What happened to Uncle Sam footing the bill?

[RP Instructor]

What happened to Uncle Sam helping to "flip the bill"? I thought that was part of Dubya's 2007 Energy Bill? My guess is, Toshiba/Westinghouse saw "deep pockets" and jacked-up-the-price proportionately.

[Rennhack]

What happened to Uncle Sam helping to "flip the bill"? I thought that was part of Dubya's 2007 Energy Bill? My guess is, Toshiba/Westinghouse saw "deep pockets" and jacked-up-the-price proportionately.

I think you mean the 2005 Energy Policy Act:

2005 Energy Policy Act. The Nuclear-specific provisions are listed below:
•   Extends the Price-Anderson Nuclear Industries Indemnity Act through 2025;
•   Authorizes cost-overrun support of up to $2 billion total for up to six new nuclear power plants;
•   Authorizes a production tax credit of up to $125 million total per year, estimated at 1.8 US¢/kWh during the first eight years of operation for the first 6.000 MW of capacity ; consistent with renewables;
•   Authorizes $1.25 billion for the Department of Energy to build a nuclear reactor to generate both electricity and hydrogen;
•   Updates tax treatment of decommissioning funds;
•   A provision for the U.S. Department of Energy to report in one year on how to dispose of high-level nuclear waste;

The 2007 Energy Bill just has $4B in loan guarantees for 'clean' electric power plants, nothing is guaranteed for nuclear specifically, 'clean coal' would also fall into that category.  A nuclear plant is expected to cost $4-$5B each.  The nuclear industry WANTED $50B in loan guarantees, but didnt get it.

The House recently passed an appropriations bill for energy and water programs that included $7 billion in loan guarantees for projects involving renewable energy and specifically excluded nuclear plants.

The federal government guarantees many billions of loans each year to help farmers, exporters, small businesses and students. The government does not actually lend the money but agrees to pay it back in case the borrower defaults.

In 2003, The Bush Administration Launched The Nuclear Power 2010 Initiative. This partnership between the U.S. government and industry is focused on reducing the technical, regulatory, and institutional barriers to deployment of new nuclear power plants. President Bush's 2008 budget will increase the requested funding for this program to $114 million to help private industry obtain licenses for new designs.

The Bush Administration Has Repeatedly Proposed Legislation To Complete A Nuclear Waste Repository Site At Yucca Mountain. Yucca Mountain is critical to expanding nuclear power in the United States because it will provide a safe geologic repository to store spent fuel and nuclear waste. President Bush's 2008 budget request devotes nearly $495 million to continue progress on licensing Yucca Mountain as a repository for spent fuel, and he urges Congress to pass this important legislation to move our efforts forward.

See also:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/31/washington/31nuclear.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Policy_Act_of_2005
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/06/20070621.html
http://www.energyjustice.net/energybill/#nukes