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NLR

Market Vectors Uranium+Nuclear Energy ETF

5/18/2013, 7:31 AM ET

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Tuesday, February 26, 3:57 PM PowerShares has shuttered 13 ETFs, representing less than 1% of the issuer's AUM, as of today's close. Affected funds follow (with competing funds in parentheses): PIC (KIE, IAK, KBWP, KBWI), PYH, PJB (IAT, KBE, KRE, RKH, QABA, KRU, KRS, KBWR), PSTL (SLX), PLK, PWND (FAN), PMA, PKOL (KOL), PKN (NLR, NUCL, URA), PTO, PAO, PCA and CVRT. (pdf) Comment!
Wednesday, February 6, 9:56 AM The real deterrent to nuclear power: Plants burn through copious quantities of cash long before they consume even a pound of uranium. That handicap was laid bare yet again as Duke Energy (DUK) decided to retire its Crystal River plant in Florida, and Centrica pulled out of a new U.K. project. Even in today's cheap-debt world, the economics of sinking billions into a new plant years before it generates revenue doesn't add up. 12 Comments [Energy]
Wednesday, December 12, 2012, 5:41 PM The uranium business is still stuck in a rut more than 21 months after Fukushima, and there's little sign of a turnaround in 2013 as Japan's plans remain up in the air. Optimists point to long-term demand - 62 reactors under construction worldwide - and weak pricing and cost pressures that have ground many projects to a halt. Spot prices may have found a floor near $40/lb., but ~$60 is seen as breakeven. 2 Comments [Energy]
Wednesday, October 10, 2012, 9:29 AM The Nuclear Regulatory Commission will meet with PPL on Tuesday next week to discuss the utility's progress on improving the performance of its Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. Among other things, the NRC is concerned about procedural problems involving workers. Comment! [Energy]
Wednesday, September 19, 2012, 9:29 AM The price of uranium falls to $47/pound, the lowest in 2 years as a "wave of optimism" Japanese demand would bounce back or China would step in was misplaced. Low prices may bring high prices though as both BHP Billiton and Paladin Energy have slowed or postponed development of uranium mines even as nuclear reactors continue to be built. Comment! [Commodities]
Wednesday, September 19, 2012, 6:09 AM Japan's cabinet backtracks on plans to phase out nuclear power by 2040, deciding to take the proposals "into consideration" when deciding energy policy rather than giving them formal approval. The plans have met strong opposition from business, which fears increased electricity bills and an unstable electricity supply. 11 Comments [Energy]
Friday, September 14, 2012, 8:15 AM Japan's government says it will phase out nuclear power by the 2030s, marking a major policy shift and the first formal decision to retreat from atomic energy since the Fukushima disaster 18 months ago. Japan aims to triple the share of renewable power to 30% of its energy mix, but it is sure to remain a top importer of oil, coal and gas for the foreseeable future. Comment! [Energy, Global & FX]
Thursday, August 9, 2012, 8:09 AM Another coal-fired power plant is set to go dark, the Rochester, MN utilities board voting to retire its Silver Lake facility. Cheap natural gas and wind power is making it cheaper to buy power off the regional grid, and there's also the whole clean air thing. (see also) 5 Comments [Energy]
Wednesday, August 8, 2012, 10:01 AM Data for the construction of power generation facilities in H1 paints a stark picture of the ascendance of natural gas, with 3,708 MW gas-fired plants built, 2,367 MW of wind farms developed, and 1,608 MW of coal stations constructed. Gas provides 41.8% of U.S. electricity, coal 29.7%, nuclear 9.2%, water 8.7%, wind 4.3%, geothermal 0.3%, and solar 0.3%. Comment! [Energy]
Sunday, July 1, 2012, 5:20 AM The Senate confirmed on Friday geologist and environmental science professor Allison Macfarlane as Chairperson of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to replace Gregory Jaczko. The issues Macfarlane has to deal with include new safety rules following the Japanese nuclear meltdown last year and aging reactors. Comment! [Energy]
Thursday, April 26, 2012, 12:52 AM Japan could face rolling blackouts and forced usage cuts this summer if temperatures are higher than normal, cautions Economy Minister Yukio Edano. The country is set to shut its last operating nuclear plant next month. Over the coming decades, Japan "should move away from its reliance on nuclear power as quickly as possible." 3 Comments [Global & FX, Energy]
Friday, April 13, 2012, 1:01 PM The Japanese government ended some of the suspense over its nuclear program by calling two nuclear reactors safe for restart. The decision pushes the government towards a path of eventually bringing all 54 reactors back online after the Fukushima disaster threatened the future of nuclear power in Japan. 1 Comment [Global & FX, Energy]
Thursday, March 29, 2012, 3:22 PM Plans of the British government to open 12 nuclear plants in 8 different sites across the U.K, take a serious blow with the withdrawal of two German utilities from a joint venture in the region. Industry watchers say that not only will getting more nuclear power fired up in Britain take more time, the scope of the original project will likely have to scaled back considerably. Comment! [Global & FX, Energy]
Monday, March 26, 2012, 7:51 AM TEPCO (TKECF.PK) closes down its last nuclear reactor still running in Japan, leaving the nation close to being nuclear free as it waits for the government to approve restarts amid ongoing safety concerns. Push will come to shove this summer when hot weather delivers peak energy demand that fossil fuel plants are unlikely to be able to meet. Comment! [Global & FX, Energy]
Thursday, February 23, 2012, 2:14 PM A new direction for nuclear? The Air Force's sweeping plan for space travel and space stations includes the use of nuclear energy. A new report issued from the USAF highlights that as nuclear power plants decrease in size, their "utility" on board space-based assets increases. (Report: United States Air Force Energy S&T Vision 2011-2026 .pdf) 4 Comments [Energy]
Monday, February 13, 2012, 4:30 PM Was the announcement that Southern Company (SO) gained approval to build nuclear reactors in the U.S. lost in the shuffle with the ongoing consternation over the dire effects from the Fukushima disaster? Zacks Investment raises the possibility, while also noting that despite facing many obstacles along the way, a nuclear renaissance isn't out of the question with the industry's ability to provide energy in a cleaner manner. Nuclear energy ETFs NUCL, NLR, and PKN provide a way to invest in nuclear power, without taking on the risk of only holding a few names. Comment! [Quick Ideas, Energy]