. taxpayers provide a loan to the French government to build dangerous, dirty and extraordinarily expensive nuclear reactors in the U.S.? The answer, of course, is we shouldn't.
If you agree, please send a letter now here. It will go to Energy Secretary Chu, loan guarantee program chief Jonathan Silver, and your members of Congress.
And if you can help us continue (and expand!) our winning campaign against the nuclear "renaissance" and all taxpayer subsidies to the nuclear industry, please make a tax-deductible donation, of whatever you can afford, here. We know many people are giving money to political candidates this time of year, but we rely on your contributions to do this essential work. Your support shows us we're going in the right direction and enables us to do even more!
It's not only Constellation that is backing out of new reactors. Yesterday, the chief planning officer for nuclear giant Entergy said new reactors are not "economically attractive."
And it's not just a minority of us that are opposed to taxpayer nuclear loan guarantees. Yesterday, the Civil Society Institute released a new poll on energy and climate (and in particular, what Independents and Tea Party backers think about these issues). Among the findings: only 23% of the American people support taxpayer loans for new reactors! On the other hand, 56% support such loans for renewable energy projects. The entire poll is fascinating and well worth looking at.
The DOE and Congress need to hear from us now. Tell them no loans to the French government; indeed, no loans at all for new nuclear reactors!
The Virtual March on Washington
We hope you've had a chance to take a look at the growing Virtual March on Washington! You can do so on the front page of NIRS' website. From now through April 26, 2011--the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe--we'll be adding new photos to the march; we'll also soon be adding videos of march "speakers."
We hope you'll stand and be counted, and join us in this virtual "march." It couldn't be easier. Just send your photo to us at nirsnet@nirs.org. If you'd like a sign to hold, you can download and print signs here, or make a sign of your own. Send a photo of yourself, take a photo with friends and/or your group, take a photo at a protest you're already doing. But please join the hundreds who already have sent in their pics and let's keep this march growing!
Thanks for all you do,
Michael Mariotte
Executive Director
Nuclear Information and Resource Service
nirsnet@nirs.org
www.nirs.org
Please note: NIRS never sells, rents, trades, or otherwise makes our e-mail lists available to other organizations or individuals for any reason. If you would like to unsubscribe to NIRS list, click here to unsubscribe.
.gif)