Energy Policy for America

The following paper is a proposal submitted by A.E. (Jake) Paulson to Democracy for America (DFA) on February 15, 2009, as a possible energy policy for that organization. It has not been endorsed by the DFA as of this date.

The Paulson energy proposal notes that the problem of what to do with spent-fuel assemblies has been solved by a recently published reprocessing technique that does not produce pure plutonium, and therefore does not violate the ban on nuclear proliferation. This advance will permit reprocessing of the approximately 100,000 spent-fuel assemblies currently sitting under water all around the country. Each of these fuel assemblies contains approximately 30% of the original fuel unused. Reprocessing of current and future fuel assemblies would eliminate the Mt Yucca storage issues.

The beauty of fission energy is its ZERO carbon emission and the ability to run at constant "baseload" capacity, producing electricity for commercial/business needs by day and to charge battery-driven cars at night for urban/suburban travel, also with ZERO carbon emission.

Energy Policy for America
by Democracy for America (DFA)
(updated 2-15-09)
Thesis: The DFA proposes a 10 year energy program that will establish the path to energy independence for the USA.

Proposed Program:
Build 150 1000 Mwe or greater fission powered electrical generation units using current advanced light water reactor technology.

Benefits:
Proposed program will:
Provide for 50% electric power generation from fission power (zero CO2 emissions),
Dramatically reduce CO2 emissions by phasing in fission power and phasing out older coal fueled electrical power units,
Provide for use of electric cars for urban travel,
Provide thousands of high paying jobs, establish the USA as the leader in fission technology, and keep our economy growing at a 3 to 5%/year!

Implementation of Program:
Congress must pass legislation that provides for the
following items:
The program is in the National Interest,
Construction permits, when approved, must be final and unit construction can proceed without interruption,
Government incentives shall be provided to the extent that all major utilities will agree to the program and promise to immediately start the construction permit process (unless they have already done so).

Utilization of Discharged Fuel Assemblies:
Recommended Solution:
Request President Obama to rescind the executive order that bans commercial reprocessing of discharged fuel assemblies in the USA,
Provide legislation that promotes and permits the reprocessing of spent fuel assemblies and provides assurance that the granting of reprocessing licenses is under Federal jurisdiction,
Note: The 100,000 plus discharged fuel assemblies have enough fissionable isotopes to provide the initial reactor core fueling for all 150 units if only we would reprocess and recycle this energy source!
Building three to four reprocessing plants that use the COEX processs. COEX provides for Uranium-Plutonium mix that is turned into MOX fuel for use in LWRs. COEX meets the nonproliferation requirements of GNEP by not producing pure separated plutonium. Adopting COEX would reduce or eliminate the need for the Mt. Yucca storage unit.

Discussion: Democracy for America has a golden opportunity to enhance the expanded use of fission power. It would give America a plan to achieve
Energy Independence in our lifetime – the program will find many Republicans ready to join this program making it a bi-partisan program.
AE Jake Paulson, BSNE KSU 1957
President PIMS, Inc.
434-385-9085
e-mail address = pims@pimsva.com