More Fun with New Nukes

The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) asking the utilities stick to a price certain or pay the consequences seems to have ruffled their fur. If it's so cost-effective of power, why don't the utilities accept the trivial risk? Heck the feds (us taxpayers) are supposed to cover any costs from delays from litigation that they always seem so concerned about (courtesy of the EPACT 2005 bill).

Could it be that new fixed price, turnkey Finnish reactor that Siemens-AREVA is having problems with is in the back of their minds? That one is 50% over budget and 3 years over schedule. So far.

Or it might be the latest report on how much these things might be costing us in the U.S.A..

Georgia Power: Nuclear Critics' Data is Flawed - Atlanta Journal-Constitution - 27 Jan 09

"The company also blasted a cost-control mechanism proposed by the state PSC staff. Under that plan, the PSC could roll back Georgia Power's allowed return on its $6.4 billion nuclear investment if the construction project ran too far over budget.

Georgia Power said no dice."

Major Row Brewing Over Olkiluoto 3 Delays - Nuclear Engineering International - 20 Jan 09

"The Finnish utility has announced that the Areva-Siemens consortium – the turnkey supplier of the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant – has confirmed that the facility will not be completed until 2012. Late last year the Areva-Siemens consortium initiated arbitration proceedings over the delays and related costs surrounding the project.

'Areva-Siemens has projected completion in June 2012,' says [the utility] TVO in a statement. 'TVO is extremely disappointed that the consortium has not, regardless of its responsibility as turnkey supplier and its earlier promises, been able to complete the works on time or to mitigate its delays through effective acceleration measures.'"

These are the people who are supposed to be the world experts at this kind of thing. Any bets on if they do more fixed price, turnkey deals in the future?

The Staggering Cost of New Nuclear Power - AmericanProgress.org - Jan 09

"Generation costs/kWh for new nuclear (including fuel & O&M but not distribution to customers) are likely to be from 25 - 30 cents/kWh. This high cost may destroy the very demand the plant was built to serve. High electric rates may seriously impact utility customers and make nuclear utilities' service areas noncompetitive with other regions of the U.S. which are developing lower-cost electricity."

More Fun with New Nukes

The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) asking the utilities stick to a price certain or pay the consequences seems to have ruffled their fur. If it's so cost-effective of power, why don't the utilities accept the trivial risk? Heck the feds (us taxpayers) are supposed to cover any costs from delays from litigation that they always seem so concerned about (courtesy of the EPACT 2005 bill).

Could it be that new fixed price, turnkey Finnish reactor that Siemens-AREVA is having problems with is in the back of their minds? That one is 50% over budget and 3 years over schedule. So far.

Or it might be the latest report on how much these things might be costing us in the U.S.A..

Georgia Power: Nuclear Critics' Data is Flawed - Atlanta Journal-Constitution - 27 Jan 09

"The company also blasted a cost-control mechanism proposed by the state PSC staff. Under that plan, the PSC could roll back Georgia Power's allowed return on its $6.4 billion nuclear investment if the construction project ran too far over budget.

Georgia Power said no dice."

Major Row Brewing Over Olkiluoto 3 Delays - Nuclear Engineering International - 20 Jan 09

"The Finnish utility has announced that the Areva-Siemens consortium – the turnkey supplier of the Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant – has confirmed that the facility will not be completed until 2012. Late last year the Areva-Siemens consortium initiated arbitration proceedings over the delays and related costs surrounding the project.

'Areva-Siemens has projected completion in June 2012,' says [the utility] TVO in a statement. 'TVO is extremely disappointed that the consortium has not, regardless of its responsibility as turnkey supplier and its earlier promises, been able to complete the works on time or to mitigate its delays through effective acceleration measures.'"

These are the people who are supposed to be the world experts at this kind of thing. Any bets on if they do more fixed price, turnkey deals in the future?

The Staggering Cost of New Nuclear Power - AmericanProgress.org - Jan 09

"Generation costs/kWh for new nuclear (including fuel & O&M but not distribution to customers) are likely to be from 25 - 30 cents/kWh. This high cost may destroy the very demand the plant was built to serve. High electric rates may seriously impact utility customers and make nuclear utilities' service areas noncompetitive with other regions of the U.S. which are developing lower-cost electricity."