[NukeNet] Beyond Nuclear-Urgent Action Alert-Act Now!

[Bill Smirnow]

From: Kevin Kamps
To: smirnowb at ix.netcom.com
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 12:28 PM
Subject: Call Congress NOW to Stop Nuke Loan Guarantees


Beyond Nuclear

Urgent Action Alert-Act Now!

Call your U.S. Senators' and U.S. Representative's offices, urging them to
oppose the
$18.5 billion in taxpayer-subsidized nuclear loan guarantees contained in
the Fiscal
Year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill to be voted on as early as today,
Monday, December 17. The Bill also contains an additional $2 billion for
uranium enrichment, giving the nuclear industry over half the loan
guarantees for the entire energy sector in Fiscal Year 2008!

Also urge your U.S. Representative to sign onto a congressional group
letter, being
circulated by Congressmen Boyd, Markey, Petri and Ryan. Sign on deadline is
immediate, today, Monday, December 17. This letter expresses opposition to
the nuclear loan guarantees for reasons of fiscal conservatism.

The U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or (202) 225-3121 can patch
you through to your Members' offices.

[For those who can make more than those calls, also call Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid's and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's offices.]

It appears that final negotiations on the Appropriations Omnibus Bill
(eleven spending bills rolled into one, including the energy and water
appropriations bill where nuclear loan guarantees are attached) have
concluded, with floor votes perhaps happening as early as Monday, December
17. Make your calls immediately!

Grassroots pressure forced the removal of the nuclear loan guarantees from
the congressional energy bill in recent weeks - a huge victory for the
environment. Please help us make this one last push to exclude nuclear loan
guarantees from the Appropriations Bill, or any other legislation!

It appears that the energy sector loan guarantees will total $38.5 billion
for Fiscal Year 2008. But about 75% of those loan guarantees would be for
dirty and dangerous energy projects (nuclear and coal), while only 25% would
be for clean, safe renewable energy projects and efficiency. The final
breakdown appears to be: $18.5 billion for new nuclear reactors, plus
another $2 billion for uranium enrichment for nuclear power (for a total of
$20.5 billion for nuclear projects, more than half of the total for the
entire energy sector); $6 billion for coal projects, including industrial
gasification, carbon capture, and sequestration, plus another $2 billion for
coal to gas; then, after all that, $10 billion for renewables and
efficiency. (see the actual language from the current version of the Omnibus
Appropriations Bill, below)

That's still nearly a 3 to 1 ratio in favor of dirty and dangerous energy,
as compared to clean and safe energy. For dirty and dangerous nuclear power
and coal to enjoy the lion's share of public support, while clean and safe
renewables and efficiency get the crumbs, would be to repeat decades of
wayward energy policy and huge subsidies to nuclear power and fossil fuels
at taxpayer expense. This is all the more outrageous, given that these
energy loan guarantees are supposed to be for innovation and clean energy
technologies that will help address the climate crisis!

We need to change course, by blocking the nuclear power industry's greedy
money grab. Make those calls right away! Urge your Senators and
Representative to oppose the Omnibus Appropriations Bill unless and until
the nuclear loan guarantees are removed! Thanks!

For more information, contact Kevin Kamps at Beyond Nuclear, (301) 270-2209,
kevin at beyondnuclear.org, or go to www.beyondnuclear.org.

No Nukes!

Kevin Kamps
Beyond Nuclear
kevin at beyondnuclear.org
www.beyondnuclear.org
(240) 462-3216

Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill Report Language:

The amended bill restates loan guarantee authority as provided in the Energy
Policy Act of 2005, and makes this authority as provided in the Energy
Policy Act of 2005, and makes this authority available until Septbember 30,
2009. The Department is directed to make no authority available in excess of
$38,500,000,000, to be allocated as follows: $18,500,000,000 of loan
guarantees are for nuclear power facilities; $6,000,000,000 of loan
guarantees are for coal-based power generation and industrial gasification
activities at retrofitted and new facilities that incorporate carbon capture
and sequestration or other beneficial uses of carbon; $2,000,000,000 of loan
guarantees are for advanced coal gasification; $10,000,000,000 of loan
guarantees are for renewable and/or energy efficient systems and
manufacturing, and distributed energy generation, transmission and
distribution; and $2,000,000,000 of loan guarantees are for advanced nuclear
facilities for the "front-end" of the nuclear fuel cycle.

Prior to the issuance of a loan guarantee solicitation, the Department of
Energy is directed to submit a loan guarantee implementation plan within 45
days of a solicitation, defining the award levels and eligible technologies,
to the Committees on Appropriations for approval. No funds can be made
available for the execution of a loan guarantee solicitation until a plan is
submitted and approved. Should the plan change after approval by the
Committees, it must be submitted again for approval by the Committees.
Funding under this heading in the amended bill includes $5,500,000 for
administrative expenses for the loan guarantee office, instead of $2,390,000
as proposed by the House, and $8,390,000 as proposed by the Senate. The
amended bill includes a provision that enables the Department to credit loan
guarantee fees as offsetting collections.

Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill Statutory Language:

TITLE 17 INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY LOAN GUARANTEE

LOAN PROGRAM

For the cost of the guaranteed loans as authorized by section 1702(b)(2) of
the Energy Policy Act of 2005, such sums as are hereafter derived from
amounts received
from borrowers pursuant to section· 1702(b)(2) of that Act, to remain
available until
September 30, 2009: Provided, That the source of such payment received from
borrowers is not a loan or other debt obligation that is guaranteed by the
Federal Government: Provided further, That none of the funds made available
in this or prior Acts shall be available for the execution of a new
solicitation with respect to such guaranteed loans until 45 days after the
Department of Energy has submitted to the Committees on Appropriations a
loan guarantee implementation plan that defines the proposed award levels
and eligible technologies: Provided further, That the Department shall not
deviate from such plan without 45 days prior notice to the Committees:
Provided further, That for necessary administrative expenses to carry out
this Loan Guarantee program, $5,500,000 is appropriated, to remain available
until expended: Provided further, That fees collected pursuant to section
1702(h) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 shall be credited as offsetting
collections to this account, so as to result in a final fiscal year 2008
appropriation from the general fund estimated at not more than $0.




Beyond Nuclear at NPRI
6930 Carroll Avenue, Suite 400
Takoma Park, MD 20912
Tel: 301.270.2209 Fax: 301.270.4000
Email: info at beyondnuclear.org
Web: www.beyondnuclear.org





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