Areva's French chief, Anne Lauvergeon, did a quick visit to the US this week to put her signature on a $360 million joint venture with Northrop Grumman to build nuclear reactor vessels. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe there is a major snafu in the world when it comes to reactor vessels. There is a shop over in Japan that is the only source of these things, any all nuclear project developers have to take a number and wait in line, if memory serves me.

Areva wants to play a big role in an expected resurgence in nuclear power construction in the US, and toward that end is marketing its reactor through a venture that has as its American anchor the ill-starred Constellation Energy, which imploded with the American financial mess of recent weeks and awaits rescue by the sage of Omaha.

We have been tracking French government controlled Areva's US nuclear ambitions for some time. Government control has been the secret sauce in France's success in building up its reliance on nuclear energy. SO if you don't like socialism but do like nuclear, you have to hope that we soon will see a clear business case made for its success in the American marketplace. Meanwhile, Anne of Areva is to be congratulated for saying she wants 80 percent of the Areva-style plants built in the US using components purchased in the USA.

Back to the business case for nuclear. Entergy of Mardi Gras land thought is had the answer, planning to spin off its 5 nukes into a nuclear generating company, the very first such standalone entity, reports the Wall Street Journal. Those plans - like your plans for a mid-winter trip to the Bahamas and to put braces on the kids' teeth have been whacked by the economy's tailspin. Entergy reports this week that its spinoff has stopped spinning - for now. We will be looking closer at this intriguing business case in the upcoming issue of EnergyBiz which will be winging to our faithful readers in a few weeks. 

Summing up, Areva takes one step forward. Entergy takes one step back. Two footnotes to the fact that America has no clear energy strategy and players are whistling in the dark while government officials are busy scrambling to unscramble the economy they have cooked up for us.