NEI Nuclear Notes

Larry Johnston, a writer for Florida Today , has been taking his readers on a road trip as he travels in a mobile home. Today he writes about his visit to a Canadian nuclear power plant , and it's pretty entertaining and informative. I went to the visitor center and asked whether I could visit the facility. The receptionist told me not even the prime minister could get inside the plant. This spoiled my backup plan of pretending to be the prime minister, but also probably avoided my arrest. The receptionist said I would have to be content with the visitor center. An interactive computer animation told me Canada has had nuclear power since 1970. I glanced at the computer next to me and was startled to see a person with a remarkably familiar face. Could that be the prime minister? I learned about the numerous safeguards in the plant that reduce the risk of radiation leaks. I peeked over the monitor to the river outside to see whether the local geese had two heads or webbed wings. No,...

In Russia, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. From the Daily Mail : Fears that Russia is using energy supplies as a political weapon increased last night after Moscow forced Georgia to accept a doubling of gas prices. The deal came within hours of a threat by Gazprom, Russia's statecontrolled energy giant, to cut off supplies to the former Soviet republic from January 1. Georgia had called the price increase 'unacceptable' and 'politically motivated'. Relations between the Kremlin and Georgia's pro-West leadership were already at their worst for a decade after a spy row in September. The Georgia 'agreement' is another example of what alarmed EU officials see as the Kremlin's heavy-handed tactics in dealing with energy clients. It came the day after Gazprom took control of a massive oil and gas project from Royal Dutch Shell, which had suffered a long campaign of bureaucratic harassment. Don't forget, as Geoffrey Styles said earlier...

From the AP : A tractor-trailer hauling about 6,000 pounds of low-grade uranium overturned Thursday as it exited Interstate 95, authorities said. The truck crashed onto its side after the driver lost control on the exit ramp, said Jason Barbour, Johnston County's emergency communications director. One of two people in the truck suffered minor injuries, and no other vehicles were involved, he said. The truck was carrying a radioactive material called packaged fissile, Highway Patrol spokesman Lt. Everett Clendenin said. The powdered uranium was packed in containers that weren't breached by the accident, he said. "There's no threat to the public," Clendenin said. "It's a low grade uranium." Traffic was diverted after the 9 p.m. crash south of Raleigh, and the exit ramp to Interstate 40 was closed for several hours. Clendenin said the ramp should reopen early Friday morning. The uranium was being transported by Portsmouth Marine Terminal, from Portsmou...

This week's show includes a conversation on nuclear energy with Dr. Paul Howarth of the Dalton Nuclear Institute at the University of Manchester . Thanks to John Wheeler for the pointer. Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Energy , Politics , Technology , Economics

A Musing Environment follows up on David Bradish's analysis from earlier this week. Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Energy , Politics , Technology , Economics , Subsidies

Details from the World Nuclear Association . Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Environment , Energy , Politics , Sweden , Electricity

Gazprom and the Russian government strong-armed Shell out of one of the world's largest natural gas projects , and now it appears that BP is next on their hit list . Geoffrey Styles looks at the end game: Just as Russia was traditionally a continental power, capable of asserting influence across the entire Eurasian land mass, but with limited sea power, Gazprom's market and influence is currently limited to where its pipelines can reach. The natural gas market will become increasingly globalized in the years ahead, with the expected rapid expansion of LNG trade. Without the ability to supply gas across the oceans, Gazprom would miss out on much of the growth in this market, especially in the US, where LNG is still in its infancy. That could be very costly, particularly if Europe turns elsewhere for the gas it will need to meet its commitments under the Kyoto Treaty. The ultimate roots of Gazprom's LNG strategy--and thus its actions with regard to Sakhalin-2--lie in the in...

From AFX : Energie Baden-Wurtemberg AG has submitted a request to the German government to prolong the life span of its Neckarwestheim I nuclear power station. The utility wants to operate the reactor for eight years longer than allowed for under the current agreement specifying the closing date for each of the country's 17 nuclear sites. If this is approved, Neckarwestheim I would operate until 2017 instead of 2009. In return, EnBW's Neckarwestheim II, another reactor at the same plant, would also close in 2017 instead of 2021. EnBW chief executive Utz Claassen said in a statement the company wanted to take advantages of the safety and financial synergies gained from closing the two reactors at the same time. You also net four more years of production, as well as get another eight years to hope the German government comes to its senses and reverses the phaseout. Here's hoping it works. Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Environment , Energy , Politics , Te...

Here's a summary of U.S. nuclear plant performances last month: For November 2006, NEI estimates the average net capacity factor reached 82.5 percent. This figure is 3.4 percentage points lower than the same one month period in 2005. NEI estimates monthly nuclear generation at 60.9 billion kilowatt-hours for November 2006 compared to 63.1 BkWh for the same one month period in 2005. For 2006, NEI estimates year to date nuclear generation at 716.9 billion kilowatt-hours compared to 711.6 BkWh in 2005 (0.7 percent increase). For the report click here (pdf). It is also located on NEI's Nuclear Statistics webpage . Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Electricity

The following is a transcript from CBC News (no online reference available) that includes interviews with Murray Elston of the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) as well as Hugh Wilkins of the Sierra Legal Fund, one of the anti-nuclear groups taking issue with CNA's public service advertising campaign that we first mentioned yesterday . The exchange is interesting, in that the reporter gives Wilkins a pretty hard time: MATT GALLOWAY, ANNOUNCER: A major environmental group announced that it's taking on the Canadian nuclear industry today. Their complaint false advertising. The Sierra Legal Defence Fund wants the Federal Competition Bureau to start an inquiry into the Canadian Nuclear Association's ads. You might have seen the ads on TV. They claim that nuclear energy is clean, reliable and affordable. In a moment we'll from Murray Elston. He's the former Liberal cabinet minister. He now heads the Nuclear Association. First though Hugh Wilkins staff lawyer for Sierr...

From The Calgary Sun : Nuclear power in the oilpatch is just a matter of time, according to Canada's Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn. Speaking to Sun Media from Victoria yesterday, Lunn said he's very keen to see a new partnership between Crown corporation Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) and a private Alberta company to build a Candu-reactor to power oilsands extraction. "It's not a question of if, it's a question of when in my mind," said Lunn. "I think nuclear can play a very significant role in the oilsands. I'm very, very keen." Having toured nuclear plants such as Bruce Power's station on the shore of Lake Huron, Lunn said he believes nuclear power can help replace natural gas and other fossil fuels currently being burned to help extract bitumen from the oilsands. "On this specific file, I've had discussions this week," said Lunn, declining to give more detail. "It's absolutely emission free. It's C...

The December issue of Energy Information Digest (PDF) is now available on the NEI Web site , in the Newsroom. In it, you'll find articles about the new Democratic leadership of congressional energy committees, the U.S.-India civial nuclear energy cooperation legislation, the International Fusion Reactor, the Australian energy review, Progress Energy's potential site in Florida for a new nuclear power plant and other topics. This is the final issue of Digest. We are happy to redirect readers to this blog for up-to-date information on all things energy. Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Environment , Energy , Politics , Technology , Economics

This is one particular issue we haven’t been able to tackle fully primarily because it is a difficult issue to quantify. How do you define a subsidy ? What goes under subsidies? Does the Price Anderson Act count as a subsidy? Does the Nuclear Waste Fund? How many and what are the different types of subsidies used for energy development? I hear all the time that nuclear power is so heavily subsidized it can’t survive on its own. Well we’re going to finally get into this issue as well as discuss the subsidies received by all other energies and technologies. In Issues Online which is a publication by four groups including the National Academy of Sciences, an article titled The U.S. Energy Subsidy Scorecard was published quantifying the energy subsidy topic. The article was written by Roger H. Bezdek, president of Management Information Services, Inc., an economic research firm in Washington, D.C. and Robert Wendling, the vice president of MISI. When I see claims that nuclear power gets...

I just came across this very positive op-ed in Crain's Detroit Business from Monday. Gibraltar, Mich., Mayor James Beaubien is also the president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 17. Oh, and he's also an avid outdoorsman. Americans owe it to future generations to balance our need for more energy with respect for the environment. As an avid boater and fisherman I have seen all the power plants along the Detroit River and western Lake Erie from the water. It does my heart good to see the water vapor emitted by cooling towers at nuclear power plants when you compare it to the emissions from other generating sources. He has a lot more to say about the benefits new nuclear plant construction would provide to the local work force. Read the whole thing here . Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Environment , Energy , Economics , Michigan

Details from AFX . For more on the plant (pictured left), click here . Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Energy , Technology , Environment , Electricity , Wisconsin Energy , FP&L , Point Beach Nuclear Power Plant

Why? Because the Royal Society of New Zealand wants to talk about clean coal instead : New Zealand's nuclear naysayers can rest easy this Christmas in the knowledge the nuclear power issue is off the agenda for next year. Some of the country's top scientists at the Royal Society of New Zealand have been considering whether the society should promote a public debate on nuclear-generated electricity. But the society's council has opted instead to endorse a discussion on clean-burning coals. Chief executive Dr Steve Thompson said the change of mind was not a result of any political pressure. "We thought another topic might grab the public more. They wanted to do something that was more immediately applicable to New Zealand. Nuclear power, if we did it, would still be a long way off," he said. Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Energy , Technology , Environment , Electricity , New Zealand

From the CBC : An organization that represents the Canadian nuclear industry says it has no plans to pull ads that promote nuclear energy despite a formal complaint by a handful of environmental groups. Murray Elston, president of the Canadian Nuclear Association, said the nuclear industry is safe and he is confident that the Competition Bureau will not find any problems with its ads. "I'm not changing the ads. The industry is very safe. It is very clean," he said Tuesday. Watch the ads and decide for yourself. And while you're at it, you might as well watch NEI's latest ad too : UPDATE : NEI's Scott Peterson shared this note on a similar experience NEI had several years back: We've been down this road before in the U.S. after a challenge by NRDC of NEI's advertising in the late 1990s. The NEI case was heard by the National Advertising Division of the Better Business Bureau and ultimately sent to the Federal Trade Commission, which in 1999 ruled that...

From Reuters : The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has determined Dominion Resources' (D.N: Quote, Profile , Research) proposal to build up to two more nuclear reactors at its North Anna power plant site in Virginia won't harm the environment, clearing an important hurdle in the approval process. The NRC's final environmental impact statement, combined with its recent safety study of Dominion's proposal, marks the end of the agency's technical review of the company's application for a North Anna early site permit. The early permit process allows a company to address certain environmental and safety issues related to a site before submitting an application to actually build a new nuclear power reactor. Dominion filed for an early site permit in September 2003. For more from NRC, click here . Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Energy , Technology , Environment , Electricity , Virginia , North Anna Nuclear Power Plant , NRC

From the Globe and Mail : Everyone wants to be a uranium company these days, even gold miners. A case in point is First Uranium Corp. of South Africa, which recently pulled off the year's biggest initial public offering in the mining sector, raising $203-million on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Investors didn't seem to mind that, despite its name, the bulk of the revenue the company hopes to derive from its two properties will come from gold, not uranium. A surefire way for mining companies to attract attention and raise cash lately is by being linked to the radioactive metal used to fuel nuclear reactors. Uranium is also on the minds of the folks at The Daily Reckoning (U.K.). Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Environment , Energy , Politics , Technology , Economics , Canada , Uranium

Here's a summary of what went on in the energy markets last week: Electricity prices decreased throughout the country last week (see pages 1 & 2). Gas prices fell at the Henry Hub decreasing $0.69 to $7.13 / MMBtu (see page 4). According to TradeTech, uranium prices last week experienced “the single largest increase reported since 1968.” TradeTech and UxConsulting reported uranium prices at $72 / lb U3O8. According to EIA’s Short Term Energy Outlook, residential electricity demand in 2006 is estimated to have increased by 0.3 percent over 2005 demand. While a return to normal weather could increase pressure on the Henry Hub spot price, high levels of natural gas in storage and the forecast of slightly warmer-than-normal weather are expected to keep natural gas spot prices below $9 per mcf on average through the heating season (see page 8). For the podcast click here . For the report click here (pdf). It is also located on NEI's Nuclear Statistics webpage . Technorati tags:...

Details from the Knoxville News-Sentinel . Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Energy , Electricity , Environment , Politics , Technology , TVA , NRC

Details from the Financial Times . Technorati tags: Environment , Energy , Politics , EU

From Anglesy Today : Amicus the union is evaluating the alternative designs for nuclear new build. With Wylfa Nuclear Power Station on Anglesey among the sites due to close soon, local interest will be focused on the results of this assessment. American, Canadian and French reactor designs will be vying for the contracts to replace the retiring UK technology. According to Dougie Rooney, Amicus National Officer, the key areas for discussion are safety, employment implications, reliability and training. The British Government is keen to meet its key,long term goals of energy security and lower carbon emissions, as set out in the recent Energy Review. Amicus has taken a keen interest in the future of nuclear energy in the U.K. Click here and here for previous posts. Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Energy , Technology , Environment , Electricity , United Kingdom

From Inside Bay Area.com : Leading authorities on climate and energy policy called Thursday for putting a price on greenhouse-gas emissions to drive new efficiencies and technologies, and one top U.S. utility executive called for an outright tax on carbon. "From a businessman's standpoint, that's what is going to compel action," Duke Energy Chairman Paul Anderson said at a Sierra Club workshop here on what to do about global warming. [...] [T]axing carbon emissions will produce immediate, economywide gains in energy efficiency and new, carbon-free energy production, Anderson said. "All the other approaches will take decades. A carbon tax is immediate," he said. Governments could use the revenues to offset or refund other taxes, as well. "Assuming it's a tax-neutral policy, it's really no-regrets policy," Anderson said, "because at the end of the day even if you don't agree climate change is a serious problem, all you've done is...

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One sector of the economy that's been hit hardest by increased energy costs is forest products. In a recent interview with The Examiner , Steven Rogel, President and CEO of Weyerhaeuser , talks about how his company is having to adjust: We are working hard to reduce our energy use, and having some success. In our sector, more energy will only be required if there is facility growth. Government must provide incentives to business to employ energy saving technology to allow us to modernize our equipment earlier in its life cycle. New energy sources, such as biomass, hold promise as a renewable, greenhouse gas-neutral technology, especially when the carbon sequestration effect of large-scale tree planting is factored in. We must also be willing to consider nuclear power, fully developing our existing fossil fuel resources and exploring alternatives to fossil fuels. Thanks to Carter Wood at NAM Blog for the pointer. Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Energy , Electrici...

This morning, President Bush signed into law the U.S.-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act. The bill will allow shipments of nuclear fuel and technology to India for use in its civilian nuclear power program. Congress passed the final version of the bill Dec. 9. Here's part of what President Bush had to say at the signing: The bill is going to help us achieve four key goals. First, the bill will help us strengthen cooperation between India and United States on one of the most important challenges in the 21st century, and that is energy. India is now the world's fifth largest consumer of energy -- and its demand for electricity is expected to double by 2015. The United States has a clear interest in helping India meet this demand with nuclear energy. By helping India expand its use of safe nuclear energy, this bill lays the foundation for a new strategic partnership between our two nations that will help ease India's demands for fossil fuels and ease pressure on glo...

From the CanWest News Service : Three quarters of Saskatchewan residents polled in late October support construction of facilities that would refine Saskatchewan uranium here in the province. A clear majority of people also expressed support when asked a secondary question about whether they would support a nuclear reactor to generate steam and electricity here in the province. The poll results suggest that for the first time in a quarter century momentum may be building among the general public to support a push within the business community to get uranium refining built here. For the results of a previous poll, click here . Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Environment , Energy , Politics , Technology , Economics , Saskatchewan , Canada ,

Here's a quote from Senator Barbara Boxer about the Yucca Mountain Project that just didn't sound right when I read it. It ran in a story on the Yucca Mountain Project that appeared in the McClatchy Newspapers this morning : Among Boxer's biggest concerns about Yucca Mountain is that it'’s not as impervious to water as initially thought. Sophisticated testing has shown that water percolates through its caverns and heads toward the Colorado River. "“Sixteen million Californians drink from that river," Boxer said. I sent a note to Rod McCollum, one of our NEI staff experts on Yucca Mountain, asking him for some clarification. Here's what he wrote back to me: With all due respect to the Senator, that statement is incorrect. The groundwater beneath Yucca Mountain is in an enclosed basin and does not communicate with any rivers or other major sources of drinking water. That was one of the main reasons for selecting the site in the first place. While Death ...

Global Network of Environment & Technology (GNET) is running an online poll. The question is Can nuclear-based energy be considered "clean" since the reactors don't emit the pollution or greenhouse gases of coal-burning plants? There doesn't appear to be a forum for discussion but we can always do that here! Check it out and vote .

From TVA : Workers at Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant began loading fuel into the Unit 1 reactor today, a key step in returning the unit to safe and reliable operation next year as planned. Loading the fuel is expected to take about two weeks as skilled technicians move 764 fuel bundles from the fuel storage pool to the reactor. The Unit 1 restart project is 97-percent complete with return to service scheduled by May 2007 as planned. TVA Chief Nuclear Officer Karl Singer said he is pleased with the work being done at Browns Ferry and the transition to an operating facility. “This significant milestone for Browns Ferry and TVA’s nuclear program means that plant systems required to move fuel to the reactor and maintain it safely have been returned to service,” Singer said. “We are returning Unit 1 to operation in a deliberate and planned manner based on our previous experience with units 2 and 3.” Don't forget that a public meeting on the restart is scheduled for tonight at Calhoun Commun...

Here's the St. Petersburg Times on Progress Energy's plans to build a new reactor in Levy County, Florida : The company put great care into picking the Levy County site: 3,000 undeveloped acres in a rural area, with the plant footprint taking up only 300 of those acres. The reactors would sit on higher ground and be further from the coast and tidal surge than the one at Crystal River, but they would be close enough that the two facilities could share some resources. The underlying limestone is particularly stable by state standards and the site is near the Cross Florida Barge Canal, a reliable source of water needed to cool the reactors. Most importantly, Floridians will have many opportunities to learn more and to speak up. Permitting processes at both the state and national level should allow for plenty of public input and refinement of the plan. So far, Progress Energy has been forthcoming with information. There is no doubt the company must act soon to prepare for the pred...

From the AP : U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric Co. LLC has won a two-year battle for a multibillion-dollar nuclear power deal with China, edging out French and Russian rivals to secure a contract that may help Beijing smooth ties with Washington. The deal, estimated in the past at about $8-billion (U.S.), should warm relations between the world's top two energy consumers, who have clashed lately over a range of issues from the yuan currency to the Chinese bid for U.S. independent oil firm Unocal Corp. It will also reaffirm China -- now a laggard in the nuclear sector -- at the forefront of a global trend toward increased use of atomic power, touted by many nations as the cleanest, cheapest solution to the world's strained energy industry. From the DOE press release : "This is an exciting day for the U.S. nuclear industry. This agreement is good for the people of China and good for the people of the United States. It is an example that if we work together, we can advance ...

Here's a summary of what went on in the energy markets last week: Electricity prices decreased in the West and were mixed throughout the rest of the country last week (see pages 1 & 2). Gas prices rose at the Henry Hub increasing $0.01 to $7.82 / MMBtu (see page 4). Oil prices rose $4.79 to $62.02 / barrel two weeks ago (see page 5). Nuclear capacity availability averaged 92 percent last week. Eight reactors were offline for refueling outages last week with one finishing. For the month of January, Henry Hub gas futures averaged $7.69 / MMBtu and light sweet crude oil futures averaged $62.32 / barrel (see page 6). For the podcast click here . For the report click here (pdf). It is also located on NEI's Nuclear Statistics webpage . Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Electricity , Environment , Energy , Natural Gas , Oil

Off this afternoon's wire : Former U.S. Sen. John Breaux of Louisiana and former Long Beach, California Mayor and U.S. Conference of Mayors President Beverly O'Neill today announced the formation of the Energy Initiative, an unprecedented partnership of energy consumers and producers committed to finding new solutions to America's energy challenges. Breaux and O'Neill, two of the nation's most respected retired public officials, will serve as cochairs of the Energy Initiative and work with the initiative's members to undertake a broad based educational effort and formulate a set of recommendations that will serve as the basis for future energy policies. "This is the first time such a far reaching group of energy consumers and producers have come together to work on the very important issue of energy policy," said Sen. Breaux. "The recent elections show the American public demands common sense solutions to challenges such as America's energy po...

From the News-Courier : Nuclear Regulatory Commission officials will meet with Tennessee Valley Authority officials Monday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Calhoun Community College to discuss the status of TVA's restart efforts for the Unit 1 reactor at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant. The meeting, which is open to the public, will be held at the college's Aerospace Training Center. NRC officials will be available after the business portion of the meeting to answer questions from observers. The agenda for the meeting is to discuss the status of the Unit 1 restart efforts, including completed work, schedules, closure of restart items and other activities important to NRC oversight and inspection of Unit 1. If you're local, please go and show your support. Click here for a map and directions to the campus. Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Energy , Electricity , Environment , Politics , Technology , TVA

Yesterday, we told you about how a member of the European Parliament and supporter of nuclear energy was fighting the closure of Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear power plant . Ruth Sponsler has plenty more background on the story available here . Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Energy , Electricity , Home Heating , Natural Gas , Oil , Russia , Electricity , Bulgaria

Carter Wood, our new best friend at NAM Blog, has been kicking up some dust lately thanks to multiple blog posts on nuclear energy. First there was his humorous look at the Alec Baldwin event at Rutgers . And just this morning, Carter pointed to a story about Indian Point over at The Hill that looked at the fight over renewing the plant's reactor license through the prism of the political struggle between former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Senator Hillary Clinton. Safe to say, while the political story may be interesting, Carter has decided that, " It's all about the energy. " Check out both posts right now. Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Energy , Technology , Environment , Electricity , New York , Indian Point , Alec Baldwin , New Jersey , Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant

On the same day that Russia threatened Georgia and Belarus with a natural gas cutoff , a member of the European Parliament from Finland asked that the European Commission reconsider the closure of a pair of Bulgarian nuclear reactors . Bulgaria had previously agreed to decommission the reactors as a condition of joining the European Union. Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Energy , Electricity , Home Heating , Natural Gas , Oil , Russia , Electricity , Bulgaria , Belarus , Georgia

In today's edition of the Orlando Sentinel , columnist Mike Thomas is connecting all the dots when it comes to nuclear energy, economic growth and energy security. In short, he's a supporter of plans by Progress Energy to build a new plant in Levy County , and thinks the state needs to build a lot more. On the environment: When I explained this to one of my liberal editors, he started moaning about radioactive waste plaguing mankind for thousands of years. Actually, nuclear power forces us to confront our waste in a neatly condensed, glowing brick. We can't just shoot it up the chimney and forget about it. There is too much pollution for dilution to continue being a solution. The globe is getting too hot. The seas are rising too fast. The hurricanes are getting too strong. And all of the above have a disproportionate negative impact on Florida. What kind of high ground will we have in blocking offshore drilling for natural gas when we are a leading consumer of it? On ener...

From the AP : Metal mining claims on federal lands in the West have increased almost 50 percent in the past four years, in large part because a resurgence in nuclear power has led to a renewed interest in uranium exploration. An advocacy and research organization said Thursday its review of Bureau of Land Management records found that the number of metal mining claims jumped from 220,000 at the end of 2002 to almost 325,000 this September. Nevada had almost 90,000 new claims, more than any other state, and a 55 percent increase from 2002. Wyoming was second, with almost 20,000 new claims, or a 97 percent increase. You'll recall that back in October, we pointed to a story about how increased uranium mining in the U.S. could create as many as 34,000 new jobs . Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Electricity , Environment , Energy , Politics , Technology , Economics , Uranium , Mining

In an article about the potential of Thorium reactors , Dr. Paul Norman of the University of Birmingham had this to say about the state of nuclear education in the U.K. "If you want evidence that nuclear power is back on the agenda, then take a look at what's happening at universities. Our Masters course on the Physics and Technology of Nuclear Reactors was launched 50 years ago, and this year we've got 36 students - the most we've ever had, almost double the previous highest number which was 19 students back in 1957. I hope they study hard. We're going to need them. UPDATE : More good news for the U.K. nuclear work force . Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Environment , Energy , Politics , Technology , Economics , U.K. , Thorium , Birmingham

From ABC30.com : Wednesday morning, the newly formed Fresno Nuclear Energy Group announced plans to explore building a community-owned nuclear plant and acknowleged that safety concerns will be the first hurdle. Hutson says, "We're not concerned with what San Francisco says, we're concerned with the citizens of Fresno." They will launch an information campaign with a public event in February featuring Greenpeace co-founder Patrick Moore who wrote in the Washington Post this year, "Nuclear energy may just be the energy source that can save our planet from another possible disaster - catastrophic climate change." [...] Jim Costa, (D) Fresno says, "There is no silver bullet and all sources of energy should be part of the equation to address the problem." Fresno Congressman Jim Costa believes a nuclear plant in Fresno is worth study, but is facing Califorania's ban on them despite the industry's decades of safe operation across the country....

From the FT : Russia is preparing to cut off natural gas supplies to neighbouring Belarus and Georgia unless the two former Soviet republics agree by the year-end to pay much higher prices in 2007. Coming a year after Gazprom, the Russian gas giant, briefly cut gas to Ukraine in a similar pricing dispute, such a move could provoke further international criticism that Moscow is using energy as a political tool. It might also intensify pressure on Russia to ratify the European Energy Charter treaty, which would require such disagreements to be resolved through arbitration. Gazprom has offered to hold off on price increases in exchange for gaining a stake in domestic natural gas supply networks. Technorati tags: Energy , Electricity , Home Heating , Natural Gas , Oil , Russia , Electricity

Online magazine Spiked is co-sponsoring a debate on the future of energy in conjunction with the Research Councils of the U.K. They've lined up five writers to participate, including Malcolm Grimston , author of Double or Quits -- The Global Future of Civil Nuclear Energy . Check it out. Thanks to Power Blog for the pointer. Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Environment , Energy , Politics , Technology , Economics

In response to a constituent's question on the possibility of building a new nuclear power plant near Fresno, Mayor Alan Autry responded in a guest post at the Fresno Bee : I firmly believe that it will be extremely difficult for this Valley to move forward, unless we become, in some way, energy self-sufficient. Energy bills have become burdensome to Valley families and businesses to the breaking point. I strongly support John Hutson's laser beam focus on this issue. Nuclear energy is, by every measure, the safest form of energy available today. Producing our own nuclear power would make us not only self-sufficient, but a supplier to the grid as well. The safety concerns have been met, the economic advantages are being analyzed, so full-speed ahead. Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Environment , Energy , Politics , Technology , Economics , Fresno , California

In the wake of October's NERC report on grid reliability , the New York Times has a story in today's edition that explains how the condition of the nation's electric infrastructure affects the folks in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania . Technorati tags: Electricity , Energy , Politics , NERC , Grid Reliability

Long-time readers know that NEI Nuclear Notes has an ongoing concern with Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute and what he has to say about nuclear energy. That's a concern that our friend Rod Adams shares as well, and it was one that he took to the source last night as he attended a lecture by Lovins just outside Washington, D.C. : Essentially Lovins told the audience that there are free lunches, Santa Clauses, and Fairy Godmothers just waiting to provide us with all of the energy services that we need if we would just invest more into "ultralighting" our vehicle fleets, insulating our tents, and using dispersed energy sources like natural gas cogeneration, wind and solar. He talked about space age composites, plug in hybrids, and driving at reduced speeds to improve fuel economy. He also spent about 15-20 minutes telling us that we should get rid of all of the world's nuclear power plants in order to ensure that there is no potential for hiding a weapons ...