TVA cuts 530 jobs, spending on Ala. nuclear plant

[bananas]

Source: Associated Press

The Tennessee Valley Authority will cut 530 jobs and trim millions of dollars in spending on its effort to revive a mothballed nuclear plant in Alabama, utility officials said Wednesday in a decision that calls into question the project's future.

A total of 35 TVA employees and 495 contractors will lose their positions at the Bellefonte Nuclear Power Station northeast of Scottsboro, Ala. The budget will fall from $182 million to $66 million, a reduction of roughly 64 percent. Some of the affected TVA employees may be reassigned to other roles within the utility.

<snip>

So far, the utility has not formally abandoned the Bellefonte project. However, Skaggs said TVA officials are in the process of determining how the plant fits into the utility's overall needs. Workers will continue performing maintenance at the site, protect the plant's records and keep working on an estimate outlining how much it would cost to finish one of the site's two reactors.

<snip>

TVA officials decided to defer the construction of one of Bellefonte's reactors in 1985 and put off the construction of a second reactor three years later. During the mid-1990s, the utility debated converting the facility into a fossil fuel plant or use it to produce tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen needed in nuclear weapons.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.ajc.com/ap/ap/georgia/tva-cuts-400-jobs-spending-on-ala-nuclear-plant/nYJpr/

[kristopher]

1. Wonder why Shellenberger didn't compare the 4 reactors at Bellefonte to Germany's solar?

Construction began 39 years ago then was suspended 25 years ago with the reactors 88% and 58% completed after spending $6 billion. They sold off parts over the years (probably at pennies on the dollar) until the reactors were considered 55% and 25% completed. Then in 2005-2007 they get the bright idea to finish these two (additional $5B required) and start 2 more new ones for probably another $20B.
They first abandoned the two new ones and now they are shutting the gates completely it sounds like.

What a clusterfuck.

[madokie]

2. Rate payers and tax payer picking up the tab I'm sure

Nothing wrong with watching a magician use sly of hand to pull nickels out of someones ear for entertainment. Whats wrong is when you get home you proceed to base your budget on the nickels you pull out of your significant others or family members ears

[kristopher]

4. More like Bullwinkle pulling a rabbit our of the hat ...

...if you ask me.

Or Wiley Coyote strapping on his Acme Rocket Powered Skates.

[liberal N proud]

3. What was that definition on insanity again?