NEI Nuclear Notes

Dry cask storage It is not every day that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission   advises everyone to “take a deep breath,” but when it comes to people misconstruing the facts about new plant licensing activities following a recent order, that is exactly what happened. In a nutshell—last week, the NRC issued an order saying that it would not issue final reactor licenses or license renewals until the agency addresses a recent federal court ruling on waste confidence. Many people and some news articles mistakenly reported that this means all current licensing reviews and proceedings will come to a screeching halt, which is simply not the case. The order basically means that licensing reviews will move forward, but that final licensing will be put on hold. The NRC clarified its position in a blog post late last week: Let’s be clear: Tuesday’s Order was not a “Full Stop” to NRC’s licensing process. The Commission stated that licensing reviews should move forward—only final lic...

Dang it, one expected special guest wasn't able to attend the press conference but maybe he/she will have a statement. I was looking forward to it. Regardless, my colleagues and I are pleased as punch that Dominion is maintaining a leadership position in the nuclear industry by submitting a full COL application for a third unit at the North Anna site. (Lisa's 401k watch--at last check D stock was up $0.63.) And while Dominion's CEO Tom Farrell said that getting the licenses does not obligate the company to build NAPS 3 it is clear from many of his other statements that he believes that it is likely that all of the variables will come together in such a way that it will make sense for the company and its customers to go ahead and build. For instance, he mentioned that in the next decade demand in Virginia will increase by at least 4000 MW and that the need must be supplied by a combination of conservation and efficiency, advanced technologies and reliable baseload. He also ...

The October issue of Nuclear Energy Insight is now available online. In it, you'll find an article about the first full license application for a new nuclear plant filed in nearly 30 years. There also are reports on how reactors helped defang the dog days of summer and nuclear plant neighbors' welcoming reception of new-plant plans. Another article remembers NRC Commissioner Edward McGaffigan, while other articles discuss the energy sector's work force options, multiple studies' conclusions that nuclear is needed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and the nuclear sector's completion of a key security review. You also can read about how nuclear technology is improving Zambia's prognosis for cancer treatment.

Bull Dog Pundit, one of the contributors to the popular Ankle Biting Pundits , has some specific problems with Senator John McCain's position on energy policy in general , and a few concerning nuclear energy in particular: Like McCain, I’m all for more nuclear power. However, here’s the problem I see with that. There hasn ’t been a nuclear power plant built in the United States for decades. The reason? Well, for one they cost a great deal of money, but in terms of the long-terms cost savings it’s well worth the price. The other big problem with building nuke plants is that the government has so regulated the industry, that it makes it nearly impossible to get one built. Further, lawsuits by environmental groups can delay the start of construction for years. Even a site that gets the initial permit from the NRC can take decades to be built, even assuming no opposition. So what that means is that while the stated goal of greater reliance on nuclear energy is great in theory, the real...