Loan guarantees for commercial nuclear power plants whose risks are too great to attract free-market capital could be slipped by Congress into a final "continuing resolution," anti-nuclear advocates are warning. President Obama urged an increase in nuclear loan guarantees earlier this year, but it has not gone through, because it was packaged with the cap-and-trade bill and the renewable energy standard. Now the administration is reported to be pushing for it again. A variety of news and advocacy organizations were telling parts of the story as the 111th Congress lurched toward a close December 7, 2010.

At about 7pm ET Dec. 8, the Nuclear Energy Institute reported via Twitter that the House had passed, 212-206, a Continuing Resolution for FY 2011 containing $7 billion in additional money for nuclear loan guarantees.

"House CR Contains Changes for Loan Guarantees, Leasing" (Greenwire -- Subscription Only)
[2]
"House Panel Scales Back Obama Plan for Nuclear Loan Guarantees" (Bloomberg) [3]

Alert: "DOE Yet Again Seeking $9 Billion for New Reactor Loans" (Nuclear Information and Resource Service) [4]

"The New Millennium Nuclear Energy Summit" (NEI Nuclear Notes) [5]

"Nuclear Summit Urges Wider Use of Atomic Power" (McClatchy) [6]

"Nuclear 'Renaissance' Is Short on Largess" (Green/New York Times)
[7]
"Report Urges More Gov't Support for Nuclear Energy" (AP)
[8]
"The Administration Explores a 'Clean Energy' Standard That Includes Nuclear Power" (ClimateWire) [9]