FIRST NEW NUCLEAR REACTORS OK’D IN OVER 30 YEARS

Excerpted from CNN Money: February 9, 2012

By: Steve Hargreaves

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved licenses to build two new nuclear reactors Thursday, the first authorized in over 30 years.

The reactors are being built in Georgia by a consortium of utilities led by Southern Co. They will be sited at the Vogtle nuclear power plant complex, about 170 miles east of Atlanta. The plant already houses two older reactors.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/09/news/economy/nuclear_reactors/index.htm?iid=Popular

FREEZE FORCES GERMANY TO RESTART NUCLEAR REACTORS: REPORT

Excerpted from Times of India: February 9, 2012

The cold snap gripping Europe has forced Germany, which last year decided to abandon nuclear power, to restart several reactors taken off line, the daily Handelsblatt reports in its Thursday issue.

The cold related surge in electricity demand prompted Germany's network operators to call upon nuclear power plants that had been taken off line but left in reserve as a "preventative measure", a spokeswoman for Tennet, one of the operators, told the newspaper.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/europe/Freeze-forces-Germany-to-restart-nuclear-reactors-Report/articleshow/11814685.cms

LEAKED GOV’T REPORT SHOWS NUCLEAR TO SURGE

Excerpted from Energy & Captial: January 27, 2012

By: Nick Hodge

…For starters, the U.S. Energy Information Administration recently leaked some figures from its Annual Energy Outlook 2012, which is due out in full later this year.

They show that "total electricity consumption, including both purchases from electric power producers and on-site generation, grows from 3879 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2010 to 4775 TWh in 2035."

That's a 23% increase — and that electricity has to come from somewhere.

…

There are 433 working reactors already in existence, 62 under construction, 156 planned, and 343 proposed. "Planned" means they'll be operable in 8-10 years; "proposed" means operation within 15 years…

And even with Germany planning to decommission its nine remaining reactors by 2022, there will still be net 93 new reactors by the end of this decade. China alone — with 26 reactors under construction — will offset the German loss nearly three times over.

That's without mentioning India, which has committed to growing nuclear to 25% of its energy mix up from 2.5%, and its uranium demand will climb tenfold in the process.

http://www.energyinsights.net/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000069/006953.htm

THE MINING ASSOCIATION OF CANADA (MAC) WELCOMES GOVERNMENT OF CANADA’S AGREEMENT WITH CHINA FOR INCREASED EXPORT OF CANADA URANIUM

Excerpted from The Mining Association of Canada: February 9, 2012

The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) is pleased by the federal government's announcement of the successful completion of negotiations between Canada and China on an agreement that will facilitate increased exports of Canadian Uranium to China.

The agreement is a Protocol that supplements the Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the People's Republic of China for Co-operation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy of 1994.

…

Pierre Gratton, President and CEO of MAC [said] "The demand for Canada's natural resources is stronger than it has been in many years, driven significantly by China. With almost $140 billion of capital investment expected in Canada's mining sector over the next five years, the Agreement will enable continued growth for Canada's markets and more jobs and growth for the industry. We look forward to the finalization of the Protocol."

http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/918981/the-mining-association-of-canada-mac-welcomes-government-of-canada-s-agreement-with-china-for-increased-export-of-canadian-uranium