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Show AEC Reports on Fuel Supplies For New Atomic Electric Plants . The U. S. Atomic Energy Commission last week issued a summary report on a survey Of completed and1 planned arrangements for supplying fuel for nuclear Ipowcr plantis. The survey Idai'fc refect conditions as .of February 1, 1970. Forty-four utilities questioned ques-tioned by the AEC's Division Divis-ion of Raw Materials provided pro-vided data on 94 nuclear iplanlts 'with a total capacity capac-ity of, 73,500 electrical me-glawatts me-glawatts which were operable, oper-able, under construction, or on order at the time of the survey. The survey report shows .that domestic uranium producers pro-ducers have contracted to supply 75,100 tons of uranium uran-ium oxide to be delivered in 1970 through 1984 to domestic domes-tic utilities and reactor manufacturers. This is an increase of 9,503 tons over future sales commitments' as of .January 1, 1969, and ' reported on May 20, 1969. In addition, domestic producers pro-ducers have contracted with fcrefgn users for delivery of 3,410 tons of uran'ium oxide in 1970 or later. , . Tiro report also covers such topics, as utility p3ans for Teactor fuel, including fuel' leased from AEC or obtained ob-tained from uranium' producers pro-ducers and reactor manufac-i4J:rs. manufac-i4J:rs. Uranum procurement procure-ment lead times and unfilled unfill-ed uranium requirements are also tabulated. Tliis information follows closely an article printed by the A'uclear Industry maga-d'ine maga-d'ine Ithis month which indicated in-dicated that the supply cf coal to these electric utili-ics utili-ics across the nation has become a real problem. Because Be-cause of ithis decrease in the supply, the utility industry is being forced to construct nuclear plants to utiiiz? other fuels, primarily uranium uran-ium as mentioned by the AEC, to meet fu.ure electric demand. These fossil fuel shortages shortag-es Will provide an opportunity opportun-ity for nuclear power, if the construction of nuclear plants can be speeded up. There is enough coal in supply sup-ply to continue the cperat.o.i of the utilities until the nuclear nu-clear plants can be construc-ed, construc-ed, according to the report. . A suirvey conducted for the magazine by three energy en-ergy experts indicated surprise sur-prise on their part that uitil-yit'i!es uitil-yit'i!es had not been more worried about their fuel problems1 than thy were. They indicated that although Inhere were a few exceptions, line top men m the utility industoy, until ' recently, gave little thought to fuel supplies. |