Energy Blast – Feb 3, 2010

Opposition movement Solidarity is opposing a government plan to invest $33 billion in nuclear energy over the next ten years, citing security and environmental concerns, high costs and the potential damage to tourism.  Oleg Deripaska’s article in today’s Wall Street Journal counterposes all of this, arguing for increased reliance on the nuclear option: ‘These new reactors are a further improvement on everything we have learned about reliable, safe and value-for-money power generation.‘  Rosneft’s January efforts at its Vankor site boosted the entire country’s output by 2.8%, and Russia remains the only country pumping more than 10 million barrels of crude oil a day, says EuroNews.  French nuclear waste arrives in St. Petersburg?  The US is wary of news that Iran will accept a deal to export its enriched uranium.