Celebrity Sighting near Oyster Creek (Wait, isn't he supposed to be in France?)

NA-YGN member April Schilpp alerted me to a “Clinic Symposium on Campaign to Close Oyster Creek Nuclear Power Plant” at Rutgers University next Friday, December 8. And it will be hosted by actor Alec Baldwin—maybe he came back after discovering that nearly 80% of France’s electricity is generated by nuclear power plants?

Anyway, the agenda is:

1)Richard Webster, Attorney, Rutgers Environmental Law Clinic and Eastern Environmental Law Center: Safety issues

2) Bob Alvarez, Senior Policy Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Energy 1993-1999: Spent fuel dangers and general vulnerability

3) Julia Huff: Attorney, Rutgers Environmental Law Clinic and Executive Director, Eastern Environmental Law Center: Environmental issues associated with Oyster Creek operations: marine impacts

4) Joe Mangano, Executive Director, Radiation and Public Health Project: Health issues

5) Paul Gunter, Nuclear Information and Resource Service (NIRS) – Exelon’s pattern of deception and incompetence

6) Questions – timing variable

7) Alec Baldwin, What You Can Do

Local NA-YGN members are planning to attend and give out material telling the other side of the story. If you want to support the effort, send an email to supportOysterCreek-at-hotmail.com.

I’ll post more information as I receive it!

NEI Energy Markets Report (November 20th - 24th)

Here's a summary of what went on in the energy markets last week:

Electricity prices mostly decreased throughout the country last week (see pages 1 & 2). Gas prices rose at the Henry Hub increasing $0.08 to $7.41 / MMBtu (see page 4).

Uranium prices rose to $63 / lb U3O8 according to UxC and at $64 / lb U3O8 according to TradeTech (see page 7).

Nuclear capacity availability averaged 88 percent last week. Twelve reactors were offline for refueling outages last week with five finishing. Three reactors were down for maintenance (see pages 2 & 3).

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

GM Working on Plug-In Hybrid Saturn

From the AP:

General Motors Corp. has begun work on a plug-in hybrid power system for its Saturn Vue sport utility vehicle that could save on gasoline use, Chief Executive Rick Wagoner said Wednesday at the Los Angeles Auto Show. He offered no timetable on when it will be available, however.

Wagoner also said GM will start offering versions of its Hummer models that could run on biofuel within three years. The Hummers have become a lightning rod for critics of vehicle fuel efficiency.

"By developing alternative sources of energy and propulsion, we have the chance to mitigate many of the issues surrounding energy availability," he said in a speech at the auto show.

For those of you so inclined, you can find more on the LA Auto Show, here.

Technorati tags: Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity, Politics, Electric Vehicles, Hybrid Vehicles

The WNA Nuclear Blog Returns

After a long absence, our friends at the World Nuclear Association Blog are back in action. Be sure to stop by.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity

Remembering the First Nuclear Electricity

The first electricity generated by nuclear power was produced December 20, 1951, soon to be 55 years ago, at the Experimental Breeder Reactor #1 (EBR-1) in Idaho.

For a comparison of past vs. present practices, that pioneer nuclear power plant was announced March, 1949. The first, albeit token, juice was produced 33 months later.

Yesterday, I participated in a scheduling meeting for the next new nuke. It will take us 14 months to mobilize then prepare and submit the application - and that's for a proven, certified design. First safety-related concrete pour takes another 24+ months following combined construction and operating license (COL) approval.

The take-home point is that the very first nuclear power plant was designed, built, tested, and on-line in the time it takes for a contemporary project to complete its paperwork.

Now, granted, there is a huge difference between EBR-1's 500 watts and tomorrow's 1400 megawatts, but those pioneers built their new, experimental reactor to be cooled with molten sodium metal while our plants are the result of 50 years of painstaking development and refinement of the light water reactor.

Perhaps the NRC's rules on "Limited Work Authorizations" (LWAs) could use some tweaking?

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity

Belgium Nuclear Update: Report Says Phase-Out Should Be Reversed

Mark down another European nation as having second thoughts about phasing out its nuclear capacity: Belgium.

A study commissioned by the Belgian energy ministry has concluded that a major review of current energy policy, including nuclear phase out, is required in order to meet other policy objectives, such as environmental goals.

[...]

The report also adds that upon lifting the nuclear phase-out law, an agreement with the owners of the Belgian nuclear power plants should be reached, for stimulating investments in energy savings and demand-side management, developments in renewable energy, and for development and research in emerging energy technologies and carriers.

For our previous post on Belgium's energy choices, click here.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity, Belgium

Chile Nuclear Update

A national conglomerate in Chile is talking to AREVA about using nuclear generated electricity to power its mining operations.

For a previous post on the issue, click here.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity, Chile

Russia to Build 42 New Reactors by 2030

In Russia, it looks like the strategy is to export natural gas, and use nuclear energy for domestic electricity needs:

Russia plans to build 42 new nuclear reactors by 2030 as part of an ambitious program to revive its atomic power industry, the top nuclear official said Tuesday.

Federal Nuclear Agency director Sergei Kiriyenko said at a news conference that Russia would need to build at least two nuclear reactors a year to meet the goal.

Russia now has 31 reactors at 10 nuclear power plants, accounting for 16-17 percent of Russia's electricity generation, and President Vladimir Putin has called for raising the share to 25 percent.

Kiriyenko said the government would earmark some US$24 billion for building new nuclear reactors through 2015, and that Rosenergoatom, the state-controlled agency in charge of the nation's nuclear plants, would provide another US$26 billion through 2030 as nuclear power generation becomes increasingly profitable.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Electricity, Home Heating, Natural Gas, Russia, Electricity

GNEP Grant Awardees Announced

From DOE:

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced that 11 commercial and public consortia have been selected to receive up to $16 million in grants, subject to negotiation, to conduct detailed siting studies for integrated spent fuel recycling facilities under the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) initiative. DOE will award the grants early next year after negotiations are completed with prospective awardees.

“As our economy grows so will the need for reliable, emissions-free energy generation. Nuclear energy can help meet that need and GNEP can do it in a way that maximizes the benefit of nuclear fuel while minimizing the risk of nuclear proliferation,” DOE Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy Dennis Spurgeon said. “That is why we are pleased that so many communities across the country are interested in hosting the initial facilities necessary to support this exciting project. These selections are an important initial step in proceeding to evaluate and select locations to host GNEP facilities.”

Of the 11 sites located throughout the country, six are currently owned and operated by DOE. The study sites and sponsors are:

1. Atomic City, ID, EnergySolutions, LLC

2. Barnwell, SC, EnergySolutions, LLC

3. Hanford Site, WA, Columbia Basin Consulting Group/Tri-City Industrial Development Council

4. Hobbs, NM, Eddy Lea Energy Alliance

5. Idaho National Laboratory, ID Regional Development Alliance, Inc.

6. Morris, IL, General Electric Company

7. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, TN, Community Reuse Organization of East Tennessee

8. Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, KY, Paducah Uranium Plant Asset Utilization, Inc.

9. Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, OH, Piketon Initiative for Nuclear Independence, LLC

10. Roswell, NM, EnergySolutions, LLC

11. Savannah River National Laboratory, SC, Economic Development Partnership of Aiken and Edgefield Counties

The grantees will perform detailed siting studies related to hosting one or both of the Consolidated Fuel Treatment Center and the Advanced Burner Reactor. The subsequent awards will be for a 90-day period of performance to complete a detailed site characterization study of each sponsored site. Congress provided up to $20 million in FY 2006 for integrated spent fuel recycling facilities siting studies. The remaining funds will be held in reserve to potentially fund supplemental activities if required.

Congratulations to all the awardees. And if the name Energy Solutions sounds familiar, there's a reason why.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity, DOE, GNEP

Study: 272 GWe in New Capacity Being Evaluated

From Industrialinfo.com:

Power plant developers are evaluating more than 272,000 megawatts (MW) of new power generation unit additions in the U.S. This set of more than 1,700 units takes into consideration only active, precommissioned units as identified by Industrial Info’s Power Tracker. The majority of these projects, about 87%, are scheduled to begin construction by 2012.

Coal-fired units lead all fuel types for future generation unit development with more than 71,000 MW planned. When an additional 117 IGCC units are accounted for the total output for planned coal derived power units in the U.S. jumps up to over 90,000 MW.

Development of coal (71,000 MW), nuclear (46,000 MW), and wind (47,000 MW) projects, each have outpaced natural gas fired unit development, which stands at about 45,000 MW from 426 units.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Electricity, Nuclear Power, Wind Power, Coal, Natural Gas

California Nuclear Update: PG&E Looking at New Nuclear Build

From today's San Francisco Chronicle:

PG&E Corp. is considering investments in new nuclear plants outside California as a way to curb greenhouse gases, Chief Executive Officer Peter Darbee said Tuesday at an employee meeting on energy efficiency and climate change.

Other possible investments include solar power plants that use focused mirrors to heat water, generate steam and run electrical turbines.

California law forbids building more nuclear plants within the state until the United States has a permanent site for storing radioactive waste. But Darbee, whose San Francisco company owns the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant near San Luis Obispo, argues that the country needs nuclear power if it hopes to fight global warming.

Back in September 2005, NEI CEO Skip Bowman gave a speech at LA Town Hall entitled, "Why American Needs Nuclear Energy Now".



Here's an excerpt:

Here in California, replacing the San Onofre and Diablo Canyon nuclear power plants with alternate fossil electricity sources would mean an additional 16.5 million tons of carbon dioxide, by our analysis. That'’s the equivalent of emissions from one-sixth of all the cars in the state.

These four reactors also helped prevent the emission of more than 9,500 tons of nitrogen oxides. To get the same impact, you would have to pull more than 500,000 cars off the road.

[...]

As I read through the Environmental Impact Report prepared by the California PUC on the San Onofre project, the wisdom of steam generator replacement became more and more clear and compelling.

For example, replacing more than 2,000 megawatts of capacity at San Onofre with combined-cycle gas-fired capacity would require construction of four to five new gas-fired plants, the Commission said in its analysis of alternatives. In addition, the new gas-fired plants would require new gas pipeline capacity to bring in the fuel, as well as new transmission lines and new or upgraded substations to carry the electricity to market.

The California PUC'’s environmental report also evaluated renewable energy alternatives to San Onofre. The PUC said that although these technologies "“do not rely on a finite supply of fossil fuel, consume little water and generate either zero or reduced levels of air pollutants and hazardous wastes ... these technologies do cause environmental impacts."”

The PUC concluded that all the renewable alternatives "“have unique technical feasibility limitations. High costs and, in some cases, limited dispatchability, inhibit their market penetration."

California would do well to give nuclear energy a second look.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Electricity, Nuclear Power, Climate Change, Global Warming, GHG, California

Can't We All Just Get Along?

Carolyn Heising, a professor of industrial, mechanical and nuclear engineering at Iowa State University, wrote an editorial last week in The Des Moines Register calling for a truce between proponents of wind and nuclear power. She persuasively argues that if you can support one energy source, you can -- and should -- support both.

It's time for a truce. In reality, nuclear and wind are not competitive, but complementary. And beyond that, large amounts of both are essential, if we hope
to continue meeting our power needs while cutting back on the fossil-fuel emissions that are heating up the global environment.

For its part, nuclear power is the only emissions-free source of affordable, large-scale electricity that can be counted on to generate power 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This capability is crucial. Our high-tech economy, based heavily on
computers and other electronics, requires total reliability in its electric power. Even brief blips in service can cause havoc - with airline safety, financial services and thousands of other sectors of our economy that rely heavily on electronics. For cities, factories and major computer operations, it takes a major power source that works around the clock. That means nuclear power.

Wind power cannot meet this need. It's too diffuse and too dependent on the whims of the weather. But what it can do is provide electricity to meet demand at peak times of the day, reducing the need for electricity from high-priced natural gas.

Working together - with energy efficiency and other renewables as they develop - they can help us meet the great challenge of the century: to provide the energy that the world needs (both the industrialized world and rapidly developing countries) while limiting our release of global-warming gases. We know that we will be unable to completely forgo the use of fossil fuels. But to the extent possible, we need to replace them with emission-free sources. That means recognizing that with the population of the United States topping 300 million people, adding the equivalent of one California every 10 years, the renewal of nuclear power and the further expansion of renewables are essential.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, Wind Power

NEI Nuclear Performance Report (October 2006)

Here's a summary of U.S. nuclear plant performances last month:

For October 2006, NEI estimates the average net capacity factor reached 76.8 percent. This figure is 5.4 percentage points lower than the same one month period in 2005. NEI estimates monthly nuclear generation at 57.3 billion kilowatt-hours for October 2006 compared to 61.4 BkWh for the same one month period in 2005.

For 2006, NEI estimates year to date nuclear generation at 656.0 billion kilowatt-hours compared to 648.5 BkWh in 2005 (1.2 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

Energy Companies Get Ready for GHG Legislation

From Saturday's Washington Post:

While the political debate over global warming continues, top executives at many of the nation's largest energy companies have accepted the scientific consensus about climate change and see federal regulation to cut greenhouse gas emissions as inevitable.

The Democratic takeover of Congress makes it more likely that the federal government will attempt to regulate emissions. The companies have been hiring new lobbyists who they hope can help fashion a national approach that would avert a patchwork of state plans now in the works. They are also working to change some company practices in anticipation of the regulation.

"We have to deal with greenhouse gases," John Hofmeister, president of Shell Oil Co., said in a recent speech at the National Press Club. "From Shell's point of view, the debate is over. When 98 percent of scientists agree, who is Shell to say, 'Let's debate the science'?"

The always interesting Rod Adams has some thoughts.

Nuclear Energy, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Electricity, Nuclear Power, Climate Change, Global Warming, GHG

Today on E&E TV: Electric Drive Technology

Today's edition of E&E TV is featuring an interview with Brian Wynne, president of the Electric Drive Transportation Association. An excerpt from the E&E blurb:

During today's OnPoint Brian Wynne, president of the Electric Drive Transportation Association, discusses his organization's plans to focus on educating Congress on automotive technologies and the steps the federal government can take to help the automobile industry accelerate the adoption of hybrids. He also discusses the importance of educating consumers about the myriad of alternative vehicles that are now available to them. Wynne talks about electric drive technologies working in conjunction with ethanol-powered vehicles to create a more energy secure nation.

Again, click here for the interview.

Technorati tags: Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity, Politics, Electric Vehicles, Hybrid Vehicles

The Atomic Show: Episode #38

This week Rod and Shane interview George Stanford about sodium cooled fast reactors.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity, Politics

Paper quotations, real quotations

Admiral Hyman Rickover is remembered for many things. Among them is his dim view of "paper reactors", that is, nuclear reactors that exist only on paper. Over at Wikiquote, there is a reasonably long quotation from The Admiral that details how paper reactors differ from real reactors. It is said to be taken from the Journal of Reactor Science and Engineering, June 1953. I have seen the same quotation elsewhere, with the same source cited.

It'’s always good form in the nuclear industry to cite sources, but they have to be the right ones. In this case, I'm not convinced that the source is correct. I have spent a couple of hours with the online catalogs of several research libraries, including the libraries of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory, the John Crerar Library at the University of Chicago, and the Library of Congress. I always come up with the same result: there is no listing for the Journal of Reactor Science and Engineering, and the journals with similar names do not seem to go that far back in time.

I have one other reason to think that The Admiral'’s discussion of paper reactors and real reactors is from a different source, but it is a very tenuous reason. During a chance conversation, someone told me that he thought the quotation was from Rickover'’s testimony to a Congressional committee that wanted to know why his projects were overrun. The last part of the quotation would be appropriate for such an occasion: "Yet it is incumbent on those in high places to make wise decisions and it is reasonable and important that the public be correctly informed. It is consequently incumbent on all of us to state the facts as forthrightly as possible."

Do any of our readers have memories long enough to identify the real source of this quotation?

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity, Politics, Adm. Hyman Rickover

An Electric Car That's Fun to Drive?

Slate's Paul Boutin took a ride in the Tesla Roadster and is raving about it:

The Tesla Roadster won't hit the streets until next year. If you see one on the street, then, you should ask for a ride. Even from the passenger seat, the car feels impossibly stronger, faster, and safer than it should be. The trick is Tesla's torque curve—the arc of the motor's strength as it revs from a standstill to top speed. Compared to gasoline-engined cars, the Roadster's torque curve feels—and is—impossible. That's because the Tesla's motor is electric.

The rest is equally appealing to geeks and gear heads. Check it out.

For our previous posts on the Tesla Roadster, click here and here. Thanks to Instapundit for the pointer.

Technorati tags: Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, Electricity, Cars, Tesla Motors

Another Bogus Argument From the Anti-Nukes

The release of a government report on the future of nuclear energy in Australia has inaugurated a new silly season in public political discourse. In the wake of the report, Queensland Premier Peter Beattie said he feared that the construction of new nuclear power plants might harm Australia's tourism industry.

I think this response struck the correct tone:

But federal Tourism Minister Fran Bailey has urged Australians to consider nuclear power, and says it will help deal with climate change.

Ms Bailey says France has combined a nuclear power industry with a successful tourism sector.

She says it is possible to go nuclear and protect Australia's clean green image.

"France is a country that's 14 times smaller than Australia, it has 59 nuclear generators and yet ... it's the most visited country in the world, attracting more than 76 million tourists a year," she said.

"It's able to do this, of course, with nuclear energy."

UPDATE: More, in a similar vein, from Rod Adams.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, Australia

Can the Carolinas Lead the Way in Energy Policy?

That's a question Jim Rogers and Ellen Ruff of Duke Energy are asking in today's edition of the Charlotte Observer.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, North Carolina, South Carolina, Duke Energy

New England: A Potential Energy Giant?

Richard Lester of MIT seems to think so.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, New England

E&E TV on the EPA Global Warming Case

On the latest edition of E&E TV, Robert Sussman of Latham and Watkins discusses the upcoming Supreme Court Case that will determine whether or not the EPA has the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act.

For a previous post on this topic, click here.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Economics, Electricity, GHG, EPA, Supreme Court

This Week in Nuclear: Episodes #37 and #38

Here in the U.S., our friend John Wheeler was busy over the Thanksgiving Weekend, posting a pair of podcasts. Episode #37 is a recording of a panel discussion at the 2006 ANS Winter Meeting on new media and the nuclear energy industry. John, Rod Adams and I all took part. Click here for the show notes.

In episode #38, John returned to his traditional format where he deals with the report on nuclear energy from the Australian government, an anti-nuclear blogger and myths about solar and wind energy. Click here for those show notes.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Technology, Energy, Electricity, Politics

Supporting Nuclear Energy in New Brunswick

Meet Jack Keir, energy minister for the Canadian province of New Brunswick.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, New Brunswick, Canada

Indian Point Seeks License Renewal

Just off the wire from Entergy:

Yonkers, NY-- Calling the Indian Point Energy Center “vitally important to the economic and environmental health of our region,” Mike Kansler, president of Entergy Nuclear Northeast, joined today with former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and noted environmentalist Patrick Moore to announce that the company will seek federal approval to operate the facility for an additional 20-years.

Indian Point’s two units in Buchanan, N.Y., generate more than 2,000 megawatts
(2 million kilowatts) of clean and affordable power, enough to meet between 18 and 38 percent of the lower Hudson Valley’s and New York City’s electricity needs on any given day. Unlike oil, coal or even natural gas fired plants the facility produces none of the greenhouse gases and other pollutants that contribute to global warming.

“Since our purchase of Indian Point five years ago, we have invested hundreds of millions in enhanced security and safety features for these two critically important components of New York State’s energy infrastructure,” Kansler said during a press conference at the Riverfront Library in Yonkers, NY. “We are enormously proud and honored to own and operate them and I know I speak for each and every one of our employees, many of whom live in the region.”

As part of its ongoing effort to constantly improve security, Entergy has worked closely with the team of security experts at Giuliani Partners, the consulting firm headed by former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani who said Indian Point “has endeavored to continually keep its security at the highest level.”

Giuliani said that his firm came to that conclusion based on their “extensive and ongoing review” of the security measures and training procedures at Indian Point, including the use of highly realistic “force-on-force” drills whereby mock terrorists, played in some instances by former US Navy Seals, have tested the plant’s security defenses.

Meanwhile, Dr. Patrick Moore, co-founder and former leader of the international environmental organization Greenpeace, explained how his one time opposition to nuclear power because of the emergence of compelling scientific facts. He now views nuclear energy as an important ally in the effort to halt global warming. Dr. Moore has been joined in recent years by a growing number of environmentalists who have cautioned against a knee jerk opposition to a technology that now provides 20 percent of our nation’s electrical supply.

“There are obviously some who might find it surprising that a co-founder and former leader of Greenpeace would have anything good to say about nuclear power. But climate change is a serious and growing problem today and nuclear energy holds the greatest potential to meet that threat,” Dr. Moore said.

“In downstate New York, which has arguably the worst air quality of any region in the country due to high levels of ozone and particulate pollution, emission-free nuclear power is an absolutely critical part of the equation to cost effectively secure cleaner air. It is well established that this pollution has harmful health effects, especially for children and the elderly, and needs to be addressed now,” said Dr. Moore.

A recent National Academy of Sciences study also warned that the loss of Indian Point’s 2,000 megawatts would result in higher levels of environmentally harmful greenhouse gas emissions because the bulk of the replacement power would necessitate the burning of dirtier fossil fuels.

Although the NAS study said it might be “technically feasible “ to shutdown Indian Point, it concluded that to do so would mean sharply higher electricity bills and exacerbate the volatile price swings that have plagued the natural gas market in recent years.

Among the key supporters present was Jerry Kremer, the retired chairman of the New York Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee who now serves as the Advisory Board Chairman of the New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance (NYArea), a group of more than 100 business organizations, labor unions, and community leaders who strongly favor the continued operation of Indian Point.

“With electricity demand soaring, a dearth of new plants being constructed or planned because of the expiration of the state’s power plant siting law, Indian Point is more important and beneficial to the downstate region than ever,” said Kremer, adding, “This announcement could not have come at a better time.”

While acknowledging that the decision to seek re-licensing for Indian Point would raise “understandable concerns” for some, Kansler nonetheless urged all members of the community --particularly elected officials -- to keep an open mind and avoid a “rush to judgment” while the Nuclear Regulatory Commission evaluates the company’s request; a process that he promised would amount to “a rigorous top to bottom review of Indian Point based on an exhaustive examination of the facts.”

NEI Senior Vice President Marv Fertal issued the following statement:

“Indian Point is a vital source of electricity production for the Hudson Valley and New York City today. It will be even more important for New York’s future economic growth within the region’s greenhouse gas reduction program. Entergy’s success is testimony to its highly skilled, highly trained employees and their dedication to excellence in safety and efficient operations.

“An additional 20 years of reliable electricity production at Indian Point would best serve consumers who benefit from this clean and affordable source of energy. The process for renewing licenses at nuclear power plants is a rigorous, disciplined process that closely examines the safety and environmental record of these facilities.

“In considering applications for renewing nuclear plant licenses, the NRC has a two-year comprehensive and transparent process in which the company must demonstrate that it can operate the plant safely during this additional period. To date, the owners of 47 of the 103 nuclear power reactors have received license renewals, with nine currently in the relicensing process.”

For more on Indian Point and the vital role it plays in providing reliable and affordable electricity to the New York metropolitan area, click here.

More later.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity, New York, Indian Point

Bad News on Wind Power in Canada

From the National Post:

In May, the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) announced that the province's grid could not safely accommodate more than 900 megawatts of wind-power generation, a target that will be met late next year. Proposals for 3,000 more MW of production have been thrown into indefinite limbo at an estimated cost to producers of $6-billion; meanwhile, the province is already spending $1-billion to strengthen the transmission system so that even the 900-MW cap can be reached. In Ontario, meanwhile, the grid operator warned late last month that 5,000 MW -- about one-fifth of the province's current peak consumption -- is probably the absolute technological limit. (A total of 1,280 MW of wind capacity is already in operation or being built.)

It is starting to look as though wind cannot meet more than a fraction of our energy demand even if other issues with the technology, like esthetics and wildlife impacts, are ignored. The problem, as engineers skeptical of wind power have been yelping for decades, is that power usage and production constantly have to be balanced in an electrical grid. Adding too much unstable, unpredictable power to the system creates a risk of failure and cascading blackouts. In fact, the EU is investigating the possible role of Germany's heavy wind-dependence in causing a Nov. 6 blackout that hit 10 million Europeans.

Now that last part is a surprise. Then again, the overarching problem is something California apparently shares with Canada.

JANUARY 4, 2007 UPDATE: Greetings to readers of GlobalSpec, we're glad you're here.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, Wind Power, Canada, Alberta, Ontario, California

Nuclear Energy Industry to Play Role in Historic Trade Mission

U.S. Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Frank Levin announced at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon that he will lead a business development mission to India later this month. The mission, the largest of its kind ever led by the federal government, will include 238 participants representing 186 U.S. companies.

The Nuclear Energy Institute assisted the Department of Commerce and the U.S.-India Business Council with organizing events during the mission and encouraging participation in the mission by members of the U.S. nuclear energy industry. Currently, 18 companies comprise the nuclear energy delegation scheduled to travel to India for this historic summit.

Last week, the Senate approved the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation agreement that will allow the United States to send nuclear fuel and technology to India.

President Bush said “…this partnership will help India meet its energy needs without increasing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.”

In a statement released by the State Department, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said, “Successful implementation of the civil nuclear initiative is a key element of a new strategic partnership between the United States and India. This initiative will help India meet its growing energy needs, enhance cooperation on energy security and nonproliferation, and increase economic investment opportunities.”


Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Politics, Environment, Electricity, India, Department of Commerce, U.S.-India Business Council.

Today's Events at Watts Bar

By now, I'm sure many of you might have read about the declaration of an "unusual event" at TVA's Watts Bar Nuclear Power Plant. Click here for the official word from TVA on exactly what happened:

TVA Cancels Notification of Unusual Event at Watts Bar

November 21, 2006

SPRING CITY, Tenn. -- TVA today cancelled a notification of unusual event at Watts Bar Nuclear Plant, the least serious of four levels of nuclear plant event classifications, after determining there was no leakage of water from the plant'’s coolant system.

TVA declared the event at 6:15 a.m., when there was an indication of a possible leakage greater than guidelines allow. After an investigation determined there was no water leakage, the unusual event was cancelled at 7:35 a.m. EST.

"There was never any danger to the health and safety of employees or the public,"” said Watts Bar Vice President Mike Skaggs. "“We declared the unusual event and notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission because there was an initial indication of water leakage. After a thorough investigation, we cancelled the event."

Director of Meigs County Schools Robert Greene decided to dismiss classes for the day, saying that some parents were keeping their children out of school after hearing about the Watts Bar event. Greene said that attendance is always low on the day before the Thanksgiving break, so he decided to call off classes.

The declaration of an unusual event at a nuclear plant does not require a relocation or dismissal of school classes, according to emergency procedures. Because of strict federal laws, any event out of the ordinary is reported to federal, state and local authorities.

Watts Bar Unit 1 has been shut down since September for a planned refueling and maintenance outage and was not in operation. The second unit at Watts Bar is unfinished.

UPDATE: Some other important points about what happened today now that I've heard from some of my colleagues at NEI:

An "unusual event" is the lowest of the four emergency classifications established by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. (The others are alert, site emergency and general emergency.) Over the course of a year, between 15-20 unusual events are declared across the entire fleet of U.S. nuclear power plants -- and many of those are caused by external events like a hurricane.

The circumstances at Watts Bar did not come anywhere close to the emergency response threshold that would trigger action to be taken by local officials. TVA never instructed nor recommend that local officials close the schools. No radiation was released from the plant. If there had been, the more appropriate emergency response -- depending on circumstances existing at the time --– might have been for people near the plant to shelter in place.

What happened today tracks very closely with an NRC memorandum issued earlier this year that warned that many local emergency response officials are becoming pre-conditioned to expect that plant events will quickly and almost automatically reach a crisis stage:

The staff should coordinate with DHS to develop emergency planning exercise scenarios which would help avoid anticipatory responses associated with preconditioning of participants by incorporating a wide spectrum of releases (ranging from little or no release to a large release) and events, including security-based events. These scenarios should emphasize the expected interfaces and coordination between key decision-makers based on realistic postulated events. The staff should share experiences of preconditioning or "negative training" with DHS.

Something to keep in mind. For more information on emergency preparedness from NRC, click here.

POSTSCRIPT: Links to others who are following the story:

The Word is Truth
Chaos In Motion
Instapundit
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Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Electricity, Politics, Watts Bar Nuclear Power Plant

Nuclear Energy Industry Transitions

PG&E Corp. has elected Hyun Park senior vice president and general counsel. Park succeeds Bruce Worthington.

Jack Davis will join Detroit Edison as senior vice president and chief nuclear officer early next year. Davis, currently site vice president at Dominion Energy’s North Anna Power Station, will succeed Doug Gipson, who will retire from executive vice president and chief nuclear officer.

Consumers Energy is restructuring its executive team, the first step in reorganizing the utility. The following changes are effective Dec. 1.
• James Coddington, now vice president of fossil operations, will become vice president of generation operations.
• Robert Fenech, now senior vice president of nuclear, fossil and hydro operations, will assume a transition leadership role, pending his retirement in June 2007.
• Jack Hanson, now site business manager for the Cambpell Generating Complex, will become vice president of generation engineering and services.
• Frank Johnson, now senior vice president of electric transmission and distribution, will become senior vice president of energy operations.
• James Pomaranski, now executive manager of Title 1 projects, will become vice president of generation construction.
• Paul Preketes, now senior vice president of gas operations, will become senior vice president of energy delivery.
• Ronn Rasmussen, now executive director of rates and business support, will become vice president of rates and regulation.

Tim Barfield Jr. resigned as president of The Shaw Group Inc. Nov. 17 to pursue other interests. He had been with Shaw since 1994 and had served as president and chief operating officer since 2003. J.M. Bernhard Jr., chairman and CEO of Shaw, will assume Barfield’s responsibilities as president.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has named Ricardo Fernandes the new resident inspector at the Millstone nuclear power plant in Waterford, Conn. He previously worked in the NRC’s Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response.

Michael Rescoe will resign as chief financial officer and executive vice president of financial services for the Tennessee Valley Authority. Rescoe, who joined TVA in 2003, will become chief financial officer at Travelport Ltd. John Hoskins, TVA’s senior vice president and treasurer, will serve as interim chief financial officer.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics

NEI Energy Markets Report (November 13th - 17th)

Here's a summary of what went on in the energy markets last week:

Electricity prices were mixed throughout the country last week (see pages 1 & 2). Gas prices rose at the Henry Hub increasing $0.15 to $7.33 / MMBtu (see page 4).

Nuclear capacity availability averaged 82 percent last week. Sixteen reactors were offline for refueling outages last week with four finishing and one beginning. Eight reactors were down for maintenance.

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

Nuclear Energy Insight

The latest issue of Nuclear Energy Insight is now available online. In it, you will find an article on Mickey Franczak, a worker at the PPL Susquehanna nuclear plant and his Seeing Eye dog, Archer. There also are reports on Iowa's embrace of clean, safe nuclear power as a “smart answer” to the state's energy needs and an NRC task force that found no health impacts from inadvertent releases of radioactive liquids. Other articles discuss the pairing of synthetic venom and nuclear technology to fight cancer, refueling outages that go beyond routine to boost plant performance, and proposals that seek progress on the Yucca Mountain repository.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics

ITER Agreement Signed

Off the wire from DOE:

Representing the United States, Dr. Raymond L. Orbach, Under Secretary for Science of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), today joined counterparts from China, the European Union, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation to sign an agreement to build the international fusion energy project known as ITER.

“The energy that powers the stars is moving closer to becoming a new source of energy for the Earth through the technology represented by ITER,” U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman said. “The ITER Members represent over half of the world’s population. The U.S. is proud to be part of this partnership, and to join in the pursuit of nuclear fusion as a source of clean, safe, renewable and commercially deployable energy for the future.”

Fusion energy is an important component of President Bush’s Advanced Energy Initiative (AEI), given fusion’s potential to become an attractive long-range option for the U.S. clean energy portfolio. In FY 2006, DOE allocated $25 million to ITER and the President, as part of the AEI, has requested $60 million for the project in FY 2007.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics

Checking in With "Going Green"

Going Green is a blog by a commodity analyst and trader from Connecticut who is trying to reduce his use of oil and natural gas. Recently, he installed a 2.5 KW photovoltaic array on his house.

For more on the story, and how things are turning out, follow the posts in this order:

What I Wanted from the Solar Panels

Solar Panels: What We Got

How Much Oil Did the Solar Panels Save?

I'm a sucker for folks who have the gumption to experiment on their own. Be sure to stop by and offer some comments on his project. And check back, as he's promising more analysis.

Technorati tags: Energy, Technology, Economics, Electricity, Solar

Another Blogger for Nuclear Energy

Welcome NucPwr to the Blogosphere.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity, Politics

Albrecht: America Needs to Discuss New Nuclear Now

Olivia Albrecht, writing in yesterday's edition of the Baltimore Sun on the national security imperatives involved with nuclear energy:

In a rational attempt to guard against the oil cartel, foreign nations, friend and foe, are increasingly looking to nuclear energy as a critical ingredient of their future energy production. They recognize that nuclear energy will stabilize energy prices, reduce pollution and decrease their reliance on foreign sources. If Americans do not engage in this global conversation today, the risks associated with nuclear technology will escalate and the United States will not be in a position to play a leading role in shaping the future of nuclear technology.

If nuclear energy truly is to be a fundamental piece of our diversified energy portfolio, as it should, America must get to work on it - starting today.

Bravo.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity, Politics

On Al Gore and the Future of Nuclear Energy

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore is in Australia promoting his documentary, An Inconvenient Truth. Over at the World Nuclear Organization blog, Ian Hore-Lacy has some dissenting thoughts.

For more on the nuclear energy debate in Australia, click here.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity, GHG, Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth, Australia

This Week in Nuclear: Episode #36

Our friend John Wheeler has just issued Episode #36 of This Week In Nuclear (MP3, click to download). be sure to check it out. For the show notes, click here.

Click here for a copy of the presentation that John delivered at the 2006 ANS Winter Meeting.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Technology, Energy, Electricity, Politics

Chevron Asks About Nuclear Power

Over at WillYouJoinUs.com, Chevron is asking folks what they think about nuclear power. Right now, they're staging a debate between Dr. Patrick Moore and Amory Lovins. Be sure to stop by, and join in the debate, as there is an opportunity to leave your own comments.

Please recall the work that my colleague David Bradish has done concerning Lovins' work with the Rocky Mountain Institute. And don't forget this interesting fact either.

Thanks to Rod Adams for the pointer.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Environment, Energy, Electricity, Carbon Emissions, Rocky Mountain Institute, Amory Lovins, Patrick Moore

Another Warning to Europe on Russian Natural Gas

This time, the warning comes from Phillip LeGrain.

Technorati tags: Energy, Electricity, Home Heating, Natural Gas, Russia, EU, Electricity

Warner, Inhofe to Vie for Senate EPW Post

From the office of Senator John Warner:

Today, Senator John W. Warner, R-Va., announced that he will seek election as Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works (EPW) in the next Congress, which begins in January.

Senator Warner is the senior Republican on the Committee, having served on the panel since January 1987.

Senator Warner said, “Many in the media have inquired of my intentions for committee positions in the upcoming Congress, now that I have concluded my Chairmanship of the Senate Armed Services Committee, in keeping with the six-year term limit established by Republican Conference rules. I intend to remain on the Armed Services Committee as the second-ranking Republican on that panel.

“As the senior Republican on the Senate EPW Committee, I intend to submit my name for election as the Ranking Minority member of that panel. I will do so in recognition of established Senate Republican Conference rules and precedents.

“Under these protocols, Republican Committee members first elect their chairman or ranking member, and their choice is then ratified or rejected by the full Republican Conference. These rules and precedents recognize the seniority of membership on the Committee as the principal factor in making such decisions.

“In the coming weeks, I look forward to working with the new membership of the EPW Committee as it makes this decision for submission to the Republican Conference.”

Just a few minutes ago, this came from the office of Senator James Inhofe:

Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), Chairman of the Environment & Public Works Committee, today stated the following regarding Senator John Warner’s announcement that he will seek election as Ranking Member of the EPW Committee in the next Congress.

“I have long been a friend of John Warner; however, I think he has misunderstood the rules. I intend to retain my leadership position in the 110th Congress, returning as the Ranking Member of the EPW Committee,” Senator Inhofe said.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Politics, Energy, Clean Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity

NEI Videos

Before we sign off for the weekend, I wanted to invite our readers to take a look at the selection of videos we've uploaded to Google Video. You'll find lots of great content about the industry and where we're headed. Enjoy the weekend!

Nuclear: Clean Air Energy

Stewart Brand at NEA 2006

Patrick Moore at NEA 2006

Skip Bowman at NEA 2006

Skip Bowman at Town Hall LA

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Economics

Senator McCain on Energy Security

Senator John McCain on energy security:

We must appreciate the security implications of every policy debate. When we debate energy legislation, for instance, we must recognize that the oil tankers stretching from the Persian Gulf to our ports also channel petrodollars to oil dictatorships -- dollars used to buy centrifuges to enrich uranium and build ballistic missiles; to finance Hamas, Hezbollah and al Qaeda; and to fund the madrassas that train the next generation of terrorists.

We should lead our allies in an international effort to reduce our mutual dependence on oil, employing the services of the brightest, most creative and accomplished scientists, business leaders, military and government officials, could do as much to defeat the terrorists as any other policy decision we make, and would make American businesses and workers the leaders in developing new technologies. And, obviously, increased and accelerated development of nuclear energy is an important part of the solution.

This isn't the first time Senator McCain has expressed his support for nuclear energy.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Economics, Senator John McCain

India Nuclear Deal Passes Senate, 85-12

Details from the New York Times.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Politics, Environment, Electricity, India

A Visit to a University Research Reactor

It was a little more than a year ago that ABC News broadcast a hit job on the university reactor community. For a better idea of what goes on at these reactors, read this feature on the research reactor at Washington State University.

UPDATE: We Support Lee has some other thoughts.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Energy, Technology, Nuclear Power

On Commenting

From time to time, I find it necessary to reject comments. If you'd like to inquire as to why, please feel free to contact me directly by email at epm-at-nei.org.

Thanks for reading NEI Nuclear Notes.

Poland Makes a Smart Move on Nuclear Energy

From the AP:

Poland is considering using nuclear energy to diversify its energy sources and reduce its dependence on Russian fuel, Economy Minister Piotr Wozniak said Friday.

No concrete proposals on the use of nuclear energy have been tabled, but the issue has gained added significance as Poland, largely dependent on Russian oil and gas, is increasingly concerned about Moscow's reliability as a source, Wozniak said.

"I think in a few years, we will have nuclear power, either from abroad, or generated domestically," he told reporters.

Poland has no nuclear plants, and Wozniak said he would seek public approval for any plans to introduce them.

No need to end up like Ukraine did.

Technorati tags: Energy, Electricity, Home Heating, Natural Gas, Russia, Ukraine, EU, Vladimir Putin, Electricity, Poland

Voting for New Nuclear Build at the Daily Referendum

The U.K. Web site, the Daily Referendum, is holding an online vote on the future of nuclear energy:

A legally binding target to reduce long-term carbon dioxide emissions by 60% by the year 2050 has been set. The bill will establish a "Carbon Committee" to make sure targets are met. However the bill makes no reference to annual CO2 reductions targets. Opposition parties and environmentalists deem CO2 reductions necessary to tackle global warming.

The Queen told MPs and peers: "My government will publish a bill on climate change as part of its policy to protect the environment, consistent with the need to secure long-term energy supplies."

David Cameron said he was delighted to hear the proposals in the Queen's Speech. "I hope it will be a proper bill and not a watered down bill. Government has got to give a lead by setting a proper framework." That must mean an independent body with annual targets and an annual report from government on its progress."

The prime minister responded by pointing out that the UK was set to lose about 15% of its electricity generation capacity as existing nuclear power plants reached the end of their operating lives.

"We need to put nuclear power back on the agenda and at least replace the nuclear energy we will lose. Without it, we will not be able to meet either our objectives on climate change or our objectives on energy security."

Q. Should we invest in new nuclear power stations?

Click here to vote right now. For more on Tony Blair's latest endorsement of nuclear energy, click here.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Clean Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity, United Kingdom

Using Nuclear Energy in the Alberta Oil Sands Sparks Debate

Earlier this week, we told you how a candidate to become leader of Canada's federal Liberals had expressed his openess to using nuclear energy to extract petroleum from Alberta's oil sands. Click here to see just what sort of tumult is occurring as a result.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Environment , Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, Canada, Alberta, AECL

Thorium Energy Forum Comes to Washington

From Tech News Watch:

DBI, a California-based aerospace company involved in the research and development of thorium-fueled reactors, will host a forum on Thursday, November 30, from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, on thorium as an abundant source of clean energy to meet the world’s growing energy needs.

The forum will address the role of thorium in three key areas: the environmental benefits of thorium; the safety and national security aspects of thorium; and the economic benefits and commercial applications of thorium. A detailed agenda and list of speakers can be found below.

WHO:
DBI, a California-based company established in 1965 and involved in the research and development of thorium-fueled reactors joined by Thorium Power, Ltd., of Virginia

WHAT:
Forum on thorium as an alternative source of clean nuclear energy

WHERE:
National Press Club
529 14th Street, N.W.
Holeman Lounge (13th Floor)

WHEN:
Thursday, November 30, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Members of the media who would like to attend the forum or arrange interviews with the speakers in advance of the forum may contact Robin Buckley at 703.533.9805. or robin@buckleykaldenbach.com for more information.

Agenda
Clean Nuclear Energy: Thorium 2006

10:00 a.m. Welcome and Introduction (Moderator Dr. James Olds)

10:15 a.m. Keynote: Global Energy Overview (Dr. Sterling Bailey)
Dr. Bailey will offer a synopsis of the current global energy situation and explore the limitations and disadvantages of current energy sources. Dr. Bailey will discuss why thorium is a feasible alternative to current energy sources due to its abundance, environmental benefits, and national security advantages.

11:00 a.m. Environmental Benefits of Thorium (Dr. Jeffery Latkowski)
While current nuclear technology does not affect the global climate, the environmental costs of the uranium oxide fuel have been a significant public concern. This session will provide an overview of the environmental benefits of thorium vis-à-vis current nuclear technology.

11:45 a.m. Lunch

12:30 p.m. Thorium’s Role in Safety and National Security (Dr. Andrey Mushakov, Dr. Kenneth Ricci)
One of the critical advantages of thorium over uranium is the reduction in radioactive waste available for nuclear proliferation. A 2000 report by the International Atomic Energy Agency outlined the benefits thorium offers in contrast to uranium. This session will provide an overview of thorium and nuclear waste, and will spotlight how two companies are addressing this issue in both the U.S. and Russia.

2:00 p.m. Economic Benefits and Commercial Applications of Thorium (H.A. D’Auvergne)
For decades scientists have recognized thorium’s usefulness as a fuel, but until recently the technology and economics to make a transition to thorium as a viable energy alternative did not exist. Today, companies such as DBI and Thorium Power Ltd. are leading the way in developing commercial applications for thorium as a viable energy alternative. This session will explore these new technologies and their commercial applications.

2:30 p.m. Wrap-up and Question/Answer

My go to guy on Thorium will always be Kirk Sorensen.

Tags: Thorium, Clean Energy, Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, National Press Club, DBI

Tracking the Nuclear Energy Debate in the U.K.

Over at Beyond the Spin Dorothy Seed of BNFL is taking a look at the evolution of the debate over nuclear energy in the U.K.:

We were seeing headlines such as “Dawning of the new nuclear age” and “Prepare for the nuclear option”. Negative memories from the 1980s were receding into history and, for the first time in a long time, nuclear was being considered as “normal”.

This wasn’t down to advertising campaigns or marketing activities. It revolved around making the facts accessible, being responsive and open to debate. We focused on moving away from issues in isolation, took account of people’s increasing demand for information and concentrated on real, pragmatic responses.

[...]

[T]he very fact that nuclear energy has been under real consideration in the same way as any other energy option is evidence that the nuclear debate has at long last grown up. Nuclear energy is in the big picture and people have engaged in that. Whilst there may still be underlying concerns and uncertainties, the public have become more accepting of nuclear energy as one of the elements in our future energy mix. We have come a long way since the 1980s.

Indeed, we certainly have.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity, United Kingdom

The Pew Center on the Prospects for Climate Change Legislation

Earlier today, the Pew Center on Global Climate Change issued a report on the prospects for the passage of climate change legislation in the next Congress:

The 2006 elections have significantly improved the prospects of rational climate policy in the United States. While it is not yet clear how many of the newly-elected senators and representatives are prepared to vote for mandatory climate change measures, the new Democratic congressional majority puts control of the agenda in the hands of policymakers who, to a large extent, favor climate action

[...]

The wild card is Sen. John McCain (R-AZ). McCain, in partnership with Sen. Joseph Lieberman (D-CT), wrote the first GHG cap-and-trade bill in 2003 and forced the Senate votes on it in 2003 and 2005. McCain’s commitment to climate action has been among the most important factors in advancing the issue in Congress to date. Now McCain is considered a front runner for presidency in 2008. If he becomes the Republican nominee in 2008 and continues to force votes on his climate change bill, anything is possible: Moderates from both parties might have an easier time voting for a climate change bill if its author is the head of the Republican Party.

All told, given:

* the US public's growing concern over climate change;
* the climate measures of California and the northeastern states;
* the growing sense in US industry that climate action is inevitable;
* the past several years of momentum in Congress;
* the recent election results; and
* Sen. McCain's chances of being the Republican nominee for President in 2008

we are optimistic that enactment of mandatory US climate action is plausible by 2008 and likely by 2010.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Electricity, Nuclear Power, Climate Change, Global Warming, GHG

NEI Energy Markets Report (November 6th - 10th)

Here's a summary of what went on in the energy markets last week:

Electricity prices were mixed throughout the country last week (see pages 1 & 2). Gas prices fell at the Henry Hub decreasing $0.01 to $7.18 / MMBtu (see page 4).

From 2006-2010, the current capacities in the pipeline coming into operation are 49,776 MW for natural gas; 37,153 MW for coal; and 23,470 MW for wind (see page 8).

Uranium prices rose to $62.50 / lb U3O8 according to UxC and at $61 / lb U3O8 according to TradeTech (see page 7).

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

Progress Energy Seeks License Extension for Shearon Harris

Progress Energy has announced it submitted a license renewal application for the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant. Good luck to the folks at Progress Energy and congratulations to the team that put together the application on reaching an important milestone.

Predictably, the shrill anti-nuke activist group NC WARN will be holding a press conference at the main gate of the plant at 5:00 p.m. U.S. ET today to express their displeasure over those plans. For more background on their activities, visit We Support Lee.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, Progress Energy, Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant

Patrick Moore Interview in Iceland Review

Iceland Review is running a Q&A with CASEnergy's Patrick Moore today. Here's an excerpt:

EW: You left Greenpeace in 1986. Why leave what was perhaps the first environmental organization with clout?

PM: I left because I saw my colleagues abandoning science and logic and adopting zero-tolerance policies that made no sense. In many ways, Greenpeace is now promoting policies that are environmentally negative. Genetically modified crops reduce pesticide use; nuclear energy reduces greenhouse gas emissions; sustainable forestry produces the most abundant renewable material; aquaculture produces healthy oils and protein, and takes pressure off the wild stocks.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Technology, Politics, Patrick Moore

Canada Nuclear Update

We've been following the story of the Alberta oil sands for some time now, especially since word first surfaced that the best way to generate electricity to support any project there might need to leverage the power of nuclear energy rather than natural gas.

Now we've gotten word that one candidate to lead the federal Liberals says that nuclear power needs to be on the table when it comes to extracting new oil from Alberta:

Canada's former Liberal environment minister set foot yesterday for the first time in Fort McMurray and says he'd be open to discussing nuclear energy as a source of power for Alberta's oilsands.

[...]

Last week, provincial Tory leadership frontrunner Jim Dinning said nuclear power must be an option.

Dion said he'd like to hear more, particularly on the issue of safe options for nuclear-waste disposal.

It's good news when the issue of nuclear energy is decoupled from partisan politics.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Environment , Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, Ontario, Canada, Alberta, AECL

Albuquerque in November: ANS is THE place to be

Congratulations and kudos are due to the hardworking folks at the American Nuclear Society (ANS)! At the plenary session of the 2006 ANS Winter Meeting, we learned from Dr. Harold McFarlane that this year's meeting has 1575 people registered! It's an amazing period in history for all things nuclear - and the crowds are out to find out what the future may have in store. Record participation is also a testimony to the high quality events ANS is known for putting together. This Winter Meeting continues that streak.

The speakers from yesterday morning's session in Albuquerque, New Mexico painted an enlightening picture for us: "Ensuring the Future in Times of Change: Nonproliferation and Security." Co-chairs Dr. Tom Hunter and Dr. Mike Anastasio together covered both world history as it related to the development of nuclear weapons, stockpiling, and post-cold war politics for nations who have had nuclear weapons and those who are seeking them, and then set the tone for discussion of how world politics and policy should evolve next. They presented a case for recognizing these factors in the 'where-to-now?' discussion: 1) nuclear energy is a stable energy supply, 2) nuclear provides energy without emitting greenhouse gases, and 3) since the world has demonstrated they will move forward with pursuing nuclear technologies, a framework is needed that will support global nonproliferation. Central to their presentations is the theme that while the world is pursuing nuclear technologies, the United States needs to take a leadership role in this arena. Sitting on the sidelines is not an example that will be followed - it will only mean everyone else will pass us by, and we will forfeit a credible voice in the discussions of how to make the technologies secure.

Senators Pete Dominici and Jeff Bingaman were the honorary co-chairs of the Winter Meeting. They joined us by video feed from Washington D.C. From the foundation of their previous hard work and success with the Energy Policy Act of 2005, they discussed in more detail the need to restore American leadership in nuclear technologies. While celebrating the 31 planned applications for new nuclear power stations, and ongoing license extension efforts, they called for congressional hearings on how to resolve the issues with nuclear waste. There is a need to close the fuel cycle, put Yucca Mountain in place for its intended purpose, and to educate Congress and the American people on the benefits, vision, expense and commitment involved in a Global Nuclear Energy Partnership. GNEP is a framework to assure a stable nuclear energy supply to any country who seeks the benefit of a clean power source, while closing the fuel cycle and assuring nonproliferation of weapons. It means the nuclear energy marketing countries will need to be committed to reclaiming the used fuel they provide to nuclear energy consuming countries.

Former Louisiana Senator Bennett Johnston presented a powerful case for American leadership in nuclear energy being vital to our national interests. He believes a carbon policy is necessary and inevitable, and that it would demonstrate the true superiority of nuclear energy in the realms of global warming, pollution and cost. He talked about how the nuclear energy plant licensing regulations are so much better, more streamlined and more effective now than they were in 1970s. With the evolution of computer aided design, this time there are no unknowns about equipment locations and installations - the design is 'finished' before you break ground. And he said with confident enthusiasm regarding a nuclear renaissance, "This time it's really going to happen."

NRC Chairman Dale Klein, with clarity and resolute authority, delivered the message that we cannot have a worldwide nuclear renaissance without safeguards for nonproliferation. The NRC is working closely with its international regulatory partners to create the framework for those world-wide safeguards.

While he's excited about providing leadership for the NRC when they're talking more about construction than decommissioning, he made it clear that he expects the agency to be a strong regulator, holding the licensees accountable to high standards for attention to detail. He discussed the NRC conclusion that recent low-level tritium contaminations do not present a public health threat, and he's encouraged by the industry's response to this issue in the past year.

Chairman Klein stated that he expects the industry to go forward from this point with a long-term public education campaign on the issues and effects of these releases. The NRC is growing - in number, in buildings and in areas of responsibility. They are preparing for the challenges ahead, both with the growth of the US nuclear industry and the world nuclear industry. Chairman Klein is looking ahead to the international cooperation that will be necessary for stage 2 of the Multinational Design Approval Program (MDAP), to standardize nuclear energy plant designs on a worldwide scale.

It is clear from these compelling opening messages that there is a growing momentum toward recognition that the global benefits of peaceful application of nuclear energy technologies also require nuclear safeguards to be built into the technology and fuel cycle from the beginning. But more exciting than this is the realization that there are now frameworks and policies to discuss and test and advance that give a way forward toward accomplishing those ends. This is not a time to talk about what must be done. This is a pivotal time in which we're actually doing it.

Thanks to ANS for putting together this terrific opportunity for discussion!

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Technology, Politics, Nonproliferation

With Friends Like This...

One-time media mogul Ted Turner gave a backhanded compliment to nuclear energy last night:

The broadcast mogul Ted Turner told a group of wealthy philanthropists yesterday that the country needs to turn to nuclear power as part of a new energy plan, but that terrorists could blow up a nuclear power plant.

The multibillionaire megaphilanthropist called power plants "gigantic land mines" but said, "At the end of the day, I think it's a risk we have to accept."

As we've said he before at NEI, we beg to differ, and believe nuclear power plants are the best defended pieces of industrial infrastructure in the U.S.

Senator Schumer seems to agree with us.

For more from our Web site, click here. For a post we did on provisions for air attack on nuclear facilities, click here.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Politics, Ted Turner

Sen. Domenici at the 2006 ANS Winter Meeting

U.S. Senator Pete Domenici, outgoing chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, addressed the 2006 ANS Winter Meeting by video yesterday (transcript).

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Politics, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Technology

Another Blogger for Nuclear Energy

After reading Iain Murray's piece in the Examiner on the recent NERC Report, Glenn Reynolds had this to say:

It seems to me that nice, clean nuclear plants are just what the doctor ordered, especially if you're concerned with global warming.

As one blogger might write, indeed.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Electricity, Politics, NERC, Grid Reliability

Energy Secretary Calls for More Nuclear Power

Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman declared that we must “safely expand the use of nuclear energy – in this country and across the world” during a speech at the Middle East Institute’s 60th Anniversary Conference in Washington, DC today.

Referencing the conference’s theme – developing new approaches to enduring conflicts – Bodman focused his comments on energy concerns, specifically the “global dependence on fossil fuels.”

“What I’m saying, is that this is a global problem and it goes like this: if we are to encourage economic growth around the world if we are to raise living standards for all people of all nations the world needs a clean, affordable, diverse energy supply,” Bodman said.

Bodman noted that the president’s Advanced Energy Initiative and Global Nuclear Energy Partnership could also play a role in developing a lasting solution to the world’s growing energy demand.

He said, “GNEP aims to address our growing global energy demands in a way that will foster economic development around the world, improve our environment, responsibly manage nuclear waste, and significantly reduce the threat of nuclear proliferation and terrorism."

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Electricity, Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman, Advanced Energy Initiative, Global Nuclear Energy Partnership.

Recycling Old News at the Christian Science Monitor

Lots of media critics -- at times unfairly I might add -- like to accuse reporters of being lazy when they cover the nuclear energy industry. Plenty of folks like to recycle the same old stories laden with interviews with the same old anti-nuclear activists over and over again.

We see it all the time here at NEI Nuclear Notes. But what we've never seen before is the same article, almost word for word, being recycled for audiences in the hopes that nobody notices what's really going on.

Case in point: Susan Sachs at the Christian Science Monitor. Back in July, the newspaper ran the following story with a European dateline:

Summer is exposing the chinks in Europe's nuclear power networks.

The extended heat wave in July aggravated drought conditions across much of Europe, lowering water levels in the lakes and rivers that many nuclear plants depend on to cool their reactors.

As a result, utility companies in France, Spain, and Germany were forced to take some plants offline and reduce operations at others. Across Western Europe, nuclear plants also had to secure exemptions from regulations in order to discharge overheated water into the environment.

I'm sure plenty of our readers remember the story, as my colleague Lisa Stiles-Shell debunked a few days after it appeared. For another take, click here.

But I guess once wasn't enough for Sachs and the Monitor, because at the end of last week, the following ran on the paper's newswire around the world:

Summer exposed the chinks in Europe's nuclear power networks.

The extended heat wave in July aggravated drought conditions across much of Europe, lowering water levels in the lakes and rivers that many nuclear plants depend on to cool their reactors.

As a result, utility companies in France, Spain and Germany were forced to take some plants offline and reduce operations at others.

Across Western Europe, nuclear plants also had to secure exemptions from regulations in order to discharge overheated water into the environment.

I know it isn't plagiarism if you're plagiarising your own work, but this is ridiculous. Does the paper actually think that because they changed verb tenses in the first paragraph that this isn't simply a 100% cut and paste job? Again, here's Sachs from the Monitor on August 10:

The troubles of the nuclear industry did not end there. Sweden shut four of its 10 nuclear reactors after a short-circuit cut power at one plant on July 26, raising fears of a dangerous design flaw. One week later, Czech utility officials shut down one of the country's six nuclear reactors because of what they described as a serious mechanical problem that led to the leak of radioactive water.

And now again, from November 11:

The troubles of the nuclear industry did not end there. Sweden shut four of its 10 nuclear reactors after a short- circuit cut power at one plant on July 26, raising fears of a dangerous design flaw. One week later, Czech utility officials shut down one of the country's six nuclear reactors because of what they described as a serious mechanical problem that led to the leak of radioactive water.

I guess I could go through both pieces paragraph by paragraph, but that would be a waste of time. Just go take a look yourself and gaze in awe at the Monitor's nervy performance.

The next question we need to ask is why this happened. Are the editors at the paper so arrogant that they think their readers wouldn't notice? Or were they disappointed that their incomplete story, one without a rejoinder from the nuclear industry, didn't get as much attention as they would have hoped in a late-Summer news cycle?

Even better, since the Monitor likes to recycle old news, we're going to recycle some of our own: A report from a Department of Energy engineer who found that California's wind turbines failed miserably during the state's Summer heat wave.

I wonder why the Monitor failed to pick up on that news? Then again, some questions answer themselves, don't they?

UPDATE: Over at NEI's media relations desk, my colleague Steve Kerekes passed the following along to me:

Just spoke w/ an editor from CSM's int'l desk; this is a case of an outlet (I don't know which, sorry, unless and until Scott Peters can find what triggered the Google pull) publishing the old article.

CSM did not re-issue the Aug. 10 piece.

Thanks to Steve for the followup (Scott Peters handles our news clips). That would mean that the Hamilton Spectator, the paper that picked up the piece, was responsible for editing in the time shift. Why in the world would anybody pick up a story off the wire that was 3 months old?

TUESDAY UPDATE: The Hamilton Spectator has removed the above referenced article from its Web site. Nothing to see here...

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Electricity, Environment, Susan Sachs, Christian Science Monitor

CASEnergy Comes to the Great Lakes Region

MLive.com columnist Nancy Crawley is listening.

For our most recent post on the situation in Michigan, click here.

To join the CASEnergy Coalition, click here.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, Michigan

The Democrats' Energy Game Plan

From an S&P Equity Research article entitled, The Democrats' Energy Game Plan:

While both parties complain about high energy prices, there may be little that can be done about them in the near term. If there is a cold winter, natural gas prices are likely to soar. That has hit manufacturers particularly hard—and should renew interest in increasing supplies to lower the price of natural gas. As a result, we expect renewed interest in opening certain restricted U.S. regions (such as the Gulf of Mexico) to oil and gas drilling.

Meanwhile, the New York Times is calling on Congress to reject President Bush's call for bipartisan energy legislation.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, 2006 Elections

GE Nuclear and Hitachi Announce Global Joint Venture

From Reuters:

Japan's Hitachi Ltd. and U.S. group General Electric Co. said on Monday they would set up joint ventures in Japan and the United States to combine their nuclear power operations and capture more contracts.

The partnership would help Hitachi, Japan's biggest electronics conglomerate, turn its nuclear power business around and help it get more boiling water reactor contracts abroad, Hitachi said.

Hitachi President Kazuo Furukawa told reporters the company aimed to win contracts to build at least a third of the 25 nuclear power plants the U.S. Department of Energy aims to have built by 2020.

Hitachi, which had sales of 160 billion yen ($1.4 billion) from its nuclear power business in Japan last year, will transfer its 2,000-person nuclear power division to a joint venture in Japan.

Hitachi will hold a 80 percent stake in the company, while GE will hold 20 percent.

GE will own 60 percent of the venture in the United States, with Hitachi holding 40 percent, the two companies said. GE has roughly 1,500 employees involved in its $1 billion nuclear power business, GE said.

Wow. More later, as reaction comes in.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, General Electric, Hitachi

Sen Boxer: GHG Legislation on the Agenda

From the AP:

Sen. Barbara Boxer on Thursday promised major policy shifts on global warming, air quality and toxic-waste cleanup as she prepares to head the U.S. Senate's environmental committee.

''Time is running out, and we need to move forward on this,'' Boxer said of global warming during a conference call with reporters. ''The states are beginning to take steps, and we need to take steps as well.''

Boxer's elevation to chairwoman of the Senate Environmental Public Works Committee comes as the Democrats return to power in the Senate. It also marks a dramatic shift in ideology for the panel.

The California Democrat is one of the Senate's most liberal members and replaces one of the most conservative senators, Republican James Inhofe of Oklahoma. Inhofe had blocked bills seeking to cut the greenhouse gases contributing to global warming, calling the issue ''the greatest hoax perpetrated on the American people.''

Environmentalists were overjoyed at the change.

''That's like a tsunami hit the committee,'' said Karen Steuer, who heads government affairs at the National Environmental Trust, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. ''You can't find two members or people more ideologically different.''

Boxer said she intends to introduce legislation to curb greenhouse gases, strengthen environmental laws regarding public health and hold oversight hearings on federal plans to clean up Superfund sites across the country.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Electricity, Nuclear Power, Climate Change, Global Warming, GHG, Barbara Boxer

Monticello License Renewed

From the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Wednesday gave Xcel Energy permission to operate its Monticello nuclear power plant for 20 years past its original license expiration in 2010.

The plant now is cleared to stay in business until Sept. 8, 2030.

The Monticello plant, 30 miles northwest of Minneapolis, produces 600 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 600,000 homes. That's about 10 percent of the power used by Xcel customers in the Upper Midwest.

Congrats to the team at Xcel Energy on the news. Here's to another 20 years!

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, Minnesota, Xcel Energy

The Day After the Day After

Two days beyond the 2006 midterm elections, what have we learned and what does it mean for the future of nuclear energy?

The Democrats have captured the House of Representatives and are expected to elect the first female Speaker in this country's history, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California.

Nuclear power has enjoyed bipartisan support in the House in the past, witnessed by broad backing of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The industry will continue to work with both sides of the aisle and, with a new crop of legislators coming to the nation's Capitol, there will be new opportunities to share information about the importance of nuclear power in increasing energy independence and supporting economic security.

The makeup of the Senate is essentially assured, as Virginia Democrat Jim Webb -- who supports "properly constructed nuclear power" --leads Republican George Allen by over 7000 votes. Allen is expected to concede at a 3 pm news conference today, so his opponent will pick up this seat and with it the Democrats the Senate.

Senator Harry Reid of Nevada is the all but anointed new leader of the upper chamber. Keeping in mind his past support of nuclear energy, the industry is looking forward to building a positive relationship with the expected new Senate Majority Leader and working with him in the future.

As for predictions from the pundits, Democratic strategist and frequent CNN analyst Donna Brazile said she expects the House to pay considerable attention to alternative energy sources during the next session of Congress. At a post-election briefing held in Washington, DC yesterday, she encouraged the industry to actively engage the new Congress and share how nuclear power can play a role in future energy policy.

In the near term, President Bush said today that he would like Congress to act on bipartisan energy legislation before the end of the year.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, 2006 Elections, Jim Webb, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi

NEI Energy Markets Report (October 30th - November 3rd)

Here's a summary of what went on in the energy markets last week:

Electricity prices were mixed to decreasing throughout the country last week (see pages 1 & 2). Gas prices fell at the Henry Hub decreasing $0.04 to $7.19 / MMBtu (see page 4).

Total U.S. coal consumption is expected to remain flat in 2006 and increase by 1.9 percent in 2007. Relatively high levels of natural gas in storage and a forecast of slightly warmer-than-normal weather (though not as warm as last winter) should keep Henry Hub spot prices below $9 per mcf through the winter heating season. EIA projects the monthly average Henry Hub spot price will peak in January at roughly $8.70 per mcf. The Henry Hub price is expected to average $7.06 per mcf in 2006 and $7.79 per mcf in 2007 (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: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Natural Gas, Oil

On Air Attack and Nuclear Power Plants

From today's edition of the New York Times:

With construction of many new nuclear reactors under discussion, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission is grappling with the question of whether they should be designed to withstand a Sept. 11-style airplane attack.

The commission has told its staff to study the vulnerabilities of the four new reactor designs, two of which it has already approved. But it has decided not to make the nuclear power industry meet security requirements any tougher than those for existing plants, which were designed before suicide airliner attacks, and even before the development of such airplanes.

Planes are not on the list of weapons that reactors must be prepared to survive. One of the five commissioners, Gregory B. Jaczko, has called for the panel to require design changes to reduce vulnerability, but the other four seem unpersuaded.

One of my colleagues, Adrian Heymer, is also quoted:

At the Nuclear Energy Institute, the industry's trade association, Adrian Heymer, senior director for new plant deployment, said designers had analyzed existing plants and made many changes that cost little but made the new designs more difficult to attack. But, in general, Mr. Heymer said, protecting against terrorism was a government function.

"“Refineries, tall buildings, those are the responsibility of federal government to protect,"” he said.

In 2002, EPRI conducted a study on the topic:

EPRI aircraft crash building integrity study uses advanced computer modeling and adverse assumptions. In 2002, the independent research organization EPRI undertook an advanced computer modeling study to determine if buildings at nuclear power plants can withstand the impact of an aircraft crash similar to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. A Boeing 767 was selected as the aircraft because its weight is greater than almost all other commercial jet airliners flown in the United States, and because over two-thirds of the commercial aircraft registered in this country are manufactured by Boeing. The location of the buildings and facilities where the aircraft would do the most damage was chosen as the place where the aircraft would strike. The study used the reasonable, controllable aircraft speed for the accuracy of the strike analyzed.

Nuclear plants are much smaller than the World Trade Center or the Pentagon, making them more difficult targets to strike by aircraft. Because nuclear plant structures are smaller than the buildings attacked on Sept. 11, they are more difficult to damage, because it is more difficult to aim the airplane such that it hits the structure at its most damaging point. In addition, used fuel storage pools are either deep within a building or the used fuel is located underground and thus not visible to a pilot from a plant'’s exterior. Also, intervening structures on the power plant site make it very difficult to reach these areas by plane. Finally, nuclear plant buildings and structures are so low to the ground that the ground begins to affect the wind currents produced by the plane, reducing a pilot'’s ability to control and maneuver the plane without slowing down.

The EPRI study demonstrates that the critical structures of a nuclear power plant will not be penetrated by a aircraft crash. The results of the EPRI study demonstrate that no parts of a Boeing 767 --—the engine, the fuselage, or the wings, nor the jet fuel -- —will enter the containment building, used fuel storage pool, used fuel dry storage facilities, or the used fuel transportation containers. This means that no radiation will leak from these structures even if hit by a Boeing 767 at the maximum plausible force and vulnerability.

For more on the study, which EPRI conducted at the request of NEI, click here. For more on safety and security at nuclear power plants, click here.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Politics, EPRI, NRC

More on No New Nukes Propaganda

I just wanted to add a few things to David’s excellent analysis below.

First, I challenge No New Nukes use of total infant mortality rates to demonstrate that operation of the Clinton power plant causes adverse health effects. The most obvious problem with using this data is that it includes ALL causes of death. For instance, if you dig into the data from the Centers for Disease Control (from which the numbers are taken), you’ll see that the infant mortality numbers for 1999-2001 include deaths from drowning, homicide, parasitic diseases, and “non-transport accidents.” What the heck do those have to do with the operation of the Clinton power plant?

I would also argue that showing breast cancer incidents without taking total population into account is ridiculous. That is why epidemiologists calculate mortality rates (usually per 100,000 people). However, if No New Nukes had calculated the rates, the differences among the time periods shown would be statistically insignificant at best. If one tries to find such rates on the CDC website the number comes back as "UNRELIABLE" because the population is too small to have a reasonable confidence interval.

Last, I’ll expand on the information to which David points at the end of his post. The links refuting the claims of Mangano, Sternglass, and Stewart are pages on NEI’s website and I know that some nuclear opponents tend to dismiss as biased anything NEI says. However, if you navigate to these documents you’ll see that the referenced sources include the likes of the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the health departments of New York, New Jersey, Florida, Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.

These entities harshly criticized the findings of Mangano (and his Radiation and Public Health Project), Sternglass, and Stewart with such words as:

“[This] is a flawed report, with substantial errors in methodology and invalid statistics. As a result, any information gathered through this project would not stand up to the scrutiny of the scientific community.” [New Jersey Commission on Radiation Protection]

“The rise is artificial. He created the rise...If you look at what he did, he picked points, whether intentional or not, that made them go in the direction he wanted. Some would argue he produced the results he wanted." [Kim Mortensen, Ohio chief of the epidemiology and toxicology bureau.].

“Dr. Sternglass’ words have the potential of creating fear, apprehension, stress and even panic among the residents of central Pennsylvania. This is totally irresponsible, and the Department of Health regrets that the public has been subjected to such unfounded statements from Dr. Sternglass." [Dr. George Tokuhata, Pennsylvania Dept of Health]

“The ‘three independent tests’ [with which Dr. Sternglass claimed to have verified his data] were not tests at all, but other papers written by Dr. Sternglass using the same irresponsible method of interpreting and selecting figures to fit his conclusions." [Michigan Department of Health]

Frankly, Mangano and friends have been pummeled by so many credible experts and highly regarded organizations that I'm surprised any self-respecting antinuclear activist still trots them out.

UPDATE: You can read an account of last night's hearing by clicking here.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, Clinton ESP, Illinois, Exelon

What to Expect from the New Congress on Environmental Policy

E&E TV recently interviewed David Hayes, partner and Global Chair of Latham & Watkins' Environment, Land & Resources Practice and former deputy secretary of the Interior on what sort of environmental legislation we can expect to see come out of the new Congress.

For a statement from NEI CEO Skip Bowman on how the nuclear industry would like to work with the new Congress, click here.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics

The Clinton ESP and "No New Nukes"

Tonight, a hearing will take place on Exelon's early site permit for building another reactor on the Clinton nuclear power station. We can assume that the opponents are gearing up for this hearing as well. And at their disposal they have some misinformation on the health effects of the Clinton station.

Presentation slides shown on the No New Nukes website claims the Clinton nuclear plant in Illinois is responsible for an increase in infant mortality and breast cancer deaths. According to the presentation, the Clinton plant shut down in September, 1996 and restarted in June, 1999, almost a three year outage. As a result, the presentation claims, infant mortality and breast cancer deaths decreased from the shutdown period and increased once the plant started back up.

The Illinois Department of Public Health website indicates that No New Nukes reports the annual number of infant deaths correctly. However, the numbers are presented in a way that suggests operation of the Clinton plant and the annual number of infant deaths are linked. A cursory examination of the No New Nukes analysis reveals significant flaws in their work that undermine its credibility.

Prevailing Winds

In slide 7 of the presentation, the first bullet indicates that prevailing winds are from the southwest. Two figures below show the wind roses from the Illinois’ State Climatologist Office on the cities of Springfield located in Sangamon County and Peoria located in Peoria County. For this discussion, both are reasonable approximations of winds near the Clinton plant. These diagrams indicate winds blow primarily from the south and south-southwest.

By the reasoning of No New Nukes, one would expect counties to the north and north-northeast to be most affected by the Clinton plant. The presentation identifies these as the counties of De Witt, Piatt, Champaign, Moultrie, Douglas and Coles, and says they show a “statistically significant increase in infant mortality after re-start.” Yet all but DeWitt – the county in which the plant is sited – are located to the east, southeast, and south of the plant site, not in the direction of the prevailing winds. Did the wind somehow make a U turn at the Clinton plant? It should be noted, as well, that No New Nukes’ own slide below indicates that the counties to the north show no statistically significant change in infant mortality after restart of the Clinton plant.

Correlation with Plant Shutdown

One of the No New Nukes slides presents numbers of infant deaths in three three-year periods to suggest there is a correlation between fluctuations in infant deaths and the plant’s 1996-1999 shutdown. Examination of the year-by-year counts for the five counties surrounding the Clinton plant suggests otherwise. The chart below shows the year-to-year variation in the numbers.

The No New Nukes presentation cites breast cancer data taken from the Illinois’ Department of Public Health IPLAN database. However, NEI’s queries of the IPLAN database were unable to recreate the data No New Nukes claims to have obtained from there. The data obtained by NEI is close, but not identical to that shown in the No New Nukes presentation.

When looking at the table of breast cancer fatalities shown on No New Nukes’ slide 14 or the chart below, readers are unlikely to discern any link between the Clinton shutdown and the number of breast cancer deaths. The data in the No New Nukes slide shows that deaths went up when the plant shut down, but also went down when the plant started back up. They claim the data “suggests a 3-year lag.” Without explanation, they claim that three years after the plant shutdown, the area will see a decrease in breast cancer deaths. If that was true, one wonders why the years prior to shutdown also have a lower number of deaths than during shutdown.

Also, by their reasoning, if the plant restarted in 1999, one would expect to see an increase in the number of breast cancer deaths starting in 2002. Although one sees an increase from the previous year, there is a decrease in the subsequent year. The correlation claimed by No New Nukes is not obvious in a year-by-year examination of the data.

Cause of Deaths

The biggest weakness of the No New Nukes piece of work is that they do not provide any information on what the causes of deaths were for infants. While that is not something we analyzed here, if someone is going to make the claim that the two are linked, it should be an obvious task to study why the infants died.

Other Works

Other nuclear power opponents have cited the works of Mangano, Sternglass, and Stewart in attempting to show correlations between infant mortality, breast cancers, etc., and operation of a particular nuclear power plant. Credentialed epidemiologists who have looked at their works with rigor and objectivity have consistently concluded that the analyses are flawed. Epidemiologists have found no measurable difference in the health of populations near operating nuclear plants. NEI Fact Sheets on this subject are available at the following URLs:
http://www.nei.org/index.asp?catnum=3&catid=1137
http://www.nei.org/index.asp?catnum=3&catid=1112
http://www.nei.org/index.asp?catnum=3&catid=310

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, Clinton ESP, Illinois, Exelon

Nuclear Workforce Update

Earlier this month, Joseph Somsel talked about some of the challenges facing new plant construction, including concerns about the nuclear work force. Today's edition of The Scotsman is reporting that the twin challenges of replacing the U.K.'s nuclear submarine fleet and reviving its domestic nuclear energy industry may be under threat because of a shortage of qualified workers.

But the concern isn't limited to the nuclear industry, as Microsoft founder Bill Gates outlined in a speech in Moscow earlier today:

A shortage of information technology graduates from Western universities is leading companies to call on developing countries to meet research demand, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said on Tuesday.

After the break-up of the Soviet Union, Russia's internationally renowned education system became a cheap talent pool for the West. Now dozens of Russian language Web sites offer computer programming jobs in the United States, alongside visa support and language training.

"Worldwide, a lot of the developed countries are not graduating as many IT students as they were in the past, which is kind of ironic as it does mean it does increase the opportunities," Gates said.

Here at NEI, we've been at work on this issue for some time now, and I'm happy to see that the new chairman of NRC, Dale Klein, recognizes the challenge as well.

It seems that what America needs is a new appreciation of the value of education in science and engineering. Here's what Scientists and Engineers for America have to say about that issue:

America's prosperity and security in the twenty-first century depend on our ability to develop scientific and technical talent. Quality of education and equality of educational opportunity are essential to compete in a tightly interconnected global economy. A firm grasp of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is essential for all Americans and so we must ensure that talent is identified, encouraged, and supported without prejudice.

Those are goals I think a lot of Americans could sign on for. Here's hoping they do.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, Science, Education, NRC

Environment Michigan: Getting it Wrong on Renewables

The activist group Environment Michigan wants the state to pass a law requiring that 25% of the state's energy be generated by renewables by 2025. So far, 80 lawmakers from both parties have already signed up to support the measure.

But the Detroit News thinks the idea is nothing but risky business:

Beyond the fact that such a standard is nearly impossible to meet given the excessive costs and the technology limitations that accompany alternative energy generation using wind and solar power, it is economically dangerous for Michigan. Businesses won't locate in a state that has unattainable energy demands and those that are here and are forced to meet them will pass those costs on to consumers -- or leave.

[...]

For example, Environment Michigan, the group pressuring lawmakers to sign its request for legislation, says wind power alone could generate enough electricity for the state, a questionable conclusion at best.

As we've seen in California, wind doesn't always stand up terribly well under real world conditions.

Further...

Additionally, the group wants lawmakers to require that the state commit $5 billion over the next 10 years for energy ventures "that would catapult Michigan into a national energy leader," though those companies and technologies aren't defined or for those now in the works, aren't likely anywhere near ready for mass production to produce the desired results.

Remember that paragraph the next time you hear any environmental activist talk about "nuclear subsidies". Talk like that takes a lot of brass as far as I'm concerned.

Don't get me wrong, we like renewables, and think there's plenty of potential there in the long-term. But setting unrealistic goals that could actually undermine the affordability and reliability of electricity is both intellectually dishonest and bad public policy. Here's hoping Michigan votes for sound science, affordable electricity and economic growth over feel-good bromides that actually hurt, and not help, the public debate.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, Wind Power, Michigan

Elections Won or Lost: Some Things Never Change

Before you get wildly excited or stunningly depressed about the results from election night, just remember, 99% of government wasn'’t affected by how you voted.

While we officially call few government organizations "“bureaus"anymore, they remain bureaucracies --– the people in them act and think, are motivated or not, by common customs and restraints, all rooted in the nature and role of government action in a law-abiding democracy. Yet, the Federalist Papers barely mentions them.

Renowned Harvard political scientist, James Q. Wilson, has explained their nature and behavior in a book we in the nuclear industry, in government or not, should read. Titled simply Bureaucracy, it starts with a reflection on the quality of customer service at the author'’s local department of motor vehicles in Cambridge, Mass. and then explains why such interactions are the norm rather than the exception, at all levels. Of course, people in the employ of bureaucracies are people like the rest of us, but their behavior in organizations is not personal but political behavior.

One telling concept is that the great battles for a bureaucrat are not between the bureaucrat and Congress, or with the President, or with the citizens it serves, but rather with other bureaucrats. In the history of the US nuclear industry, the early interactions between the NRC and predecessors with the Tennessee Valley Authority would serve as an example. The slow erosion of scope of NRC'’s regulation over to the EPA is another illustration. The rise and fall of the AEC is yet another.

With the extensive new plant licensing efforts just beginning, it would behoove us all to read and ponder this work.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, AEC, NRC, TVA

A Texas Sized Question on Energy and the Environment

With utilities in Texas about to undertake massive new build of coal-fired power plants, some folks in the state are giving nuclear energy a second look:

Broadly speaking, the environmental community remains opposed to the construction and operation of nuclear plants. Environmentalists say uranium mining can pollute groundwater, and they fear the possibility of a catastrophic accident. They also are dissatisfied with the disposal methods for radioactive waste.

But as the effort to stop global climate change leapfrogs to the top of most environmentalists' agenda, some say they are re-examining their opposition to the plants, which emit little in the way of greenhouse gases.

"We're looking at it again," said Jim Marston, who heads the Austin office of Environmental Defense.

As we've already reported, TXU is thinking the same thing.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, TXU, Texas

China to Lead Global Emissions by 2009

The International Energy Agency's World Energy Outlook hits the streets today, and the New York Times is fronting disturbing news about China's carbon emissions:

China will surpass the United States in 2009, nearly a decade ahead of previous predictions, as the biggest emitter of the main gas linked to global warming, the International Energy Agency has concluded in a report to be released Tuesday.

ChinaÂ’s rise, fueled heavily by coal, is particularly troubling to climate scientists because as a developing country, China is exempt from the Kyoto ProtocolÂ’s requirements for reductions in emissions of global warming gases. Unregulated emissions from China, India and other developing countries are likely to account for most of the global increase in carbon dioxide emissions over the next quarter-century.

The agencyÂ’s prediction highlights the unexpected speed with which China is emerging as the biggest contributor to global warming. Still, China has resisted limits on its own emissions and those of other developing countries.

Up until now, Chinese officials have instead called repeatedly for even tighter limits on the industrialized countriesÂ’ emissions of global warming gases after the Kyoto ProtocolÂ’s limits expire at the end of 2012. China says rich countries bear responsibility for the increase in global carbon dioxide levels that has already taken place.

So what's the solution? More announcements like this one would help.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, China, Coal, Climate Change, GHG, Global Warming

Another Blogger for Nuclear Energy

Here's one U.K.-based blogger who's thinking things over:

Is Nuclear Power The Way Forward?

Thought for the day: Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day. Give a man a wind-farm and he'll contribute only a fraction of the energy required by the National Grid and it's likely to prove an unsightly blot on the landscape.

While I'm not down on wind power the way he may be, I can understand where he's coming from.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Technology

Looking at the VHTR

Courtesy of our friends at The Energy Blog.

It's a nice followup to the news we shared with you a couple of weeks back.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Technology, PBMR, Electricity, Westinghouse, Hydrogen, DOE

Public Support for Nuclear Energy Rising in U.K.

From the Independent:

Public concern over possible threats to their energy supply still outranks worries over climate change, despite the publication of the Stern review

Three quarters of the public believes that the price of gas is unstable compared with just over half a year ago, a survey by the opinion pollsters YouGov showed today.

[...]

Support for nuclear power has risen to 41 per cent from 35 per cent a year ago. EDF is lining itself up to be a key player if the UK decides to embark on any nuclear building programme.

Those numbers for nuclear support seem a little low to me, considering what others were finding when they polled before the Russian natural gas shutoff earlier this year. Still, it's clear we're seeing movement, and a real reconsideration of nuclear energy in the U.K.

Technorati tags: Energy, Home Heating, Natural Gas, Russia, Electricity, Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, U.K.

The Why Behind the Plans at North Anna

Today's edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch is running an extensive story on the reasons why Dominion Virginia Power is considering building a new nuclear reactor at the North Anna Nuclear Power Station near Richmond. In short, Virginia needs the juice to power its high-tech economy:

Increases in all generation sources will be needed to meet a demand for power driven by electronics-heavy businesses, Grecheck said. For example, in Loudoun County alone, 10 to 20 proposed new data centers requiring 60 megawatts each would consume most of the output of the proposed new reactor, he said.

A significant chunk of the nation's critical information infrastructure is located in Northern Virginia, and when groups like Public Citizen and BREDL mobilize anti-nuke activists to fight potential projects like North Anna, we need to be frank about what the costs would be to the state's economy if it were painted into the sort of corner that California finds itself in today.

I'm a citizen of the state of Virginia and I support new nuclear at North Anna.

POSTSCRIPT: The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality is scheduled to vote on November 16 on whether or not a new reactor would be consistent with coastal-zone protection laws.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity, Virginia, North Anna Nuclear Power Plant, NRC

Blackouts Hit Europe This Weekend

On Saturday night, increased demand for energy due to cold weather, coupled with insufficient power supply, triggered blackouts in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Belgium that lasted about a half hour.

This chain reaction should be a heads-up to Germany that its nuclear phase-out policy may not be the best idea...

We Support Lee has all the details, so be sure to check it out.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, Blackouts

Nuclear Energy Industry Transitions

American Electric Power has promoted Michael Heyeck to senior vice president of transmission. He has been with the company since 1976, most recently as vice president of transmission.

Duke Energy has named Jim Stanley president of the utility Duke Energy Indiana, effective Nov. 6. Stanley, who previously served as vice president of Midwest field operations, will replace Kay Pashos, who will coordinate state regulatory strategy for Duke Energy’s electric and gas business system-wide.

Jeffrey Kupfer is the new chief of staff for Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman. He joins the Department of Energy from the White House, where he served for nearly a year as special assistant to the president for economic policy.

AREVA has appointed Philippe Knoche general project director of the Olkiluoto 3 project, effective Dec. 1. Knoche has been executive vice president of AREVA NC’s treatment business unit since 2004.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics

Crunching the Nuclear Numbers in Scotland

From The Scotsman:

SCOTLAND's refusal to build a new generation of nuclear power stations will ruin Britain's bid to cut greenhouse gases.

A report commissioned for London mayor Ken Livingstone warns that if Scotland's two nuclear stations are not replaced, the UK will be forced to build gas-powered stations to compensate.

As a result, carbon emissions will increase, preventing Britain from meeting its commitment to cut global warming.

[...]

[T]he report, written by Large & Associated Consultant Engineers, concludes that such a hope is in vain. It declares: "The policy of the Scottish Parliament may well preclude new-build NPPs [nuclear power plants] in Scotland, or it may choose only to permit a new generating capacity proportionate to its electricity consumption demand ... If so, [it] ... could jeopardise the UK's carbon-free treaty obligations."

Report author John Large added: "If Scotland said no to another nuclear power plant, it would effectively be a Scottish veto on the Energy Review. The UK would not be able to meet its commitments under the Kyoto treaty."

Technorati tags: Energy, Electricity, Natural Gas, Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, U.K., Scotland, Politics

Australia Nuclear Update

From The Australian:

JOHN Howard's hand-picked nuclear energy taskforce will find that a nuclear industry could be commercially viable within 15 years, giving the green light to the Prime Minister to radically shake up Australia's energy market.

Former Telstra boss Ziggy Switkowski's review will also find the cost of nuclear power should come down dramatically as more global powers invest in the technology and the cost of fossil fuels go up.

Last night, Minister for Industry and Resources Ian Macfarlane said a 15-year timeframe was "very realistic", offering an optimistic assessment from the Howard Government on the way forward for nuclear power.

For more on the implications for the Australian job market, visit Rod Adams.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Electricity, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, Australia

NEI Energy Markets Report (October 23rd - 27th)

Here's a summary of what went on in the energy markets last week:

Electricity prices increased throughout the country again last week (see pages 1 & 2). Gas prices rose at the Henry Hub increasing $1.54 to $7.23 / MMBtu (see page 4).

Nuclear capacity availability was at 75% last week. Twenty four reactors were down for refueling and five were offline for maintenance (see pages 2&3).

Uranium prices rose significantly to $60/lb U3O8 according to UxC and at $60.25/lb U3O8 according to TradeTech (see page 7).

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

Ben Wattenberg on Nuclear Energy and the New South

Here's Ben Wattenberg on the economic development of the Southern U.S. and how affordable electricity has helped spur economic growth:

It is said that de-segregation created a "New South." (That is correct. And there always seems to be a "New South" being created. ) But the role of air-conditioning is underplayed. The combination of the two was unstoppable. There is a lesson there for the people who live in tropical countries. Who can work when it gets so hot? Air-conditioning --- preferably powered by nuclear plants --- can change the world, much for the better. Nuclear can also be used to de-salinize sea-water --- and that could really make the deserts bloom --- if they just stopped killing each other for a while.

Thanks to Rod Adams for the pointer.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics

IEA: The World Needs New Nuclear Build to Fight Climate Change

From Wednesday's edition of the Financial Times:

For the first time in its 32-year history, the International Energy Agency will next week urge governments around the world to help speed the construction of new nuclear power plants.

Although several countries, including India, China, the US and France, are already planning more nuclear plants, and others such as the UK are in the early stages of backing new reactors, others oppose any addition to nuclear capacity, including Germany and Spain.

However, Fatih Birol, IEA chief economist, said: "“We need a decision almost tomorrow if we are going to act before we reach a point of no return in climate and security of supply."

In an interview ahead of the release of the agency'’s World Energy Outlook, he said politicians needed to persuade reluctant voters that nuclear power was safe and necessary. They also need to create investment climates conducive to investors.

The IEA report -- the first to offer advocacy rather than analysis --– comes after the Group of Eight last summer asked the agency to come up with guidance on how governments could bolster energy security and combat global warming.

For more thoughts on the upcoming World Energy Outlook, visit We Support Lee. And come back to NEI Nuclear Notes next week once the report is released.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Environment, Energy, Politics, Technology, Economics, IEA, Climate Change, GHG, Global Warming

Nuclear Plants Aid In Emergency Preparedness

Here's John Wheeler on one of the lesser known benefits enjoyed by communities that host nuclear power plants:

Since we're discussing Emergency Plans, I wanted to bring your attention to an event that speaks to the incredibly good brought about by the Sharon Harris nucear plant in North Carolina. About two weeks ago in Apex, NC there was a huge fire at a chemical storage facility in the middle of the night that caused a release of deadly chlorine gas. More than 16,000 people had to be evacuated from their beds, and it was done quickly and safely.

From everything I've read it was done with out panic, and without incident. What I didn’t hear was any mention of the fact that the emergency planning infrastructure in Apex and the surrounding communities was developed primarily by Progress Energy, the owners of Sharon Harris as part of their emergency plan. The citizens of Apex have Progress Energy to thank for the well-organized response that kept them informed and alerted them of the need to evacuate.

I've seen this repeated all over the USA. Communities that have nuclear plants have a well organized and well-funded emergency response organization that's had the benefit of training they get from the nuclear plant staff. They put that training to use in all kinds of emergencies.

The newspapers and other mainstream media rarely pick up on this, but if you talk to the state and county officials, and I have, they'll tell you they're much better prepared for all sorts of emergencies because of the funding, equipment, and training they get through the nuclear plant's emergency preparedness program.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Politics, Emergency Preparedness

Indian Point Report Preview

Over at Energy Pulse, Herschel Specter is providing a preview of the upcoming report to improve emergency planning at Indian Point:

This new study will show that the health consequences of a major release of radioactive material can be made to be very limited, even at this most challenging of sites. Unlike other risk analyses, which are based on unintended accidents, a willful act of terrorism was assumed as the cause of a large release of radioactive material. It was assumed that terrorists successfully breached one of the massive containment buildings and then caused reactor meltdown. A successful terrorist attack is highly unlikely.

Read the rest right now.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity, New York

Natural Gas Prices Kill The Pink Flamingo

Have you ever heard of Union Products? Probably not, but I'm guessing that you've probably seen the item their best known for: The plastic Pink Flamingo.

They've made millions of them over the years, but they closed their doors yesterday because of rising energy costs, in particular, the rising cost of natural gas. Here's how our friends at NAM Blog put it:

Union Products is closing its doors because of RISING COSTS for plastic resin and electricity, in addition to some financing problems, according to the AP article. Plastic resin is a chemical product and the basic feedstock for it is natural gas. And many public utilities use natural gas as a power source. Congress has failed to open new areas for U.S. natural gas production, (we have vast reserves of it). So we can lay the demise of yet another manufacturing facility at the feet of those in Congress who have stalled and killed off several measures pushed this year to ease this cost pressure.

Just another concrete example of how volatility in natural gas markets helped eliminate some American jobs. But if you're the sort of person who won't shed a tear at the demise of the Pink Flamingo, what about the American chemical industry? Here's Andrew Liveris, CEO of Dow Chemical, at the Detroit Economic Club Monday, in a speech on how rising energy prices are killing his industry too:

The United States is losing major business investments and high-paying manufacturing jobs because it does not have an adequate energy policy to address rising natural gas prices, said Dow Chemical Co. CEO Andrew Liveris in a speech Monday to the Detroit Economic Club.

The United States has vast amounts of natural gas along its coasts, but environmental laws prevent drilling. Liveris, head of the $46-billion Midland-based global company, said he would like to build more chemical plants in the United States, but the country's environmental laws and lack of a coherent energy policy are discouraging.

"Faced with the choice of investing here in the United States, with the certainty of higher and more volatile natural gas prices, how can I recommend to my board and to my shareholders to invest here?" Liveris asked.

So what's the solution? Well, as our friends at NAM would tell you, opening up more areas to drilling for natural gas would help, but another piece of the solution would be to build more nuclear power plants in order to displace natural gas-fired electric generating capacity. In turn, that would make more natural gas available for chemical production, agriculture and manufacturing and bring some price stability to the North American market for natural gas.

Split an atom, save American manufacturing.

Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy, Nuclear Power, Energy, Technology, Environment, Electricity, Massachusetts, Union Products, Natural Gas

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