Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Please Vote for: MIT NSE Nuclear Energy = Clean Energy

Nuclear Energy = Clean Energy
Proposal for  U.S. Government by  MIT Nukes

Nuclear Energy = Clean Energy

Pitch

Development of a licensing process for advanced nuclear reactors will enable the rapid deployment of GigaWatt-scale clean nuclear energy.

Description

Summary

Nuclear power is the only immediately-scalable source of clean energy but the largest obstacle to new construction is the enormous capital costs associated with designing, licensing, and building new plants. Reforming an expensive and inefficient licensing process will lower the financial barrier, thereby allowing nuclear to displace carbon based fuel sources.
The current process makes nuclear economically uncompetitive for the following reasons:
  1. It financially burdens applicants with the costs of approval by requiring the NRC to recover 90% of its operating budget from license applicants.
  2. It is slow due to lack of budgetary discipline; dollars paid by applicants are not earmarked for the application process.
  3. It penalizes new-concept designs by evaluating all applicants based on old light water reactor (LWR) design features and limitations.
  4. It prioritizes applications based on those that have a committed financial backer.

A more efficient licensing process will enable the proliferation of clean nuclear power:
  1. It will lower the total costs of the licensing process, thereby making nuclear power more economically competitive.
  2. It will lower the burden of entry for new, inherently safe designs that are not subject to the engineering risks of light water reactors.

We propose:
  1. All application fees be earmarked for the application process thereby expediting the process since current application fees frequently go towards non-application uses, including the regulation of currently operating plants.
  2. The NRC creates a team dedicated to streamlining the licensing process, liaising with nuclear energy innovators, and tasked with the eventual formation of an independent licensing arm of the NRC.
  3. The creation of this team will be funded through the earmarking of application fees for application uses and a modest increase in the existing staff-hour fee paid by incumbent design applicants.
  4. The development of generalized design criteria to license non-LWR reactor designs.

Category of the action

Mitigation - What U.S. Federal Agencies can do to mitigate climate change

What actions do you propose?

We propose:
  1. All application fees be earmarked for the application process.  This will expedite the process since current application fees frequently go towards non-application uses. The NRC is tasked with ensuring the safe operation of all nuclear assets in the United States, but also frequently investigates nuclear activities in other countries.  The funding of these auditing and investigative operations is subsidized by the application process since application fees enter a general fund.  The result is essentially a tax on applicants that inefficiently directs application dollars towards non-application purposes.
  2. The NRC creates a team dedicated to streamlining the licensing process, liaising with non-LWR entrepreneurs, and tasked with the eventual formation of an independent licensing arm of the NRC. The auditing of operational nuclear assets and unbuilt nuclear designs is fundamentally different.  The first demands a focus on costs in terms of safety, while the latter must assess the costs as well as the benefits of new designs.  These different tasks therefore require different technical and administrative abilities, as well as different cultures. In order to appropriately assess applications based on their costs as well as their benefits, a new and independent arm of the NRC must be established.
  3. The creation of this team will be funded through the earmarking of application fees for application uses, while a modest increase in the existing staff-hour fee paid by incumbent design applicants (Generation III) will be used to sustain existing NRC obligations for auditing of currently-operating plants. This fee hike will actually lower overall costs of application by decreasing approval time.  The current licensing process takes years, approaching a decade for the most recent Westinghouse AP1000 design. The result of this slow process is enormous compounding costs. An upfront increase in fees will actually lower overall costs because it will fund a larger, dedicated, and more streamlined design assessment body. Additionally, the barrier to entry for new designs will be lowered because those fees will be subsidized by those paid by incumbent designs.
  4. The development of a Technology Neutral Framework (TNF) of generalized design criteria to license non-LWR reactor designs. The criteria will be derived from the present set of LWR-centric criteria outlined in Appendix A of 10 CFR 50. The implementation of a TNF for licensing new reactor designs will streamline overly burdensome requirements which do not apply to non-LWR designs. For example, many of the present design criteria are highly prescriptive with respect to the "pressure vessel" that is used to house LWR reactor cores. Some advanced reactor designs, such as Sodium Fast Reactors (SFRs), do not require (highly) pressurized vessels, a major benefit which can lead to dramatic cost reductions, among other benefits, with respect to LWRs. The current licensing process, however, would evaluate SFRs in much the same way as LWRs using the same set of design criteria no matter the applicability. A new and revised set of generic design criteria will reduce the barrier of entry to advanced reactor designs and permit them to be evaluated on a level playing field with respect to LWR technology.
**Legitimate concerns exist about incumbent resistance to increases in licensing fees, no matter how small.  However, conversations between this team and one state-run utility indicates that the real concern is that current applicants do not feel their application fees are being used for their intended purpose, which is the approval of licenses.  This proposal will mitigate that concern because additional fees will more than be recouped by reductions in licensing approval time.  Communicating this benefit to incumbents in the spirit of cooperation and with a focus on mutually beneficial results will help allay these concerns.**

Who will take these actions?

The President of the United States via the Nuclear Regulatory Commission: The Commissioners are appointed by the President - a White House that nominates a candidate with a strong mandate to reform the licensing process would send an implicit signal to the industry about pending changes while explicitly enabling change via the change in NRC leadership. Pending actions by the EPA to regulate carbon emissions have set a precedent for this kind of unilateral political action.

Where will these actions be taken?

The United States

How much will emissions be reduced or sequestered vs. business as usual levels?

By the year 2050, this proposal seeks to enable the displacement of all fossil fuels used for grid scale electricity generation with nuclear power.  Current US carbon emissions for electricity are approximately 2.2 million metric tons (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories).  Assuming US population increases are counteracted by per-capita reductions in electricity consumption due to energy efficiency efforts, the US will continue to emit 2.2 million metric tons of carbon annually from electricity generation.  Also, assuming this proposal enables the displacement of fossil fuels on a linear basis, 39.6 million tons of carbon will be avoided between now and the year 2050 ((2050-2014)*(2.2M)/2).

What are other key benefits?

Local, non-greenhouse gas emissions will also be eliminated through the implementation of this proposal.

What are the proposal’s costs?

This proposal would impose relatively little cost to the federal government or the United States economy. All of the proposed actions would be spearheaded by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and would be paid for by a modest fee increase to incumbent design applicants.
The fiscal year 2014 NRC budget was $1,055.9 million for a staff of 3,815 full time employees (NRC FY 2015 Congressional Budget Justifcation Summary).  Assuming overhead is distributed evenly across all parts of the organization, the NRC assigns approximately $277,000 in budget to each employee.  A modest 5% increase in the current $272 per staff hour application fee (10 CFR Part 55) would yield a 4.5% increase in the budget (90% of the budget is paid for by fees), or approximately $45 million.  Using the above costing methodology, this would allow the addition of 162 personnel, more than sufficient to initiate the beginning of a new licensing team.  Ultimately, these costs would be more than made up for by savings generated for the U.S. economy from the deployment of advanced nuclear reactor technologies which are potentially more cost-effective than even today's cheap natural gas.

Time line

The total timeframe to implement the actions outlined by our proposal is 5-10 years. Specifically, we recommend the following timeline:
  1. The NRC will begin earmarking application fees starting in Fiscal Year 2015-2016.
  2. The NRC will revise its staff-hour rate for existing applications starting in Fiscal Year 2015-2016.
  3. The NRC will initiate the creation of an initial licensing liaison team in Fiscal Year 2015-2016, with biennial reviews and revisions to the team's structure thereafter.
  4. The NRC will initiate the creation of a technology neutral framework for reactor licensing in Fiscal Year 2015-2016, with the aim of applying it to a "pilot" non-LWR application in 2020.
  5. The NRC will aim for the full adoption of the TNF for licensing of all new nuclear reactor designs by 2025.

Related proposals

References

  1. 10 CFR Part 55 § 170.20
  2. Fiscal year 2015 NRC Congressional Budget Justification Summary
  3. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, “Feasibility Study for a Risk-Informed and Performance-Based Regulatory Structure for Future Plant Licensing.” NUREG-1860, December 2007.
  4. SECY-02-0139, “Plan for resolving policy issues related to licensing non-light water reactor designs,” July 22, 2002.
  5. M. Modarres, “Advanced nuclear power plant regulation using risk-informed and performance-based methods.” Reliability Engineering and System Safety, 94, pp. 211-217, 2009.
  6. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories 2013 energy flowchart


http://climatecolab.org/web/guest/plans/-/plans/contestId/1300401/planId/1305301

PLEASE VOTE For Nuclear Finalists in the MIT Climate CoLab Competition!

Dear Ms. Kearney,

Due to your role as editor of Nuclear Wire, I wanted to let you know about a nuclear-themed proposal that was recently selected for the finalist round of the MIT Climate CoLab competition. I am a fourth-year PhD student in Nuclear Science & Engineering at MIT, and I co-authored the proposal with two other graduate students - Sam Massey and Sam Shaner (cc'ed) - here at MIT. The Climate CoLab competition is open to the general public - anyone can submit a proposal and anyone can vote on their favorite proposal(s).

The proposal (link) was one of three selected from out of 25+ proposals for the US Government track, and the only nuclear-related proposal to make it to final round of the competition. In particular, our proposal calls for the development of a licensing process for advanced nuclear reactors to accelerate the pace at which nuclear power can be unleashed to tackle climate change in the United States.

We have between now and September 30th to ask people to vote for our proposal on the Climate CoLab website. If enough people vote for the proposal, we will (hopefully) be selected as a finalist to present in November to the "Crowds & Climate" symposium composed of highly distinguished policy-makers, investors, and business people.

Ilavenil Subbiah from MIT NSE suggested that we reach out to you about our proposal as we try to spread the word and raise support from the nuclear energy community. We wondered if our proposal might make a good topic for a Nuclear Wire post? In addition, if you have any other ideas on how best to publicize this and raise support, please let us know.

Thank you for your advice and any help you can give as we try to raise the profile of nuclear energy as the solution to the climate crisis!
Best,

Will Boyd
Nuclear Science & Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Experiences and Lessons Learned Worldwide in the Cleanup and Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities...

 Experiences and Lessons Learned Worldwide in the Cleanup and Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities...
http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Pub1644_web.pdf

Welding stir-up


Welding stir-up

EPRI is testing new friction-stir welding technologies, which could allow the repair of highly-irradiated reactor internals and attachments. 

http://www.neimagazine.com/features/featurewelding-stir-up-4363560/

Rajasthan Nuclear Plant Makes History, Runs Uninterrupted for Over 2 Years


Rajasthan Nuclear Plant Makes History, Runs Uninterrupted for Over 2 Years


http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/rajasthan-nuclear-plant-makes-history-runs-uninterrupted-for-over-2-years-587591

Ruling green lights temporary nuclear waste storage

Ruling green lights temporary nuclear waste storage

With no central underground depository, above-ground casks will have to do.

For decades, the U.S. nuclear energy industry has struggled to answer the biggest question posed by regulators and anti-nuke activists: How much confidence can we have in its ability to safely store radioactive waste long-term?

The most recent answer, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, is quite a lot. Last month, the agency in charge of regulating the commercial nuclear industry approved a rule that would allow for nuclear power plants to store radioactive waste above ground, indefinitely. The policy streamlines the environmental review process on projects related to nuclear energy, and supporters say it takes the pressure off attempts to establish a long-term underground repository.

http://www.hcn.org/articles/new-ruling-green-lights-temporary-nuclear-waste-storage

Editorial: Is Diablo Canyon nuclear plant ready for the ‘Big One’?



http://www.sacbee.com/2014/09/06/6683447/other-view-is-diablo-canyon-nuclear.html

Ralph Nader's take on nuclear power

Nuclear Power’s Insanities – Taxpayer-Guaranteed


http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/09/nuclear-powers-insanities-taxpayer-guaranteed/

Nuclear Regulatory Commission decision is seen as a “game-changer”

Nuclear Regulatory Commission decision is seen as a “game-changer”


http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/magazine/physicstoday/news/10.1063/PT.5.8068

PLEASE VOTE For Nuclear Finalists in the MIT Climate CoLab Competition!

Dear Ms. Kearney,

Due to your role as editor of Nuclear Wire, I wanted to let you know about a nuclear-themed proposal that was recently selected for the finalist round of the MIT Climate CoLab competition. I am a fourth-year PhD student in Nuclear Science & Engineering at MIT, and I co-authored the proposal with two other graduate students - Sam Massey and Sam Shaner (cc'ed) - here at MIT. The Climate CoLab competition is open to the general public - anyone can submit a proposal and anyone can vote on their favorite proposal(s).

The proposal (link) was one of three selected from out of 25+ proposals for the US Government track, and the only nuclear-related proposal to make it to final round of the competition. In particular, our proposal calls for the development of a licensing process for advanced nuclear reactors to accelerate the pace at which nuclear power can be unleashed to tackle climate change in the United States.


We have between now and September 30th to ask people to vote for our proposal on the Climate CoLab website. If enough people vote for the proposal, we will (hopefully) be selected as a finalist to present in November to the "Crowds & Climate" symposium composed of highly distinguished policy-makers, investors, and business people.

Ilavenil Subbiah from MIT NSE suggested that we reach out to you about our proposal as we try to spread the word and raise support from the nuclear energy community. We wondered if our proposal might make a good topic for a Nuclear Wire post? In addition, if you have any other ideas on how best to publicize this and raise support, please let us know.

Thank you for your advice and any help you can give as we try to raise the profile of nuclear energy as the solution to the climate crisis!
Best,

Will Boyd
Nuclear Science & Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

John Kutsch provides an informative energy rant and another video debunks Caldicott


http://nextbigfuture.com/2014/09/john-kutsch-provides-informative-energy.html

$10 trillion would be needed to rebuild the electric grid to integrate solar and wind on a large scale


http://nextbigfuture.com/2014/09/10-trillion-would-be-needed-to-rebuild.html

Fusion isotope breeders can work with thorium molten salt reactors for nonproliferation


Fusion isotope breeders can work with thorium molten salt reactors for nonproliferation

http://nextbigfuture.com/2014/09/fusion-isotope-breeders-can-work-with.html

Thorium Isotope breeder proposed by Maglich who had created four Migma Colliding ion beam fusion systems



http://nextbigfuture.com/2014/09/thorium-isotope-breeder-proposed-by.html

Friday, September 5, 2014

India Seeks Trade Agrements to Expand Nuclear Power Generation


India Seeks Trade Agrements to Expand Nuclear Power Generation - See more at: http://nucleotidings.com/article/nuclear-reactors-161-india-seeks-trade-agrements-expand-nuclear-power-generation#sthash.AkYQwi0Y.dpuf

http://nucleotidings.com/article/nuclear-reactors-161-india-seeks-trade-agrements-expand-nuclear-power-generation

China is Working on It's Own Generation III Power Reactor Design -

 Nuclear Reactors 162 - China is Working on It's Own Generation III Power Reactor Design -
Nuclear Reactors 162 - China is Working on It's Own Generation III Power Reactor Design - See more at: http://nucleotidings.com/article/nuclear-reactors-162-china-working-its-own-generation-iii-power-reactor-design#sthash.vciuPCB0.dpuf
Nuclear Reactors 162 - China is Working on It's Own Generation III Power Reactor Design - See more at: http://nucleotidings.com/article/nuclear-reactors-162-china-working-its-own-generation-iii-power-reactor-design#sthash.vciuPCB0.dpuf

http://nucleotidings.com/article/nuclear-reactors-162-china-working-its-own-generation-iii-power-reactor-design

Hitachi, U.S. Universities Pursue Technology to Burn Transuranics in Boiling Water Reactors


Hitachi, U.S. Universities Pursue Technology to Burn Transuranics in Boiling Water Reactors


http://nuclearstreet.com/nuclear_power_industry_news/b/nuclear_power_news/archive/2014/09/05/hitachi_2c00_-u.s.-universities-pursue-technology-to-burn-transuranics-in-boiling-water-reactors-090501.aspx#.VApldRm5I7A

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant Weekly Review

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant Weekly Review


http://nuclearstreet.com/nuclear_power_industry_news/b/nuclear_power_news/archive/2014/09/05/fukushima-daiichi-nuclear-plant-weekly-review-090502.aspx#.VAplNRm5I7A

The Dangerous US NRC Typo Making “Low Level” Radioactive Waste More Radioactive than Allowed at WIPP

The Dangerous US NRC Typo Making “Low Level” Radioactive Waste More Radioactive than Allowed at WIPP



http://miningawareness.wordpress.com/2014/09/04/the-dangerous-us-nrc-typo-making-low-level-radioactive-waste-more-radioactive-than-allowed-at-wipp/

Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement in Iran for September 5, 2014

Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement in Iran for September 5, 2014

September 5, 2014
View PDF: Implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement in Iran for September 5, 2014

ISIS Analysis of IAEA Iran Safeguards Report

ISIS Analysis of IAEA Iran Safeguards Report

by David Albright, Paulina Izewicz, Andrea Stricker, and Serena Kelleher-Vergantini
September 5, 2014
Download PDF
http://isis-online.org/isis-reports/detail/isis-analysis-of-iaea-iran-safeguards-report5/#When:00:48:14Z

Safe and Sustainable Radioactive Waste Management IAEA Scientific Forum to Highlight How to Meet This Challenge

Safe and Sustainable Radioactive Waste Management

IAEA Scientific Forum to Highlight How to Meet This Challenge

Scientific Forum 2014
With 437 nuclear power reactors in operation in 30 countries, a further 70 under construction in 15 States, and thousands of radioactive sources being used worldwide in industry, agriculture medicine and research, the safe and sustainable management of radioactive waste is a priority for every country.
Certain types of waste can remain radioactive from a few hours to hundreds of thousands of years, and suitable approaches to storage and disposal must be developed to protect people and the environment from potential hazards, to ensure their safety now and in the future.
To highlight this important issue, the IAEA has organized this year's Scientific Forum to focus on the scientific and technological experience gained around the world, providing the basis for safe and sustainable waste management approaches.
The Scientific Forum (23-24 September 2014) will be held on the margins of the 58th General Conference (22-26 September 2014), the annual weeklong gathering of all the IAEA's Member States.
Entitled Radioactive Waste: Meeting the Challenge - Science and Technology for Safe and Sustainable Solutions, the Scientific Forum will explore the importance of an integrated approach to waste management, from its generation to disposal, including anticipation of future developments. Representatives from 18 countries will showcase how available solutions can address the challenges being faced in radioactive waste management.
In dedicated sessions, these experts will present available experience with waste characterization, treatment and conditioning, to convert it into a form suitable for storage, transport, and ultimately, disposal, and discuss how these provide the basis for its safe management. A panel session will also focus on how evolving nuclear technologies such as better use of nuclear fuel, innovative fuels and advanced reactors and fuel cycles, could affect future waste management needs.
According to the IAEA Nuclear Technology Review 2014, there were 68 million m3 of radioactive waste in storage around the world at the end of 2013. And up to the year 2012, approximately 76 million m3 of radioactive waste were disposed of.
Although each country is responsible for the safe management of its radioactive waste, the IAEA, with experience in this area spanning more than five decades, provides technical assistance when Member States request it. Hence, the Scientific Forum will highlight the benefits of international cooperation in this field and the IAEA support to its Member States in developing and implementing viable radioactive waste management solutions.

- By Sasha Henriques, IAEA Office of Public Information and Communication

IAEA Experts to Visit Japan for Fukushima Seawater Sampling

Press Release 2014/19


IAEA Experts to Visit Japan for Fukushima Seawater Sampling


5 September 2014 | Two IAEA experts will visit Japan from 8 to 14 September 2014 to collect water samples from the sea near TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, in an exercise to support high-quality gathering and analysis of radioactivity data by the responsible authorities in Japan.
The visit by the experts is the first follow-up activity to the advisory points on marine monitoring included in a report by the IAEA International Peer Review Mission on Mid- and Long-Term Roadmap Towards the Decommissioning of TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Units 1-4, which in late 2013 reviewed Japan's efforts to plan and implement the decommissioning of the plant.
Advice from that mission included conducting interlaboratory comparisons in order to foster greater transparency and confidence in the marine monitoring results produced, as well as presenting these results to the public in a scientifically correct but understandable way.
Water samples collected during the forthcoming visit will be shared between the IAEA Environment Laboratories and Japanese laboratories, and analysed independently by each. The results will then be compared to check the quality of the analyses and document the reliability and comparability of data.
The IAEA and Japan are also discussing the details of their cooperation regarding marine monitoring. The IAEA runs similar exercises for analytical laboratories worldwide, to help improve analytical capabilities.
Photos taken during the collection of water samples will be provided by the Nuclear Regulatory Authority.

Areva offers to build research reactor in Azerbaijan

Areva offers to build research reactor in Azerbaijan


http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Areva-offers-to-build-research-reactor-in-Azerbaijan-0509201401.html

Regulatory panel in Japan affirms decision that will force decommissioning of Tsuruga reactor

Regulatory panel in Japan affirms decision that will force decommissioning of Tsuruga reactor


http://enformable.com/2014/09/regulatory-panel-japan-affirms-decision-will-force-decommissioning-tsuruga-reactor/

Saudis update ambitious nuclear energy plans


Saudis update ambitious nuclear energy plans


http://neutronbytes.com/2014/09/02/saudis-update-ambitious-nuclear-energy-plans/

Energy Quote of the Day: ‘Grid Jihad’

Energy Quote of the Day: ‘Grid Jihad’

By Jared Anderson
California Faces Continued Energy Woes
The suggestion that ISIS-related militants could team up with Mexican drug cartels to disable the US power grid for an extended period of time seems a bit alarmist, but worth noting, particularly in light of 2 recent substation attacks in California. US power grid vulnerability, be it from cyber attack or direct assault, has been

Power Engineering Top Stories 9/5

Top Stories
FutureGen project approved to sequester carbon underground
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved permits that will allow FutureGen Industrial Alliance Inc. to inject carbon dioxide underground in Illinois.
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U.S., China, S. Korea to help Kenya build nuclear energy
The government of Kenya said the U.S., China and South Korea will help the country develop nuclear energy
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Dominion, Duke, others form JV to build natural gas pipeline
Dominion (NYSE: D), Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), Piedmont Natural Gas (NYSE: PNY) and AGL Resources (NYSE: GAS) formed a joint venture to build and own a proposed natural gas pipeline.
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DOE report: U.S. has 4.9 GW of potential offshore wind projects in the works
The Energy Department (DOE) released a new report showing steady progress for the U.S. offshore wind energy industry over the past year.
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OGE Energy Corp. names new president, CFO
Aventine upgrades Illinois cogeneration facility, replaces boilers
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Toshiba celebrates commercial operation of eighth CCPP steam turbine in US
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Dynegy investigating transformer fire at N. Illinois coal-fired plant, says nobody injured
Siemens to help US Geological Survey boost energy efficiency
Oklahoma landowners sue over wind farm plan
NV Energy receives approval to tap into western energy market
Fmr. NRC Commissioner Magwood begins position at Nuclear Energy Agency
University of Maine Tests 54-meter Wind Turbine Blade
The Laclede Group completes acquisition of Alabama Gas Corporation
Siemens completes 1600 MW combined cycle power plant in UAE
Finnish nuclear plant further delayed until 2018
Feds want nuclear waste train, but nowhere to go
Report: India’s nuclear power plants were “accident-free” from 2013-2014

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VIDEO: Reactor vessel installed at Watts Bar 2 nuclear unit
The fully assembled reactor vessel was installed at the Watts Bar 2 nuclear project in Tennessee.
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Duke Energy to retire W.C. Beckjord Station coal-fired units
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK) announced Thursday that the company will retire the remaining coal-fired units, 5 and 6, at its W.C. Beckjord Station in New Richmond, Ohio, effective Sept. 1.
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Xcel Energy defends $665mn Monticello plant project
Xcel Energy says customers should pay for the overrun costs of a $665 million project to rebuild a power plant in Monticello.
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PennEnergy's Top Power Headlines 9/5

Top Power Headlines

EPA OKs FutureGen plan for CO2 storage

Artist rendering of plant
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday said it has approved permits for the FutureGen clean coal project to store carbon dioxide underground. …more>>
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PG&E faces $1.4B penalty for San Bruno gas pipeline blast

California regulatory judges recommended a $1.4 billion penalty fpr PG&E — the largest safety-related levy ever against a public utility in the state — for 2010 San Bruno gas pipeline explosion that killed eight people. …more>>
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Top Power News

Construction time uncertain for Vogtle nuclear project

Fire forces partial shutdown of Dynegy power plant

MIT research team designing better surfaces for energy

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GE turbines to power 97 MW plant in the Philippines

Duke to build 110 MW wind power project in Texas

Start of Olkiluoto 3 nuclear plant further delayed

Siemens hands over Shuweihat S3 combined cycle plant

206 MW Maine wind project gets preliminary approval

Instant Analytics: Innovations for grid modernization