tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post800945196482440573..comments2024-03-07T02:00:01.582-05:00Comments on NEI Nuclear Notes: Oyster Creek and Cooling TowersUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-44627607369976109782010-12-15T13:58:57.501-05:002010-12-15T13:58:57.501-05:00No surprise that Anon neither gets the point nor h...No surprise that Anon neither gets the point nor has a sense of humor.gunterhttp://www.beyondnuclear.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-70472968326995654982010-12-14T07:08:55.129-05:002010-12-14T07:08:55.129-05:00"In my home state of New Mexico, water usage ..."In my home state of New Mexico, water usage is a big argument against thermal power plants and for wind & solar PV."<br /><br />So, how do the arguments go when people need electricity and the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing? There are these strange natural phenomena called "night" and "calm days" (yes, these happen even in NM).<br /><br />I'll answer my own question. The answer is either get the electricity from "somewhere else" (maybe that "somewhere" uses nuclear?), or burn more fossil fuel in the form of natural gas (methane), which is an unbelievably damaging greenhouse gas, as well as throwing tons more CO2 into the biosphere, totally uncontrolled, to be blown by the four winds to who knows where. So, some great "argument" that wind and solar PV make, eh?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-74987157091953323322010-12-13T23:12:41.281-05:002010-12-13T23:12:41.281-05:00Regarding two EPRI studies:
"Application of ...Regarding two EPRI studies: <br />"Application of Dry Cooling in Nuclear Power Plants" due 12/31/09<br />and "Assessment of Indirect Dry Cooling Systems" due 06/30/10<br /><br />EPRI replied: <br />"These are actually "Project Proposals" that were drafted. EPRI did a prioritization with the funders and the two projects did not get ranked high enough to be funded, so there will be no report. <br /><br />Sincerely,<br />Thomas Taylor<br />Electric Power Research Institute<br />Customer Assistance Center"<br /><br />Foot, meet bullet.Paul Lindseynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-75488215315382479062010-12-13T17:01:37.657-05:002010-12-13T17:01:37.657-05:00Howdy, Folks,
Well, I lived there for years, went...Howdy, Folks,<br /><br />Well, I lived there for years, went fishing in and around the plant's intake and discharge canals, and I can tell you from first hand experience that Barnegat Bay in that area is not now nor ever has been adversely impacted by plant operation. Aquatic life thrives in that area and is as healthy as any anywhere. No one has ever been harmed by OCNGS, "Model T" or not. The plant has been a reliable generator of low-cost power with essentially zero environmental impact. Replacing it's output with a dirty fossil gas-burning plant is sheer lunacy from an environmental viewpoint. Replacing a nuclear unit with 90% capacity factor, come snow, rain, heat, or cold, with some boondoggle of a windmill with maybe 25% capacity factor, stinks from a reliability and economic viewpoint. So take your "howdy" and stuff it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-28028075779128665522010-12-13T12:18:42.891-05:002010-12-13T12:18:42.891-05:00Howdy folks,
Given that Oyster Creek is THE proto...Howdy folks,<br /><br />Given that Oyster Creek is THE prototype for the troublesome GE Mark I BWRs, you'd think the rest of the industry would welcome the retirement of these Model Ts before something goes badly wrong? Oh,I almost forgot, you want to push these units for 80 years... <br /><br />FYI:<br /><br />Anon---NJ Senate Environment Committee hearings determined that there is more economy at risk from livelihoods lost as the result of the ecological collapse of Barnegat Bay than jobs at the nuke. <br /><br />More of note than those bass fishing enthusiasts at the namesake reactor's ever hot discharge canal, the one indisputable fact that drove this early closure deal focuses on Oyster Creek taking in 1.4 billion gallons of water per day from Barnegat Bay. <br /><br />If you do the math, 1.4 billion gallons per day equals 2.3% of the total 60 billion gallons in Barnegat Bay per day. So, a volume of water equivalent to over 800% of the total volume of the bay is strained of life each year. <br /><br />Between now and 2019, Oyster Creek will still strain of bay life (spawn,fingerlings, etc.) from a volume of water equivalent to 7,200% of the total volume of Barnegat Bay. I could go on, but maybe you get the point. <br /><br />SteveJ9---As I recall from being a principle instigator of the license renewal challenge at Oyster Creek, the evironmental report for license renewal application filed in 2005 relied upon a 30-year old study of Barnegat Bay impacts. So, despite NRC's predictable rubberstamp of the extension, Exelon's lawyers concluded that they did not have an legal leg to stand on in a law suit brought by the State. <br /><br />So, rather than renewals, there are now two "countdowns to shutdowns" going at two of these antiquated GE Mark 1 BWRS; Vermont Yanke in March 2012 and Oyster Creek in December 2019. <br /><br />Any bets on who is next?<br /><br />I'll agree with Anon that there may yet be some shenanigans in the future for these deals. We'll have to sleep with one eye open.gunterhttp://www.beyondnuclear.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-34920530575690108722010-12-11T21:30:43.654-05:002010-12-11T21:30:43.654-05:00You may want to read up on how the Palo Verde plan...You may want to read up on how the Palo Verde plant dealt with the cooling water issue. It is in the middle of the desert, yet it is the largest (in terms of capacity and production) electricity-generating facility in the country. It hums along nicely and grinds out reliable, low-cost electricity in spite of not being adjacent to any large body of water.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-42363389504222099182010-12-11T18:53:24.437-05:002010-12-11T18:53:24.437-05:00Anyone hear the result of this EPRI study that was...Anyone hear the result of this EPRI study that was supposed to be completed on 6/30/10: http://mydocs.epri.com/docs/AdvancedCooling/Task_Indirect_Dry_Cooling.pdf<br /><br />In my home state of New Mexico, water usage is a big argument against thermal power plants and for wind & solar PV.Paul Lindseynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-36520279048048497152010-12-11T16:33:06.748-05:002010-12-11T16:33:06.748-05:00If anything, there is likely a beneficial effect o...If anything, there is likely a beneficial effect of the (limited) thermal discharge into Barnegat Bay. When my folks lived "down the shore", we'd always catch fish and crabs in the intake and discharge canals of OCNGS. The aquatic life there was abundant and flourished in the warm waters. One winter it was very cold and the rest of the bay froze over, but not the discharge canals (the plant kept humming along, cold, dreary weather or not, unlike solar power). It literally saved hundreds of swans which found open water and food in the unfrozen waters around the plant.<br /><br />If the kooks succeed in forcing the plant to shutdown or use cooling towers, they will be personally responsible for significant death and destruction of wildlife and natural habitat in the vacinity of the plant.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-50887183430725193552010-12-11T11:21:29.204-05:002010-12-11T11:21:29.204-05:00As I understood it, studies have shown no effect o...As I understood it, studies have shown no effect on aquatic life in Barnegat Bay. It's just another irrational impediment being put in the path of nuclear energy, by those who don't like it --- for whatever reason.SteveK9noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10911751.post-89171414126417134292010-12-11T02:27:15.487-05:002010-12-11T02:27:15.487-05:00The plant is too important to the local economy. I...The plant is too important to the local economy. I am not saying that Exelon is bluffing, but I do expect the announcement will spur locals to do whatever possible to keep the plant operating as along as they are able. My crystal ball shows Exelon receiving some local / state funds to help pay for the cooling tower(s). This would yield several win-wins (environmental, political and economic).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com