Financing may dry up if nations don't act
On September 20, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu brought a suitcase full of carrots and sticks to the annual meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Getting his luggage through airport security and customs was easy.
The hard part is getting the other nations of the world to listen to reason. The main issue at hand is the establishment of an international fuel bank for commercial nuclear reactors.
The main carrot is $50 million the United States has pledged to set up a nuclear fuel bank so that other nations that want civilian nuclear energy don’t have to build uranium enrichment plants.
This is an important step in controlling dual-use technology that can also be used to make weapons grade materials.
The main stick is that if the IAEA doesn't get off the dime and set up the fuel bank soon, the U.S. will withdraw the pledge.
Read all about it exclusively at the ANS Nuclear Cafe online now.
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