NEI Nuclear Notes

The folks at Freedom for Fission have turned up an interesting presentation on the ACR-1000 . We Support Lee is pointing to a report that Bruce Power has officially notified the Canadian government of its intent to build a new reactor at one of its current facilities . Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Environment , Energy , Politics , Technology , Economics , Ontario , Canada , Bruce Power , Ontario Power Authority

From today's Washington Post : Nuclear power can produce electricity without generating the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. Industry spokesmen claim nuclear power plants can do so cheaply and efficiently, even taking subsidies into account, and, if properly monitored, safely; Chernobyl-style accidents can be avoided. Given the environmental and geopolitical disadvantages of dependence on oil, gas and coal, these arguments are persuasive. But the Energy Department must prove early on that it has a politically and technically viable plan for storing the deadly radioactive waste that nuclear power plants produce. That has been a smoldering problem for the agency, which for years has tried to build a permanent waste storage site inside Nevada's Yucca Mountain. All the while, nuclear waste continues to pile up on sites next to reactors, in many cases close to population centers. [...] The federal government needs a foolproof plan to dispose properly of the waste....

In the September print edition of Scientific American , John Deutch and Ernie Moniz are proposing a three-fold increase in global nuclear capacity in an effort to stem carbon emissions. Though the article is not yet available online, Graham Collins of the magazine's blog is providing a preview . Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Energy , Technology , Electricity , Environment

The Amarillo Economic Development Corporation has set guidelines for any prospective plant builder (registration required) to follow in order to qualify for incentives, and city commissioners are getting ready to vote on the plan (registration required). Click here and here for our previous posts on Amarillo. Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Used Fuel , Energy , Technology , Electricity , Texas , Amarillo , Amarillo Power

From KPVI-TV : Nuclear policy is changing in the United States - a move that will create jobs and protests. It took 20 years to create what some say is a nuclear power renaissance. Political specialist Doug Andersen reports. It means the first nuclear plants in three decades, and with that, the question of what to do with the waste from the existing 100 plants. A year ago this month, President George Bush signed into law a comprehensive change to this country's energy policy. From the man next in line to chair the Senate Energy Committee, progress has already been made, especially when it comes to nuclear energy. Twenty percent of the nation's energy base is derived from nuclear. Sen. Larry Craig: "My guess is, within two decades, 35% will be." Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Environment . Energy , Politics Technology , Economics , Idaho , Senator Larry Craig

In a Letter to the Editor in today's Hamilton Spectator , Dr. Michael Ivanco, Society of Professional Engineers and Associates of Mississauga, Ontario puts the current impact of high temperatures in Europe on nuclear generating stations in the proper perspective: The impact of drought in Europe on electricity supply is not a "nuclear" problem, as the writer suggests, rather it affects all electricity generating stations that use a steam cycle: nuclear, coal, gas and oil. These account for over 80 per cent of all electricity generated on our planet. While water shortages have caused some thermo-electric plants to scale back production, it is important to note that they have not been required to shut down. During the heat wave that hit Europe in the summer of 2003, by contrast, the contribution of wind-generated electricity to the electrical grids was virtually zero, since the wind did not blow. While the overall output of nuclear plants may vary slightly due to other weat...

Meet Ian Graham . Technorati tags: Nuclear Energy , Nuclear Power , Energy , Technology , Environment , Electricity