Enviros push back against nukes in climate bill

Some environmentalists are trying to thwart brewing Capitol Hill plans to add large nuclear power subsidies to climate and energy legislation the Senate will tackle next year.
 
Environment America released a report claiming that nuclear power won’t help bring about sharp reductions in U.S. emissions.
 
Their case: the U.S. must start making deep cuts soon -- they call the next decade critical -- but new plants won’t be built quickly enough to help. No new U.S. reactors are yet under construction, although several power companies have license applications before the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
 
The group touts energy efficiency improvements and renewable power that can be brought to market faster.

But supporters of new nuclear plants say big, carbon-free baseload power plants will be vital to replacing fossil fuels. Exelon Corp. Chairman John Rowe recently called on the Senate to provide an additional $50 billion in federal loan guarantees for new plant construction. The utility has the largest nuclear power fleet in the country and backs enactment of a cap-and-trade plan to cut emissions.
 
Federal support for nuclear power is a pivotal issue in the climate fight on Capitol Hill. Sens. John Kerry (D-Mass.), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) hope to cobble together a compromise emissions-capping bill that can attract 60 Senate votes, and nuclear power is part of their equation.