Study on the nuclear energy development policy to face the change in international nuclear industry

On 17 February 2009, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act(ARRA) came into effect after President Obama signed it. According to the Act, the total budget of $38.7 billion is used for energy sector, including energy efficiency and renewable energy($16.8 billion), electricity transmission and SMART grid($4.5 billion) and carbon capture storage and fossil energy($3.4 billion). On 26 June 2009, American Clean Energy and Security Act was passed in the U. S. House of Representatives by recorded vote as 219 - 212. The remarkable provisions of the Act are as follows: 1) greenhouse gas emission control using cap and trade system, 2) energy efficiency program, 3) plug-in hybrid vehicle program, 4) carbon capture and sequestration technology, 5) renewable energy portfolio standards and 6) smart grid. The important provisions relevant to nuclear industry of the ACESA are as follows: 1) deployment of Clean Energy Deployment Administration (CEDA) and assistance to clean energy project by CEDA, 2) DOE is required to submit to Congress a report on the use of thorium-fueled nuclear reactors by 1 February 2011, 3) DOE is required to establish a monetary award program for nuclear energy to encourage innovative means for recovering thermal energy as a potentially useful byproduct of electric power generation