An Energy Decision in California

For a state so concerned with controlling greenhouse gas emissions, Ruth Sponsler is wondering why California isn't doing more to roll back its moratorium on new nuclear build:

At some point, California will be stuck between a rock and a hard place as it attempts to meet emissions reductions while at the same time providing sufficient electricity to meet the needs of its residents and information economy. California still has some time to do the small and medium-sized things first. Some of California's wind farms are in the range of hundreds of megawatts.

But, sooner or later, that state will need need thousands of MW of emissions-free energy. That will be the time when California will be forced to choose between hanging onto its 30-year-old nuclear power construction moratorium...or

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Fluor Invests in NuScale

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Wednesday Update

From NEI’s Japan micro-site: NRC, Industry Concur on Many Post-Fukushima Actions Industry/Regulatory/Political Issues • There is a “great deal of alignment” between the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the industry on initial steps to take at America’s nuclear energy facilities in response to the nuclear accident in Japan, Charles Pardee, the chief operating officer of Exelon Generation Co., said at an agency briefing today. The briefing gave stakeholders an opportunity to discuss staff recommendations for near-term actions the agency may take at U.S. facilities. PowerPoint slides from the meeting are on the NRC website. • The International Atomic Energy Agency board has approved a plan that calls for inspectors to evaluate reactor safety at nuclear energy facilities every three years. Governments may opt out of having their country’s facilities inspected. Also approved were plans to maintain a rapid response team of experts ready to assist facility operators recoverin

NEI Nuclear Notes

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