NEI Nuclear Notes

For those who have been following nuclear energy issues for the last 10-15 years, this kind of news can cause a bit of a tingle: The utility recently cleared a couple of hurdles in the approval process for Plant Vogtle units 3 and 4. Last week, the NRC determined its new Westinghouse AP1000 design meets current federal and state safety requirements. After the Fukushima I disaster, NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko had expressed concerns that Westinghouse, a unit of Japan-based Toshiba , had failed to properly measure the impact that earthquakes, tornadoes or other disasters could have on the new design. Officials approved the plan after Westinghouse addressed those concerns. So far, the NRC has turned a deaf ear to anti-nuclear and other environmental activists who are urging the agency to halt new plant approvals like this one, as well as re-licensing older reactors. Because we haven’t heard news like this before. It’s all new. And it’s very exciting. (The two reactors should ...