DOE cautious on nuke study, may rechannel P100-M budget

The Department of Energy (DOE) on Friday said it will be careful about exercising its mandate to spend P100 million on the study of nuclear energy standards and will likely consider channeling the funds to other priorities like renewable energy. "[T]he budget has been approved, but right now the DOE is currently studying what to do next. Whether we push through or delay or use the budget for more urgent matters, we are in discussion internally," DOE Undersecretary Jay Layug said. Layug admitted that the DOE may even suspend the study being conducted right now on nuclear energy. "The DOE has no program for nuclear other than to study it. In fact, what we have done, due to the Fukushima incident, we're thinking of reconsidering the study and see whether we should do other studies apart from nuclear," he said. "Renewable energy is the priority right now and not nuclear. We're looking at additional capacities through coal and natural gas plants. So that's what we're focusing on right now," Layug stressed. The Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) and other groups earlier urged the government to drop its nuclear plans considering the Fukushima crisis in Japan. FDC president Ricardo Reyes said they want the Aquino administration to “remove a section on nuclear revival in its development plan." "We stress… the total lack of readiness — social, financial, technological, physical and governmental — of our society to confront and overcome a nuclear disaster, in case it happens," Reyes said. Look deeper Reyes urged government to look deeper into the arguments raised to advance the use of nuclear power. "Nuclear plants do emit carbon, though in less quantity than coal- and fossil fuel-powered plants. But nuclear energy sourcing from uranium mining operations, just like other mining activities, involves huge amounts of carbon emissions," Reyes claimed. He also said nuclear plants also use fossil fuels for enrichment facilities, construction and decommissioning of power plants and the storage of spent fuel. "Simply put, advocates of nuclear power are just exploiting the climate crisis for their selfish agenda," Reyes asserted while also citing a March 25, 2011 TIME Magazine report on the financial viability of nuclear plants in the United States. “The TIME article cites that very few investors are betting on nuke and that without huge subsidies from the US government, this nuclear industry may have bogged down years ago. If there is any way to cut investment costs in nuclear energy, TIME says that it will have to be done by ignoring safety concerns," Reyes said. According to the FDC president, nuclear energy is also not sustainable. He cites studies of the World Information Service on Energy that said uranium reserves, found in only five countries, can last for only about 50 years given the current appetite for nuclear fuel. Reyes said descriptions like “carbon-neutral," “sustainable," and “cost-efficient" apply to renewable energy, but not to nuclear energy. — ELR/VS, GMA News