NEI Nuclear Notes

The following guest post was submitted by Elizabeth McAndrew-Benavides, NEI's Senior Manager, Workforce Policy and Programs. Shannon Rafferty-Czincila is neither a doctor nor nurse. But she is a mother of three, a nuclear energy professional and a local leader who is supporting advanced health care in her community. Shannon Rafferty-Czincila Shannon works as the license renewal lead at a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania and is the Chair of NEI’s License Renewal Implementation Working Group. Her job is to document how her company's nuclear power plants will continue to meet federal safety requirements if they are approved for continued operation beyond their original 40 year licenses. “Right now I believe that running our current plants is a good option to help support our growing need for energy,” said Rafferty-Czincila. “By obtaining a new license for a nuclear power plant we are ensuring that we will have clean, safe and reliable power for many more years.” Ra...

I hear it all the time lately. “What’s happening to American technology? Are we losing our edge?” No more space shuttle . Steve Jobs logging off for good . The next generation space telescope on the chopping block. So, it was with no small satisfaction last week that I listened into an NRC hearing on combined construction and operating license for new reactors at the V.C. Summer site in South Carolina. Perhaps the best bit was Stephen Byrne, executive vice president of South Carolina Electricity and Gas, explaining why a utility executive would opt to build a new nuclear power plant . “We choose nuclear over other energy alternatives for four main reasons. First, the need for baseload power. The new units will help meet state regulatory reserve margin requirements. Second, cost. Nuclear is competitive with other baseload options when evaluated over its 40-year design life. Third is fuel diversity, adding units 2 and 3 [at V.C. Summer] will increase the share of nuclear in o...

The NRC has renewed Entergy's operating license for the FitzPatrick nuclear plant , located in Scriba, New York. Per Reuters , NEW YORK, Sept 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission renewed the operating license for of Entergy Corp's 852-megawatt FitzPatrick nuclear station in New York for an additional 20 years, the NRC said Tuesday in a release. The FitzPatrick plant began commercial operation in 1975. Its license was set to expire in 2014. The renewal extends the license to 2034. Entergy applied to renew the license in August 2006. The FitzPatrick renewal brings the total number of license renewals to 49 units, the NRC said.

We have posted several new and updated fact sheets and policy briefs to NEI’s public Web site during the past few weeks. They cover such topics as new-plant financing, advanced fuel cycle technologies and plant security. Here is a list of the publications and their links. The documents are available in HTML and PDF formats. We hope you find these products helpful and informative. Policy Briefs New policy brief: Financing New Nuclear Power Plants . Updated policy briefs: Uranium Fuel Supply Adequate to Meet Present and Future Nuclear Energy Demand , Advanced Fuel-Cycle Technologies Hold Promise for Used Fuel Management Program , Nuclear Power 2010: A Key Building Block for New Nuclear Power Plants. Fact Sheets New fact sheet: Nuclear Industry’s Comprehensive Approach Develops Skilled Work Force for the Future . Updated fact sheets: Nuclear Power Plant Security , Water Consumption at Nuclear Power Plants , Nuclear Power Plant Fire Protection , Licensing New Nuclear Power Plan...