The NFRC was established in 2002 to promote the construction and operation of nuclear reprocessing facilities. NFRC promotes reprocessing commercial spent nuclear fuel that is generated by commercial nuclear power plants.

Reprocessing dramatically reduces the amount of high-level radioactive waste that would have to be stored in a geologic repository. We also support reprocessing plutonium and highly enriched uranium from nuclear warheads into fuel for use in commercial nuclear power plants.


Tuesday, February 22, 2011

1st Environmental Group in America to Support Nuclear Power

Looking back in Center history

The Center for Environment, Commerce & Energy, through its outreach arm (African American Environmentalist Association), participated in a National Press Club press conference with the Nuclear Energy Institute on February 19, 2002.  It was the first time that any environmentalist or environmental group in America supported nuclear power.  It was a very scary step for the Center, but the group stands by its decision. 

Participants spoke to reporters about the Bush administration's decision to store spent nuclear fuel cells and radioactive waste material at federal facilities in Yucca Mountain. Following their remarks they answered questions from the reporters.

We Energies $31 Million Settlement Re Failed Yucca Mtn

The Milwaukee utility, We Energies, reached a settlement that will return $31 million to its customers from Uncle Sam. The settlement money is expected to be paid to We Energies by the end of March. The utility's claim was linked to funds it spent to build concrete casks outside the Point Beach nuclear plant, where spent nuclear fuel from the Point Beach reactors is stored.

The Department of Energy's failed to meet a 1998 deadline it had committed to for opening a national collection and storage site for nuclear reactor fuel waste. We Energies is the former owner of the state's largest nuclear plant, Point Beach. Together with the Kewaunee power plant, the reactors along Lake Michigan near Green Bay generate more than 15% of Wisconsin's power. The utility originally sought to recoup $96 million from the federal government and was awarded $50 million in a decision by the Federal Court of Claims in December 2009.  The Department of Energy appealed, but then approached We Energies to negotiate a settlement.

Through a surcharge on monthly electric bills that ended when Point Beach was sold, We Energies ratepayers paid $215 million into an $18 billion federal government fund that would have been used to pay for the opening of Yucca Mountain. The government had proposed to open a repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada, but that project was canceled two years ago.

We Energies continues to buy the electricity generated at Point Beach. The plant was sold in 2007 and is now operated by Florida-based NextEra Energy Resources. (JSOnline, 2/20/2011)