Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

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

Saturday, February 25, 2012

DOE Takes Initial Step in US Manufacture of Small Modular Nuclear ...

DOE Takes Initial Step in US Manufacture of Small Modular Nuclear ...
On January 20, 2012, The Department of Energy (DOE) took its first step in the manufacture of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) in the US by issuing a ...
www.citationtechnologies.com/.../DOE-Takes-Initial-Step-in-U...

SMR developers are racing to the market | The Energy Collective

SMR developers are racing to the market | The Energy Collective
Developers of small modular reactors (SMRs) of both the light water and fast neutron flavors are in a race to get to market. The reason is a hypothetical SMR ...
theenergycollective.com/node/77332

SMRs and Iowa's Energy Future

SMRs and Iowa's Energy Future
Blog for Iowa (blog)
During Iowa's public discussion of nuclear power over the last three years, proponents have frequently mentioned Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) as the solution to some of the problems with nuclear power. That current nuclear technology is flawed, ...

Iran and Israel: Who's the bigger threat?

Iran and Israel: Who's the bigger threat?
Los Angeles Times
So why should the Jewish state fear a nuclear-armed country in its neighborhood? A worker rides a bike in front of the reactor building of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, just outside the southern city of Bushehr, Iran. (Majid Asgaripour / Associated ..

Tehran Is Ramping Up Nuclear-Fuel Output


Tehran Is Ramping Up Nuclear-Fuel Output
Wall Street Journal
The International Atomic Energy Agency on Friday also reported that Iranian officials continue to rebuff the agency's calls to explain growing evidence that shows Tehran has experimented in developing the technologies for atomic weapons.

Nuclear Experts Finger Japan's Lax Safety Culture

Nuclear Experts Finger Japan's Lax Safety Culture
Wall Street Journal
By MITSURU OBE TOKYO—As Japan's nuclear-power industry struggles to regain public trust after the Fukushima Daiichi accident, a group of heavyweight international experts called on authorities to examine the role of a lax safety culture in the ...

Innovation vs. Invention: NAATBatt White Paper Asks for Support of Distributed Energy Storage

The Energy Collective - Sponsored by Siemens
By James Greenberger, February 25, 2012
This past week, a coalition of 12 leading utilities and industrial companies assembled by NAATBatt finalized a white paper detailing the “national benefits” of distributed energy storage technology. The paper points out that some of the most important benefits of distributed energy storage (DES) systems—their ability to stabilize the national power grid, to enable states to meet renewable...  » Continue...

-Homes Near Fukushima May Be Permanently Off-Limits

-Homes Near Fukushima May Be Permanently Off-Limits

Old King Coal: Notwithstanding Ambitious Nuclear Plans, Asian Growth Will Remain Fueled By Coal




Old King Coal: Notwithstanding Ambitious Nuclear Plans, Asian Growth Will Remain Fueled By Coal

Home An Energy Watershed ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES AHEAD Published In: John M. Deutch Share/Save

JOHN DEUTSCH: U.S. 'Is Not Pursuing Nuclear Energy In A Steady And Consistent Pattern'


An Energy Watershed

ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES AHEAD

Published In:

Share/Save  

The fallout from Fukushima



AsiaOne
The fallout from Fukushima
Irish Times
It began with the huge quake that struck off the coast of the city of 71000 at 2.46pm. Less than an hour later Sakurai was on the roof of the city office, squinting towards the sea, 10km away. “We could see this huge cloud of dust rising into the air ...

New Blog to Recommend

Uranium enrichment for nuclear fuel

China electrical consumption in 2011 and 2012

China electrical consumption in 2011 and 2012

China Daily - China's yotal electricity consumption is expected to top 5.14 trillion kilowatt-hours (kwh) this year, with the growth rate slowing from 11.7 percent in 2011 to between 8.5 and 10.5 percent, the CEC said in an annual industrial report posted on its website.

According to the CEC report, China's electricity consumption rose 11.7 percent year-on-year to 4.69 trillion kwh in 2011, with 24 provincial-level power grids reporting electricity shortages.

The CEC projected China's installed power generating capacity to reach 1.14 billion kilowatts by the end of 2012, adding 85 million kilowatts of capacity.

Read more »

"The other thing Vogtle has revived: Nuclear hysteria"


"The other thing Vogtle has revived: Nuclear hysteria"
"With the NRC's announcement of the the first new reactor licenses issued in three decades, anti-nuclear activists have come out of the woodwork with some of the same predictable arguments. Steve Skutnik takes aim at a recent high-profile post, in which one nuclear opponent throws out everything (including the kitchen sink) in a desperate, facts-optional attempt to quash the nascent nuclear revival via fear, uncertainty, and doubt."

Thorium must form part of India's energy mix: AEC chief

Thorium must form part of India's energy mix: AEC chief
Hindu Business Line
Large-scale utilisation of thorium must form an important element of India's energy strategy, according to Dr Srikumar Banerjee, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy. Delivering the convocation address at ...

Atomic Power Review - News roundup, February 24

 
Atomic Power Review - News roundup, February 24
 
 
Atomic Power Review provides a brief summary of events in Japan and a few interesting nuclear news stories from North America.

Friday, February 24, 2012

Abstract - The Next Meltdown? Responding to a Nuclear Accident in ...

Abstract - The Next Meltdown? Responding to a Nuclear Accident in ...
Homeland Security Affairs is the online journal of the Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS) and is the nation's preeminent peer-reviewed journal ...
www.hsaj.org/?article=8.1.2

EU jpublic acceptance of nuclear power same as pre-Fukushima official


EU public acceptance of nuclear power same as pre-Fukushima: official
Platts
Nuclear power has recovered more public acceptance after the 2010 Fukushima disaster boosted anti-nuclear sentiment in those EU countries where it was previously accepted but it has not gone beyond that, Philip Lowe, director general for the European ...

INSIGHT: Japan's nuclear crisis goes much further than Fukushima


INSIGHT-Japan's nuclear crisis goes much further than Fukushima
Reuters
* Critics say nuclear waste plant too little, too late * Plant won't be big enough to handle waste long term * Other solutions are needed, such as underground storage * Adds to uncertainty over future of nuclear power in Japan By Risa Maeda TOKYO, ...

American NGOs fund nuclear protests: Manmohan Singh

American NGOs fund nuclear protests: Manmohan Singh
Economic Times
Among the plants suffering delays is the Kudankulam power station in Tamil Nadu, which was due to open last year. Progress on the Russian-built reactor has been halted by protesters over safety fears. "The atomic energy programme has got into problems ...

Anxiety Surrounding Nuclear Still Lingers

Anxiety Surrounding Nuclear Still Lingers

Energy and Capital -
By Stephanie Ginter The topic of nuclear energy cultivates a slew of different reactions from the public and government authorities and varies from country to country. While the nuclear industry is booming in the United States, Japanese citizens are ...

Research and Markets: Nuclear Power Industry in the US - Porter's Five Forces ...

Research and Markets: Nuclear Power Industry in the US - Porter's Five Forces ...

SunHerald.com - 
The nuclear energy industry in the US is worth well over $60 billion, with the US having the highest number of nuclear power plants in the world (104 nuclear power plants as of 2010). There is no doubt that the US is one of the biggest players in the ...

Canada's nuclear industry needs to fight fukushima fear, top executive says

Canada's nuclear industry needs to fight Fukushima fear, top executive says

Ottawa Citizen -
By Ian MacLeod, The Ottawa Citizen February 23, 2012 Tom Mitchell, president and CEO of Ontario Power Generation, urged Canada's nuclear industry not to retreat in the face of renewed public skepticism in an address Thursday to several hundred Ottawa ...

Tritium leak at North Anna gives another example of why nuclear energy's wrong


Tritium leak at North Anna gives another example of why nuclear energy's wrong
Examiner.com
Dominion is also reported to have told the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) that the contaminated water is not leaking off-site and that there is no evidence that the 5.8 magnitude earthquake is related to the leak. I don't know whether this is ...

Southern Nuclear responds to Vogtle license challenge


Southern Nuclear responds to Vogtle license challenge
The Augusta Chronicle
A consortium of groups asked for judicial review of its request that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission — which issued a combined operating license Feb. 9 – halt further construction due to unresolved safety concerns related to the crisis in Fukushima.

Over 10 United States reactor licenses could be modified, suspended . . .


Over 10 United States nuclear reactor licenses could be modified, suspended ...
Enformable
On Thursday, February 16, 2012, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff issued 10 CFR 50.54(f) letters to plants that use Westinghouse realistic emergency core cooling system (ECCS) methods (ASTRUM or CQD) and have a peak cladding temperature ...

A Guided Tour of Hell


http://www.downloadtheuniverse.com/dtu/2012/02/a-guided-tour-of-hell.html

Into the Forbidden Zone: A Trip Through Hell and High Water in Post-Earthquake Japan, by William T. Vollmann. Byliner Originals, 2011. (Nook/Google Ebook/Sony eReader/iTunes bookstore/Kindle Single)

Reviewed by Maggie Koerth-Baker


http://www.downloadtheuniverse.com/dtu/2012/02/a-guided-tour-of-hell.html

An Open Letter to Attorney General Sorrell


An Open Letter to Attorney General Sorrell

CNN Hatchet Job about Vermont Yankee


CNN Hatchet Job about Vermont Yankee

Obama's Fantasy Energy Plan

Obama's Fantasy Energy Plan

I had a friend, now dead. who worked for West German intelligence debriefing East Bloc defectors.

India promises level playing field to US nuclear firms

India promises level playing field to US nuclear firms

Boston MA (IANS) Feb 21, 2012
Noting that India will need to invest more than $1 trillion on infrastructure to continue on the high growth trajectory, New Delhi has promised US companies a level playing field, including in the area of nuclear energy. "In order to continue on the high growth trajectory, India will need to invest more than $1 trillion in the coming years in building a world class infrastructure that coul

Into the no-man's land of Fukushima

Into the no-man's land of Fukushima

Fukushima Daiichi, Japan (AFP) Feb 21, 2012
Every two minutes on the bus ride through the ghost towns surrounding Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, a company guide in a white protective suit holds up a display showing the radiation level. And it is rising. Passing through the disaster exclusion zone visitors catch sight of houses that look like they could be anywhere in Japan, except for the odd sign that there is no-one to loo

TEPCO to cement Fukushima seabed to stem radiation

TEPCO to cement Fukushima seabed to stem radiation

Tokyo (AFP) Feb 22, 2012
The operator of Japan's tsunami-crippled nuclear plant is to cover a large swathe of seabed near the battered reactors with cement in a bid to halt the spread of radiation, the company said Wednesday. A clay-cement compound will be laid over 73,000 square metres (785,000 square feet) of the floor of the Pacific in front of the Fukushima Daiichi plant on the nation's northeast coast, said Tok

A Primer on Pending Environmental Regulations and their Potential Impacts on Electric System Reliability -- NESCAUM

A Primer on Pending Environmental Regulations and their Potential Impacts on Electric System Reliability -- NESCAUM

A Primer on Pending Environmental Regulations and their Potential Impacts on Electric System Reliability a report by the Northeast States for Coordinated Air Use Management updated February 2012

"The purpose of this primer is to provide a basic background on recent and pending U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) rules affecting the electric power generation sector (with coal power plants being a major focus). Several studies are briefly summarized that have assessed the environmental regulations’ possible collective impact on power plant retirements and electric system reliability. Where available, USEPA analyses of the costs and benefits of proposed and final rules are presented. Also presented are planning options identified in several of the scenario studies that can help mitigate potential reliability issues."

Blog Post: New Reactors Connect to Grid in South Korea

Blog Post: New Reactors Connect to Grid in South Korea

Korea Electric Power Co. has hooked two new reactors up to the grid.

World Nuclear News reported Thursday that Shin Kori 2 and Shin Wolsong 1 were connected to the grid last month and will enter into commercial service by the middle of the year.

Construction began on both units in 2007, according to the World Nuclear Association. Both are OPR-1000s – pressurized water reactors designed domestically and based originally on the Combustion Engineering System 80 reactor. They bring the total number of power reactors in South Korea to 23. Previously, nuclear provided 31 percent of the country’s electrical generation.

Last year Korea reaffirmed plans to produce nearly 60 percent of its power from 40 reactors by 2030. Three additional units are under construction and expected to come online by the end of 2014.

China Doesn’t Need to Innovate by DailyEnergyReport

China Doesn’t Need to Innovate

Wind Power In Trouble on Two Fronts

Wind Power In Trouble on Two Fronts

Wind power is being squeezed on two fronts. Natural gas prices remain low, limiting the financial incentive to install wind capacity. Meanwhile, the Chinese government continues limit the supply of rare earth elements (REE), and the magnets required for wind turbines use sizable quantities of two of them, neodymium and dysprosium. Any interruption in supply, accompanied with price shocks, could debilitate the wind industry, whose struggle to become competitive is already being harmed by the success of its competitors like natural gas. 

Hydrogen Fuel Cells: Not Long to Wait Now

Hydrogen Fuel Cells: Not Long to Wait Now

Fuel cells are one of those technologies we have covered before, usually citing some manufacturer who is fan-faring a new technology purported to be game-changing for the cost structure of the hydrogen fuel cell market. So far, fuel cells are used predominantly in specialist applications such as submarines and space vehicles, or in remote areas where power requirements are low yet refuelling is expensive or difficult — or both. The breakthrough application would be an economically viable application in automobiles, but according to the FT,…Read more...

Life After Oil - A Look at the Latest Clean Technology Developments

Life After Oil - A Look at the Latest Clean Technology Developments

Gasoline prices in the U.S. are off on another tear. The national average just went by $3.57 for regular and due to a little problem of several major refineries that serve the U.S.'s East Coast shutting down, here in Northern Virginia we are running 20 to 25 cents a gallon higher than normal. The wisest of the prognosticators say we should seeing circa $4+ a gallon by late spring so the Washington area will likely be seeing circa $4.50. In case you missed it, they are already getting $5 for regular down by the Kennedy Centre. Somebody in Congress…Read more...

DOE no Longer Able to Fund Clean Technology Ventures after Budget Cuts

DOE no Longer Able to Fund Clean Technology Ventures after Budget Cuts

The US Department of Energy's (DOE) days as a financier of clean technologies are over thanks to the Solyndra backlash, but budget cuts would have prevented the department from functioning in that role anyway, according to NRG Energy's chief executive. "It was the headline for a good part of the year in 2011," David Crane, president and CEO of power generator NRG Energy, said of the Solyndra situation at the Jefferies 2012 Global Clean Technology Conference in New York on Wednesday. "In all likelihood it will be a headline into a good part of the…Read more...

India's Soaring Energy demands strain national grid

India's Soaring Energy demands strain national grid

As the “Third World” races to industrialize, rising population demands for reliable energy place increasing stress on a country’s power generating capabilities, and nowhere is this more evident than in BRIC nation India. “Energy from anywhere” seems to be New Delhi’s motto, as the cost of India’s energy imports is proving a significant drag on the otherwise explosive growth of the nation’s economy. India, the world's fourth largest oil importer, ships in 80 percent of its oil requirements. The detrimental…Read more...

Kuwait finally announces plans to cancel nuclear builds

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/kuwait-abandons-nuclear-programme-after-fukushima-fallout-446709.html

Kuwait finally announces plans to cancel nuclear builds

SACE and NC WARN: Southern Company does not have Real "Skin in the Game" if Vogtle Reactor Loan Guarantee Defaults

SACE and NC WARN: Southern Company does not have Real "Skin in the Game" if Vogtle Reactor Loan Guarantee Defaults

Industry Group Spreading Falsehoods About Viability of Controversial Nuclear Project
WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) believed to be just days away from awarding a $8.33 billion taxpayer-backed loan guarantee to Southern Company/Georgia Power and their utility partners for the proposed Vogtle reactors in Georgia, concerned groups are warning that several falsehoods are being spread about the risks faced by U.S. taxpayers.
In particular, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and NC WARN pointed to a news release circulated on February 16, 2012 by the Nuclear Energy Institute, the trade organization for the nuclear industry.  (See http://www.nei.org/newsandevents/newsreleases/doe-loan-guarantee-for-plant-vogtle-expansion-on-sound-financial-footing/.)
Among the falsehoods contained in the release are the following:

http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=5012452&access=EH

U.S. does not believe Iran is trying to build nuclear bomb

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iran-intel-20120224,0,1164870,full.story

U.S. does not believe Iran is trying to build nuclear bomb

The latest U.S. intelligence report indicates Iran is pursuing research that could enable it to build a nuclear weapon, but that it has not sought to do so.

By Ken Dilanian, Los Angeles Times
6:11 PM PST, February 23, 2012
Reporting from Washington

As U.S. and Israeli officials talk publicly about the prospect of a military strike against Iran's nuclear program, one fact is often overlooked: U.S. intelligence agencies don't believe Iran is actively trying to build an atomic bomb.

South Korea has two new nuclear power plants, China invests in nuclear research and Energy in Saskatchewan

South Korea has two new nuclear power plants, China invests in nuclear research and Energy in Saskatchewan

UPDATE 1-Poland to engage more partners in nuclear program



UPDATE 1-Poland to engage more partners in nuclear program

Majority U.S. Public Support for Nuclear Energy Has Stabilized, New Survey Shows

Majority U.S. Public Support for Nuclear Energy Has Stabilized, New Survey Shows
Eighty-one percent of Americans view nuclear energy as important to meeting the nation's future electricity needs, according to a new national public opinion survey. Read more.

Special Report: Fuel storage, safety issues vexed Japan plant

Report: Fukushima Daiichi plant had fuel-storage issues

Special Report: Fuel storage, safety issues vexed Japan plant


The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant was storing uranium fuel rods beyond its original capacity at the time of the March 11 earthquake, according to documents from Tokyo Electric Power. "They were headed for dense pack and that would have made the situation even worse," said Frank von Hippel, a U.S. nuclear-security adviser during President Bill Clinton's administration. Reuters

Nuclear companies give $1.2M for USC research center

Nuclear companies give $1.2M for USC research center http://www.charlestonbusiness.com/news/42844-nuclear-companies-give-1-2m-for-usc-research-center?rss=0

OPPD, NRC meeting about Neb. plant was positive, exec says

OPPD, NRC meeting about Neb. plant was positive, exec says
A meeting between officials from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Omaha Public Power District about the utility's Fort Calhoun nuclear plant in Nebraska was productive, said Gary Gates, OPPD's president and CEO. The facility has been offline since April because of refueling maintenance and flooding. "The recovery process is in full swing," Gates said. KETV-TV (Omaha, Neb.)

The Ten States That Run On Nuclear Power

The Ten States That Run On Nuclear Power

PG&E expects NRC to clear relicensing of Diablo Canyon plant

PG&E expects NRC to clear relicensing of Diablo Canyon plant
Pacific Gas & Electric expects the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant to be relicensed after it concludes its new seismic analyses and petitions the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to resume relicensing work, the utility said. The facility "needs to get relicensed for the state of California. It's a great asset," said Anthony Earley, PG&E's chairman, president and CEO. Bloomberg

Insight: Japan's nuclear crisis goes much further than Fukushima


Insight: Japan's nuclear crisis goes much further than Fukushima
Reuters
Dogged by persistent technical problems, it is designed to recycle spent nuclear fuel and partly address a glaring weakness in Japan's bid to restore confidence in the industry, shredded last year when a quake and tsunami wrecked the Fukushima Daiichi ...

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes SMR developers seek investors and customers

 

Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes

SMR developers seek investors and customers

First, they have to prove they can build one

 

 

Small modular reactor vendors seek investors and customers. First they have to prove they can build one. This report, the 2nd in a series, looks at opportunities to develop prototypes at the Department of Energy's Savannah River site.

Gendai: 1.5 million Bq/m² detected in Tokyo park — At level of mandatory evacuation areas after Chernobyl

Gendai: 1.5 million Bq/m² detected in Tokyo park — At level of mandatory evacuation areas after Chernobyl 

http://enenews.com/gendai-1-5-million-bqm2-detected-in-tokyo-park-at-level-of-mandatory-evacuation-area-after-chernobyl

IAEA Fukushima Daiichi Status Report

Fukushima | 23 February 2012

Fukushima Daiichi Status Report

The latest Fukushima Daiichi Status Report is now available. The Report (in pdf format) can be accessed here →.

Virginia Nuclear Plant Leaking Radioactive Tritium by WashingtonsBlog

Virginia Nuclear Plant Leaking Radioactive Tritium

Majority U.S. Public Support for Nuclear Energy Has Stabilized, New Survey Shows

Majority U.S. Public Support for Nuclear Energy Has Stabilized, New Survey Shows

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Nearly a year after the Fukushima Daiichi accident in Japan, a strong majority of Americans—81 percent—views nuclear energy as important to meeting the nation’s future electricity needs. Moreover, a solid majority of Americans believes nuclear power operations in the United States are safe and secure, according to a new national public opinion survey that reveals that popular support for nuclear energy has stabilized.

Blog Post: UK Nuclear Reactors May Receive Lifetime Extensions, Energy Minister Says

Blog Post: UK Nuclear Reactors May Receive Lifetime Extensions, Energy Minister Says

During a conference in London Tuesday, UK energy minister Charles Hendry hinted that several of the county's reactors could have their lives extended into the mid-2020's. The ageing plants had been scheduled to be shut down during the course of the next ten years - with only the Sizewell B reactor in Suffolk scheduled to continue operating and plans for 16GW of new plants at eight sites in the works - but now  the country may have to reconsider in order to cover the looming energy gap.
”By the early 2020s [almost the] whole nuclear fleet will be closed down,” Hendry said. “Some may get a lifetime extension – that is entirely possible.”

NRC releases post-crisis safety recommendations

NRC releases post-crisis safety recommendations
Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff have recommended initial safety rules for nuclear plant operators that would address concerns related to the Fukushima Daiichi incident in Japan. One rule would require operators to come up with strategies for extreme scenarios, while another would task nuclear plants with enhancing instrumentation in used nuclear fuel pools. "Each of the orders is focused on enhancing defense in depth at nuclear power plants through increased capabilities to minimize the potential for core damage following a beyond design basis external event," the agency said in a memo. Reuters

Energy Solutions wins waste processing contract at United Arab Emirates new build site

New post on i-NUCLEAR

EnergySolutions wins waste processing contract at United Arab Emirates new build site

by I-Nuclear
EnergySolutions has been awarded a four-year contract with Korea Electric Power Corp. to design and supply waste management systems for the United Arab Emirates nuclear energy program, EnergySolutions said February 23.

US NRC staff recommends post-Fukushima nuclear safety upgrades


US NRC staff recommends post-Fukushima nuclear safety upgrades
Platts
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission should order nuclear power plants to take a variety of measures to enhance their ability to withstand severe earthquakes and floods, such as those that caused the Fukushima-1 accident in Japan, agency staff said in ...

NRC proposes first post-Fukushima safety standards

NRC proposes first post-Fukushima safety standards
Power Engineering Magazine
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on Feb. 17 proposed three rules to address safety-related issues following the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. The rules, the first since the NRC established its task force to ...

Arnie Gundersen at the Japan National Press Club

Arnie Gundersen at the Japan National Press Clubhttp://www.fairewinds.com/content/arnie-gundersen-japan-national-press-club

A Reminder about the RIC by Moderator

U.S. NRC Blog

A Reminder about the RIC

by Moderator
The NRC’s 24th annual Regulatory Information Conference (RIC) is around the corner, March 13th to 15th, in North Bethesda, Md. Yes, the conference is free and open to the public, but you still need to register. You can register online before Feb. 28 or on-site at the registration service desk.
In addition to a comprehensive program agenda and network opportunities, participants will have their pick of 36 technical sessions and 24 technical poster and tabletop presentations. There will also be several sessions addressing high-interest topics associated with the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident and the NRC’s response to lessons-learned such as seismic and station blackout events, flooding and ventilation issues, emergency preparedness and incident response.
For your convenience, we have introduced new social media elements including  a RIC Twitter feed, Quick Response (QR) codes and YouTube videos.
• Twitter: Follow us @NRCGOV_RIC and get the up-to-the-minute postings of RIC news and highlights and you can go to the direct RIC Twitter feed. Non-Twitter followers can access the same information at the RIC website.
• QR Codes: displayed on conference materials and technical posters and tabletops that you can quickly scan using compatible hand-held devices to take you to specific conference information links
• YouTube: view the short video snippets of the RIC opening and plenary sessions the day after each session. Additional links will take YouTube visitors to the NRC video archives to view the entire sessions at the NRC video archive web page.
Visit the NRC website for more information on the RIC, registration and access to post-RIC event materials. And check out our new YouTube video: Three Minutes on the  RIC.
Ivonne Couret
Public Affairs Officer

Here Are 10 States That Run On Nuclear Power

Here Are 10 States That Run On Nuclear Power
Business Insider
The anniversary of the Japan earthquake, which killed over 16000 people and caused the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, is only two weeks away. Immediately after the disaster, several European nations decided to significantly

Kuwait scraps nuclear power in light of 3/11

Kuwait scraps nuclear power in light of 3/11
The Japan Times
KUWAIT CITY — Kuwait is no longer pursuing nuclear power following the disaster in Japan, scrapping a plan last July to build four reactors by 2022, officials of a Kuwaiti government research body said Tuesday.

Danger Zone: Ageing Nuclear Reactors

Danger Zone: Ageing Nuclear Reactors
Aljazeera.com
Following Japan's nuclear disaster last year there are fears the US may be heading for a nuclear catastrophe of its own. In March 2012, a devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan caused a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

India to push ahead with nuclear power


India to push ahead with nuclear power
UPI.com
23 (UPI) -- India needs nuclear energy to sustain its economic growth, a government official said. Speaking in New Delhi Wednesday at the International Nuclear Symposium, Indian Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Srikumar Banerjee said

B&W Named to MIT Technology Review's 2012 TR50 List of the World's Most ...


B&W Named to MIT Technology Review's 2012 TR50 List of the World's Most ...
MarketWatch (press release)
The company is developing the B&W mPower reactor with a scalable and modular design to be capable of adding generating capacity in 180 MWe increments to match customers' load growth projections. It is designed to feature a four-year operating cycle ...

modular reactors « The Nuclear Information Center

modular reactors « The Nuclear Information Center
Pictured here is one of many models of small, modular reactors. Smaller reactors are currently being developed and promoted as a new option for electricity ...
nuclear.duke-energy.com/tag/modular-reactors/

B&W makes list of 50 most innovative companies

B&W makes list of 50 most innovative companies
Charlotte Business Journal (blog)
Two mPower small modular reactors are shown installed in an underground assembly in this rendering provided by Babcock and Wilcox. They are the long cylindrical objects at the left and right. A truck drawn in the above ground bay gives a sense of the ...

Coming to Grips with Countries Reasons for Going Nuclear

Coming to Grips with Countries Reasons for Going Nuclear

Coming to Grips with Countries Reasons for Going Nuclear

While there is much discussion and debate on the Internet over the 'meaning' of the expansion of the worlds nuclear fleet, something has slipped in this discussion over the reason why countries are deciding to go nuclear.

Let's review; dozens of countries have decided to expand their nuclear fleet or, where there is not nuclear fleet, decided to set up the needed nuclear regulatory and safety regime into order to develop such a fleet. This goes against the almost exclusively anti-nuclear decisions of OCED countries such as Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland who have decided to either never build nuclear or, have announced plans to eventually phase it out.

Among those countries taking the opposite direction, either developing new nuclear or expanding existing infrastructure: include: France, Finland, Britain, Vietnam, China, India, Russia, Czech Republic, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Nigeria, Namibia, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Poland, Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, South Korea, Taiwan.

I'm sure they are more and obviously, some are more serious than others in going for nuclear energy.

But what are the reasons?

Unlocking the Next Energy Breakthroughs: What Drives Energy Innovation in 2012?

Unlocking the Next Energy Breakthroughs:
What Drives Energy Innovation in 2012?

Sustainable Business ForumLive, Free Webcast from
The Energy Collective
March 5th, 11:30 AM ET / 8:30 AM PT
What technologies represent the cutting edge of energy innovation in 2012, and which ones show the most promise for helping us to establish a sustainable energy future and power our economy in the process? What are the respective roles of the public and private sectors in driving innovation in the space?

Following on the heels of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy's 3rd annual Energy Innovation Summit in Washington, DC, and looking forward to the Edison Foundation's Powering the People event in March, The Energy Collective will bring together experts from both organizations and exciting technology leaders to explore the innovations that are modernizing our approach to energy.

Join us as we discuss:
  • The most promising clean energy technology ventures and the latest ARPA-E grantees.
  • The transformational technologies that can make room for cleaner energy in our electric grid and change the way consumers interact with power.
  • Key questions about what drives innovation: Are government incentives necessary to promote cleaner technology that will achieve substantial scale? Where is the private sector strongest in driving efficiency and innovation?
  • The challenges for clean tech ventures achieving large-scale market success. How do clean energy companies become competitive?
Join us for this live webinar » to discuss how we can innovate our way to a cleaner energy future.
FEATURING...
Dr. Cheryl Martin is Deputy Director for Commercialization for the Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E), responsible for leading the organization’s commercialization program to help breakthrough energy technologies succeed in the marketplace. Prior to this, Dr. Martin was an Executive in Residence with Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, a venture capital firm. Previously, she was with Rohm and Haas Company as General Manager for the Paint and Coatings Materials business in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Spending 20 years at Rohm and Haas, Cheryl started her career there as a Senior Scientist for the Plastics Additives business.
Lisa V. Wood is the Executive Director of the Institute for Electric Efficiency, which works with the electric utility industry to advance energy efficiency, demand response, and customer-side technologies. Lisa launched IEE after more than two decades of consulting with electric utilities on retail customer issues. In that role, she directed economic, financial, and market analysis studies for leading electric utilities nationwide, with an emphasis on energy efficiency, dynamic pricing, and value of electric service reliability. She also serves as an Advisor to Johnson Controls’ Institute for Building Efficiency and is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University.
Jack Hurley is the Regional Cluster Coordinator of the Electronics, Energy and Environment (EEE) GTF for Siemens in the US. He is charged with growing a world-class R&D organization focused on emerging energy technologies to support the unique needs of the Siemens businesses operating in the North American region. Jack’s depth of experience in the electronics and energy technology sectors enables him to play a valuable role for the EEE Cluster at Siemens Corporation, Corporate Research and Technology.
Jesse Jenkins is Director of Energy and Climate Policy at the Breakthrough Institute, and is one of the country's leading energy and climate policy analysts and advocates. Jesse's work and analysis has been featured in Time, Newsweek, Fortune, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and other major media outlets. He is founder and chief editor of WattHead - Energy News and Commentary and a featured writer at the Energy Collective.

Fearing radiation, Naha cuts Aomori snow fete

Fearing radiation, Naha cuts Aomori snow fetehttp://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20120223a3.html

Update from ANS: TVA uses supercomputers to look inside reactors

American Nuclear Society

TVA uses supercomputers to look inside reactors

By dyurman on Feb 23, 2012 01:00 am

A partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory will yield results for years to come By Dan Yurman Living next door to the most powerful computers in the world offers the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) a unique opportunity to get answers to … Continue reading
Read in browser »
share on Twitter Like TVA uses supercomputers to look inside reactors on Facebook

G-20 Clean Energy, and Energy Efficiency Deployment and Policy Progress- IEA

G-20 Clean Energy, and Energy Efficiency Deployment and Policy Progress- IEA

Reporting to G-20 on Clean Energy and Efficiency Progress

G-20 Clean Energy, and Energy Efficiency Deployment and Policy Progress, a report prepared by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in collaboration with the G-20 Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Working Group, provides an overview of clean energy and energy efficiency technology deployment and summarises support policies in place across G-20 countries. The report highlights that while clean energy technology deployment has made steady progress and energy efficiency improvements have been made, continued reliance on fossil fuels to meet growth in global energy demand presents a significant challenge. Scaling-up the deployment of renewable energy, in addition to improving end-use efficiency, enhancing the efficiency of fossil fuel based power generation, and supporting the widespread deployment of CCS will, therefore, also be crucial aspects of the transition to a cleaner energy future.

Because the G-20 group of countries represent close to 80% of energy-related CO₂emissions, by developing and deploying energy efficiency and clean energy technologies, they are presented with a unique opportunity to make collective progress in transitioning the global energy system. IEA Deputy Executive Director Richard Jones emphasised the importance of G-20 efforts, saying, "The IEA welcomes this important collaboration with the G-20. Enhanced deployment of clean energy technologies and of energy efficiency improvements offers energy security and environmental benefits. It will also enable cost savings over the medium and long term – an aspect that is particularly relevant at a time of economic uncertainty. We believe that enhanced policy assessment and analysis, building on this initial report, will enable governments to take more cost effective and efficient policy decisions.”

Next Gen Nuclear Plant Industry Alliance Selects AREVA Concept

Next Gen Nuclear Plant Industry Alliance Selects AREVA Concept

Paris, France (SPX) Feb 23, 2012
AREVA welcomes the announcement by the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Industry Alliance LLC that AREVA's prismatic core, 625 MW thermal, steam cycle modular high temperature gas-cooled reactor (SC-HTGR), AREVA's HTGR Generation IV reactor, was selected as the reactor design concept to provide high temperature process steam for industrial applications and electricity production.

Why Shale Gas is the Best Hope for Our Energy Future

Why Shale Gas is the Best Hope for Our Energy Future

Citizens of the world, consumers of energy and environmental stewards, our mission is to build a sustainable, environmentally friendly and economically viable energy source.  By design, few of us are in love with fossil fuels. But what we must be; are realists. As the search for the best energy solution(s) today continues, time-and-time again the compass points north to Natural Gas. Why, because, key industrial centres are sitting on vast shale gas energy opportunities. This is no longer a fantasy but a vision that can benefit the world today,…Read more...

Overcoming High Oil Prices - Time to Stop Playing the Energy Victim

Overcoming High Oil Prices - Time to Stop Playing the Energy Victim

Our world is a ‘funk’—again over global oil price spikes caused by concerns about conflict between Iran and Israel drawing the US into a war, the continuing agony of Greek debt and its euro contagion, worries that China may have deeper economic problems than thought that will drag the global economy back into recession.  In other words, situation normal. But the situation is not normal in the US since we are in the midst of the primary election season and spiking oil prices is seen as a perfect excuse to hammer the president…Read more...

Big Oil's Generosity and the Cloak of Social Responsibility

Big Oil's Generosity and the Cloak of Social Responsibility

U.S. supermajor Exxon Mobil said it invited 50 school girls to its headquarters in Texas for its 9th annual program meant to encourage more women to pursue engineering. The company said that while women make up about half of the U.S. workforce, only around 14 percent of those jobs were in the field of engineering. The program, Exxon explained, was part of a multi-million dollar effort launched through its philanthropic arm, the Exxon Mobil Foundation. The initiative, Exxon officials explain, is meant to show school girls that engineering was…Read more...

New Oil Field in the Gulf of Mexico Could be Huge

New Oil Field in the Gulf of Mexico Could be Huge

The BP blowout reaction a couple years ago put a lid on oil and gas development in the Gulf of Mexico that has yet to be fully lifted.  With oil over $100 today and the projections on prices looking scary for the economy and average Americans, a little good news is very welcome. A midsize oil explorer and developer company called McMoRan has been working in shallow Gulf of Mexico waters, close to shore, but drilling very deep.  For years McMoRan has been ignored.  Until:Chevron, the Big Oil Giant out of California caught on to the…Read more...

SMR Commercial Deployment forecast for late 2020's by utility

SMR Commercial Deployment forecast for late 2020's by utility

NUCLEAR

... Commercial nuclear plants in the United States are based on light water reactor (LWR)
technology developed in the 1950s. One unit, the 1,200-megawatt Columbia Generating Station operates in the Northwest. Motivated by improved plant designs, the need for new low-carbon baseload resources and financial incentives of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, nuclear development activity has resumed in the United States following a three-decade hiatus. As of late 2009, developers have submitted applications to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for combined construction and operating licenses for 27 new units at 17 sites, largely in the southeast. Most proposals are planned for service in the late teens, and construction of the initial units is expected to be contingent on federal incentives. The proposed plants employ evolutionary LWR designs with increased use of passively operated safety systems and factory assembled standardized modular components. These features should improve safety, reduce cost, and increase reliability.

Work is also underway on developing small modular reactors (SMRs). SMRs are conceived as modular, scalable, largely factory-assembled plants of 25 to 350 megawatts generating capacity.

Compared to 1,100 to 1,800 megawatt conventional reactors, the smaller size and modular
construction of SMRs are intended to reduce capital cost and investment risk by employing a greater degree of factory assembly, shortening construction lead time and better matching plant size to customer needs through scaling of multiple units. Smaller plant size may also permit greater siting flexibility and cogeneration potential and can benefit system reliability through reduction in “single-shaft” outage risk. Proposed SMR designs offer improved safety through features such as integral construction (all reactor coolant systems contained within a single pressure vessel), below-ground emplacement, and lifetime, factory-installed fuel supplies. The SMR concept is not new or unique - over 50 SMR designs have been proposed - however, the enormous investment and long lead time needed to construct conventional reactor plants plus increasing interest in deploying carbon-free nuclear technology in developing countries has resulted in unprecedented interest in SMR technology. Completion of the first demonstration SMRs is at least a decade away. Designs must be completed, NRC design certification secured, and demonstration projects permitted, financed, constructed and tested.

Nuclear plants could be an attractive source of dependable capacity and baseload low-carbon energy that is largely immune to high natural gas prices and climate policy. However, a new nuclear unit would entail the risks of construction delay, regulatory uncertainty, escalating costs,
and the reliability risk associated with a large single-shaft machine. The reference plant is a
single 1,100 megawatt advanced-light water reactor unit. The reference cost of power from this unit is estimated to be $108 per megawatt-hour (2025 service). Construction of a new unit in the Northwest would likely require the successful completion and operation of at least one of the proposed new units elsewhere in the United States, established spent-nuclear fuel disposal policy, and aggressive development of equally cost-effective conservation and renewable resources. These conditions would likely preclude operation of a new conventional nuclear plant in the Northwest prior to the early to mid-2020s.

Late 2020's early 2030's maybe better forecasts for some systems.

Source: Northwest Power and Conservation Council
Council Document 2010-09 Feb. 2010
Chapter 6: Generating Resources and Energy Storage Technologies Sixth Power Plan
Page 6-40

PG&E Names Industry Veteran as Chief Nuclear Officer

PG&E Names Industry Veteran as Chief Nuclear Officer

Ed Halpin Will Oversee Operations at Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant



SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) today announced the appointment of Edward D. Halpin as its new Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer.  Halpin will be responsible for the continued safe, efficient, and reliable operations of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant (DCPP) and the decommissioning of Humboldt Bay Power Plant. He will also serve as the utility's lead contact with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Can North America Become Bigger than Qatar as the World's Leading LNG Exporter?

Can North America Become Bigger than Qatar as the World's Leading LNG Exporter?
LONDON, February 22, 2012/PRNewswire/ --

Cheniere's latest SpA with KOGAS has once again launched North America into the headlines. Jean Abiteboul, President, Cheniere Supply & Marketing, will be giving a keynote presentation at the LNG Export Forum North America in Houston on the 16 - 18 May 2012, and will also give updates on the Sabine Pass - the launch of the first US LNG export terminal.

The Forum will highlight upon:

    
    - How Cheniere spotted an opportunity to export LNG and a review of its
      partnerships with GAIL, BG Group, KOGAS, and Gas Natural Fenosa
    - Exploring how the Kitimat LNG project stands out in terms of access to markets
      and economic benefits
    - An inside view on the Department Of Energy's conclusions for granting further
      export licenses
    - Gaining first-hand information on export strategies from Oman LNG and how it
      intends to maintain market share
    - Hear Statoil's forecast on the future status for LNG export in North America -
      is this a long term business or a short term trend?


Also, Janine McArdle, from Apache Corporation and Kitmat will give a keynote address on Building a Roadmap for Successful LNG Export; while Edward Scott from Excelerate Energy will be exploring a different approach to LNG; Nitin Shukla from Hazira LNG and Port and Dr. A.K Balyan from, Petronet India, will both present in the Buyer Perspective Panel - Standing Out from the Crowd: What Asian and European Buyers Will Look for When Considering Import from North America and Kathleen Eisbrenner, Next Decade and Chesapeake Energy will be Forecasting the Future of LNG Export from North America

For further information and updates please visit our website: http://www.lngexportna.com

Source: Gastech Specialist Events
Notes to the editor: Website address: http://www.lngexportna.com, Follow Us on Twitter: energydmg, For all press enquiries: Contact Neill Howard on +44(0)203-180-6508 or neillhoward@dmgevents.com.