DOE unveils nuclear power initiative

United Press International - Energy - DOE unveils nuclear power initiative

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- The Energy Department on Monday announced an initiative to expand the use of emissions-free nuclear energy worldwide.
Deputy Secretary of Energy Clay Sell outlined the Greater Nuclear Energy Partnership, which was allocated $250 million in the Fiscal Year 2007 budget.
"The world energy demand is expected to double by 2050," he said in a news briefing. He said that demand can't be met with existing fossil fuels because of the greenhouse gas effects and pollution concerns.
"Nuclear power must a play a significant role in meeting this demand," he said.
The GNEP strategy is made up of several elements, including: building a new generation of nuclear power plants in the United States, developing new nuclear recycling technologies and finding a way to store spent nuclear fuel in the United States.
Sell said members of DOE met with representatives from Britain, France, Russia, China and Japan to discuss plan. He said the United States hopes to work with those nations to develop a fuel services program that would provide nuclear fuel and recycling services to nations in return for their commitment not to develop enrichment and recycling technologies.
In turn, these nations would work with developing nations to lease them clean nuclear fuel in exchange for their commitment to forgo enrichment and reprocessing activities.
Under GNEP, Sell said there would be significant nuclear safeguards against proliferation of expanded nuclear power.
"The scale of what we are trying to undertake is massive," Sell said, noting the $250 million allocation was only the beginning of the funding.