Obama cites S. Korea for nuke plant construction

By Hwang Doo-hyong
WASHINGTON, Feb. 16 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama said Tuesday his
government will follow the example of South Korea and other nations in the
construction of nuclear power plants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
create new jobs.
"Our competitors are racing to create jobs and command growing energy industries.
And nuclear energy is no exception. Japan and France have long invested heavily
in this industry," Obama said. "Meanwhile, there are 56 nuclear reactors under
construction around the world -- 21 in China alone, six in South Korea, five in
India."
Obama made his remarks in a speech at a training center in Maryland to announce
US$83 billion in loan guarantees for the construction of two nuclear reactors in
Burke, Georgia, the first nuclear power plants to be built since the Three Mile
Island nuclear accident in Pennsylvania in 1979.
South Korean firms, which have built nuclear power plants for decades with U.S.
help, beat U.S., Japanese and French rivals in December to win a US$20 billion
contract to build four nuclear reactors for the United Arab Emirates.
"The commitment of these other countries is not just generating the jobs in those
plants. It's generating demand for expertise and new technologies," Obama said.
"So make no mistake. Whether it's nuclear energy or solar or wind energy, if we
fail to invest in the technologies of tomorrow, then we're going to be importing
those technologies instead of exporting them. We will fall behind."
Obama said he hopes the construction project will create 800 permanent positions
and thousands of temporary jobs.
"And this is only the beginning," he said.
Nuclear power constitutes about 20 percent of U.S. energy consumption.
hdh@yna.co.kr
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