Obama's Energy Secretary All About Fission

Here's a bit of good news for a soon to be unemployed Navy nuke guy like myself and a country that is in desperate need of an electrical infrastructure makeover. Obama's incoming energy secretary is a nuclear nerd. From Politico:

The Nobel Prize-winning physicist told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during his confirmation hearing that he’d help streamline nuclear loan guarantees that would help the industry construct several new plants to produce low-emission energy and would push the Energy Department to examine options for recycling nuclear waste.

“I’m supportive of the fact that the nuclear industry should have to be part of energy mix in this century,” Chu said. “And recycling [nuclear waste] in the long term can be part of the solution.”

While counting on government subsidies is hardly a valid business model, if cap and trade were imposed or a gas tax, that some prominent conservatives are supporting, nuke power would be much more economically viable. Obama has hinted that he supports splittin' atoms before, but has waffled on what to do with nuke waste. I suggest dumping it at Al Gore's house..."for the children", or if his house unavailable going with the Yucca Mountain option. Either way it's good to see the administration at least paying lip service to new power plant / grid construction. However, expect most of the opposition to come from NIMBY types that expect all the benefits of living in modern civilization without any of the "eyesores".