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Home Topics Energy & Environment Climate Change

Nuclear Boondoggle

By: William Hewitt
Note: This post reflects the views of the author, not those of the Foreign Policy Association. The author is an independent contributor.

Just a quick note:  A former student of mine jumped in the other day with some comment about the recent nuclear power announcement from the White House.  Here is her take and my response.

For a stunningly strong and incisive analysis, go to Kate Sheppard’s article yesterday at “Mother Jones.”  One of the several eye-opening insights is this one:  “The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated in 2003 that the risk of default on loan guarantees is ‘very high-well above 50 percent.’ Yet in a call with reporters on Tuesday, [US Energy Secretary Steven] Chu said he had not heard of that CBO study.”

Steven Chu is a very smart guy, but he’s too tunnel-visioned on nuclear power.  Barack Obama is an even smarter guy, but he needs to start thinking outside the political box more and realizing that renewables and other clean tech are the way forward.

Tags: Steven Chu

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