Tell Your Congressmembers: No more taxpayer $ for nuclear power
Tell Your Congressmembers: No more taxpayer $ for nuclear power
The Issue
April 22, 2011
The crisis at the Fukushima nuclear site in Japan continues, seemingly without end. The accident is now officially on the scale of Chernobyl. The "evacuation" zone has expanded, and in reality has become a permanent relocation zone. We are posting updates regularly on our website: www.nirs.org.
The lesson of this catastrophe is clear: we must end the use of nuclear power and move quickly to a nuclear-free, carbon-free energy future.
And that must start with the prevention of any new nuclear reactors. It is outrageous that the Obama Administration continues to say nuclear power will be part of its "clean energy" strategy and continues to seek $36 Billion MORE in taxpayer loans for new reactor construction. This funding must be stopped, and existing taxpayer subsidies for the nuclear industry withdrawn. How anyone can view the images coming from Japan and continue to claim nuclear power is somehow "clean" is beyond our ability to comprehend.
If ever there was a time for Congress to hear our voice, it is now. More than 41,000 letters demanding an end to taxpayer support for nuclear power have gone in to Congress over the past six weeks, but we have never needed a larger public outpouring and more outreach than right now.
If you want more background information, please read below. Otherwise, please sign the petition now.
BACKGROUND ON NUCLEAR LOAN “GUARANTEE” PROGRAM
The Department of Energy’s loan “guarantee” program was established by Congress in the 2005 Energy Policy Act (which also authorized tax breaks for the first six new reactors) and was first funded in 2007 with $18.5 Billion available to support construction of new nuclear reactors in the U.S. At the time, Congressional supporters thought this would fund 6-8 new reactor projects.
In his 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama opposed taxpayer subsidies for new reactors. And in 2009, his administration did not support Republican efforts to add $50 Billion to this program. Those efforts were defeated.
By that time, soaring construction cost estimates made clear that the original $18.5 Billion funding would cover only 3-4 new reactors.
In February 2010, President Obama reversed course, and called for an additional $36 Billion for the loan “guarantee” program in the FY 2011 budget. At the same time, he announced the first “guarantee” under the program: $8.3 Billion to cover about 70% of the costs of the two-unit Vogtle nuclear reactor project in Georgia. Rather than a “guarantee,” the money for this—like all other loans likely to come from this process—will come directly from taxpayers through the little-known Federal Financing Bank.
Several efforts in Congress during 2010 to approve all or part of the President’s $36 Billion request failed. And in April 2011, the Congressional budget deal for the rest of the fiscal year formally ended any increase at all to the program for FY 2011.
Undeterred, President Obama has again asked for $36 Billion in the FY 2012 budget to give out as taxpayer loans to wealthy nuclear utilities and foreign reactor manufacturers to encourage new reactor construction in the U.S. The President repeated his request even during the first week of the Fukushima disaster.
As Congress gears up to address the FY 2012 budget, it is essential that as many voices as possible rise up to challenge this inappropriate use of taxpayer money. According to recent public opinion polls, fully 74% of the American people oppose any taxpayer subsidies for new nuclear reactor construction.
Nuclear Information and Resource Service acts as the grassroots education and mobilization arm of an informal coalition of environmental and taxpayer organizations working to end the nuclear loan “guarantee” program and other unwarranted subsidies to the nuclear power industry.
When you sign the petition, you'll have the option of joining our e-mail Alert list. We hope you will--we’ll let you know when and how to take the most effective actions possible, including letter-writing/e-mail campaigns; rallies, protests and teach-ins; National call-Congress days, and more.
The Issue
April 22, 2011
The crisis at the Fukushima nuclear site in Japan continues, seemingly without end. The accident is now officially on the scale of Chernobyl. The "evacuation" zone has expanded, and in reality has become a permanent relocation zone. We are posting updates regularly on our website: www.nirs.org.
The lesson of this catastrophe is clear: we must end the use of nuclear power and move quickly to a nuclear-free, carbon-free energy future.
And that must start with the prevention of any new nuclear reactors. It is outrageous that the Obama Administration continues to say nuclear power will be part of its "clean energy" strategy and continues to seek $36 Billion MORE in taxpayer loans for new reactor construction. This funding must be stopped, and existing taxpayer subsidies for the nuclear industry withdrawn. How anyone can view the images coming from Japan and continue to claim nuclear power is somehow "clean" is beyond our ability to comprehend.
If ever there was a time for Congress to hear our voice, it is now. More than 41,000 letters demanding an end to taxpayer support for nuclear power have gone in to Congress over the past six weeks, but we have never needed a larger public outpouring and more outreach than right now.
If you want more background information, please read below. Otherwise, please sign the petition now.
BACKGROUND ON NUCLEAR LOAN “GUARANTEE” PROGRAM
The Department of Energy’s loan “guarantee” program was established by Congress in the 2005 Energy Policy Act (which also authorized tax breaks for the first six new reactors) and was first funded in 2007 with $18.5 Billion available to support construction of new nuclear reactors in the U.S. At the time, Congressional supporters thought this would fund 6-8 new reactor projects.
In his 2008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama opposed taxpayer subsidies for new reactors. And in 2009, his administration did not support Republican efforts to add $50 Billion to this program. Those efforts were defeated.
By that time, soaring construction cost estimates made clear that the original $18.5 Billion funding would cover only 3-4 new reactors.
In February 2010, President Obama reversed course, and called for an additional $36 Billion for the loan “guarantee” program in the FY 2011 budget. At the same time, he announced the first “guarantee” under the program: $8.3 Billion to cover about 70% of the costs of the two-unit Vogtle nuclear reactor project in Georgia. Rather than a “guarantee,” the money for this—like all other loans likely to come from this process—will come directly from taxpayers through the little-known Federal Financing Bank.
Several efforts in Congress during 2010 to approve all or part of the President’s $36 Billion request failed. And in April 2011, the Congressional budget deal for the rest of the fiscal year formally ended any increase at all to the program for FY 2011.
Undeterred, President Obama has again asked for $36 Billion in the FY 2012 budget to give out as taxpayer loans to wealthy nuclear utilities and foreign reactor manufacturers to encourage new reactor construction in the U.S. The President repeated his request even during the first week of the Fukushima disaster.
As Congress gears up to address the FY 2012 budget, it is essential that as many voices as possible rise up to challenge this inappropriate use of taxpayer money. According to recent public opinion polls, fully 74% of the American people oppose any taxpayer subsidies for new nuclear reactor construction.
Nuclear Information and Resource Service acts as the grassroots education and mobilization arm of an informal coalition of environmental and taxpayer organizations working to end the nuclear loan “guarantee” program and other unwarranted subsidies to the nuclear power industry.
When you sign the petition, you'll have the option of joining our e-mail Alert list. We hope you will--we’ll let you know when and how to take the most effective actions possible, including letter-writing/e-mail campaigns; rallies, protests and teach-ins; National call-Congress days, and more.
Petition Closed
Share this petition
Petition Updates
Share this petition
Petition created on April 22, 2011