Platts - Tuesday, February 24, 2004 
http://www.platts.com

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Energy bill needed, Bush tells National Governors
Association 

Washington (Platts)--23Feb2004

President Bush said the nation needs a new energy bill
and told the National Governors Association today in
Washington, D.C., "We'll try to get one out of the
Congress here." A wide-ranging energy bill (H.R. 6)
passed the House last year but stalled in the Senate.
Energy & Natural Resources Committee Chairman Pete
Domenici (R-N.M.) tried unsuccessfully last month to
attach the bill to major transportation legislation
before he and other Senate Republican leaders crafted a
new measure (S. 2095) with far less spending and without
a liability waiver for producers of the gasoline
additive MTBE, a key difference from the House-passed
bill. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), chairman of the House
Energy & Commerce Committee, was critical of Senate
leaders' focus on passing a new measure and urged them
instead to work on getting the two votes needed to bring
H.R. 6 to a Senate vote, which has already been through
a House-Senate conference.

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Sweden's Studsvik reports higher profits

Stockholm (Platts)--23Feb2004

Pre-tax profit at Sweden's Studsvik nuclear laboratory
and services company jumped 58.6-million kronor (U.S.$8-
million), management reported today, helped by U.S.
operations and longer-than-normal maintenance outages at
reactors in Sweden and Germany. Profit was 61.4-billion
kronor on income of 1.1-billion kronor for 2003; the
figures were 2.8-million kronor and 1-billion kronor,
respectively, the year before. Studsvik operates a waste
reduction facility in Erwin, Tenn., as well as supplying
testing and other services to nuclear plants. It also
operates two research reactors in Sweden to produce
isotopes.

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Leak in new steam generators shuts Palo Verde-2 

Washington (Platts)--20Feb2004

Palo Verde-2 shut down after a small tube leak was
detected in one of the reactor's two steam generators,
plant operator Arizona Public Service (APS) said today.
Palo Verde-2's steam generators are new, installed just
two months ago. "Our decision to take unit 2 out of
service was a conservative one," said Gregg Overbeck,
APS senior vice president for nuclear operations.
"Operators continually monitor these units very closely
for situations like this and are trained to take steps
that are appropriate and with safety in mind." APS said
it was uncertain how long it would take to complete the
tube repairs at unit 2 and to return the reactor to
service.

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