"As Soon As Possible": US Preparing To Wean Itself Off Russian Nuclear Fuel
by Tyler Durden
Thursday, Sep 29, 2022 - 03:20 PM
Russia's dominance in the global nuclear fuel market presents another massive challenge for Washington, especially the liberal hawks in the Biden administration, who are trying to wean Western countries off Russian energy supplies.
Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said President Biden is redoubling efforts to break the US reliance on Russian nuclear fuel, indicating domestic uranium-enrichment capacity could be increased with upcoming key legislation.
"We are going to get Congressional support in a bipartisan way for us to make our own fuel cycle supply chain independent, certainly of Russia," Granholm said in an interview at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Bloomberg quoted.
"We've got to make this happen for our own independence and national security," she continued.
Bringing on new capacity could take years. For instance, uranium extracted from mines to refine into fuel for nuclear reactors takes three to five years.
Russia controls about two-fifths of the global enrichment services market and supplies almost a quarter of the fuel for the US' 93 operational nuclear reactors. This is another chokepoint the US is trying to avoid.
Earlier this year, Washington banned imports of Russian fossil fuel products, though uranium wasn't part of the sanctions.
"We should not be sending any money to Russia for any American energy or for any other reason," Granholm said in May.
The Biden administration is working toward expanding a uranium supply chain to wean itself off Russian supplies though top congressional Democrats recently balked at Biden's $1.5 billion request in an upcoming budget bill to support domestic uranium enrichment programs.
"We need to signal that the US is committed to its own fuel supply as well as the conversion and enrichment components of the supply chain.
"This investment in our own supply chain is a critical piece of that," Granholm said in Vienna.
The American nuclear industry could soon see a resurgence since the Three Mile Island facility accident in 1979 sent it into a tailspin for decades if Granholm and the Biden administration can get funding.
She said the government would support the demand side rather than taking direct ownership stakes in facilities.
"We would be using the market to make sure this capability gets out," she added. "We would contract with facilities. The goal is to be independent as soon as possible."
Several nuclear fuel supply chain companies, including Honeywell International Inc., General Atomics, and Centrus Energy Corp., could benefit from atomic independence from Russia.
+++++
a blast from the past(who was VP then)?
===
NY Times: Hillary Clinton Approved Russian Uranium Deal After $2 Million Donation to Clinton Foundation
yahoo.com
Jordan Chariton
April 23, 2015
NY Times: Hillary Clinton Approved Russian Uranium Deal After $2 Million Donation to Clinton Foundation
The New York Times is suggesting Hillary Clinton took actions as secretary of state because of financial donations that were made to the Clinton Foundation by Russians pushing for a Canadian uranium company.
The Times reported in an explosive piece on Thursday that Canadian records show the chairman of Russian-owned Uranium One gave over $2 million in donations to the Clinton Foundation, which the Clintons’ didn’t disclose. At the same time, Russia pushed for control of a Canadian Uranium company.
A Kremlin-connected bank promoting stock in the company also reportedly paid Bill Clinton $500,000 for a speech in Moscow. Eventually, the Russian-Canadian uranium deal was approved.
Also Read: Hillary Clinton's Biggest Challenge Might Come From NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio
“Whether the donations played any role in the approval of the uranium deal is unknown,” the Times writes. “But the episode underscores the special ethical challenges presented by the Clinton Foundation, headed by a former president who relied heavily on foreign cash to accumulate $250 million in assets even as his wife helped steer American foreign policy as secretary of state, presiding over decisions with the potential to benefit the foundation’s donors.”
The Times reporting comes from information it, and other outlets like Fox News, obtained from an upcoming book “Clinton Cash,” written by conservative author Peter Schweizer.
Also Read: Hillary Clinton on Email Controversy: 'It Was a Matter of Convenience'
Politico also reports a Canadian donor, Frank Giustra, who pledged over $100 million to the Clinton Foundation, influenced Secretary Clinton’s stance on a Columbia trade deal; Clinton opposed it as a presidential candidate, but flipped as secretary of state.
The Clinton campaign denied that Clinton took any positions as secretary of state due to foreign donations to the Clinton Foundation:
Also Read: Hillary Clinton's Biggest Challenge Might Come From NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio
“No one has ever produced a shred of evidence supporting the theory that Hillary Clinton ever took action as secretary of state to support the interest of donors to The Clinton Foundation. To suggest the State Departments, under then-secretary Clinton, exerted undue influence in the U.S. government review of the sale of uranium one is utterly baseless.” |
