| President Obama announced Tuesday, February | | | | is estimated to produce 3,500 jobs for |
| 16th that a $8.3 billion loan guarantee would be | | | | construction and 800 high paying jobs after |
| awarded to Southern Company in Burke, GA. This | | | | completion. They will generate 2,200 megawatts |
| was part of his plan to create a clean energy | | | | of electricity. One megawatt of electricity can |
| economy. | | | | power 500 homes in Georgia. |
| Nuclear power plants do not create greenhouse | | | | This $8.3 billion loan guarantee to Southern |
| gas emissions, therefore appearing more | | | | Company comes from $18.5 billion set aside for |
| favorable than coal-fired power plants. In fact, | | | | nuclear power programs. President Obama has |
| they actually produce nuclear waste which is | | | | urged Congress to triple the nuclear loan program |
| harmful to the environment since most nuclear | | | | to $54 billion with the intention of funding more |
| waste cannot be disposed of and American plants | | | | nuclear projects in the future. |
| do not recycle the nuclear waste as France does. | | | | Obama has found difficulty in convincing |
| The two nuclear reactors are set to be in service | | | | Republicans to back his clean energy program |
| by 2016 and 2017. They are positioned to be the | | | | because it emphasizes nuclear power as a |
| first nuclear reactors to reach government | | | | method of minimizing greenhouse gas emissions. |
| approval since 1979. | | | | Even with an $8.3 billion loan guarantee, these |
| The $8.3 billion loan guarantee would help subsidize | | | | nuclear power plants and all others must still retain |
| most of the private loans Southern Company | | | | radioactive waste on-site creating health and |
| would have to acquire in order to build the nuclear | | | | environmental concerns. These concerns have |
| power plants. The subsidy would cover about | | | | been addressed but are deemed less detrimental |
| 70% of the total cost of the reactors. | | | | than those of oil and coal energy. |
| The commissioning of these two nuclear reactors | | | | |