Saturday, February 9, 2013

From Things Worse than Nuclear Power: "Let's talk about physics, baby"

From Things Worse than Nuclear Power:
"Let's talk about physics, baby"
Comparing energy densities of different energy sources, *including* wind and solar.
Http://www.thingsworsethannuclearpower.com/2013/02/energydensityphysicsbaby.html

Our Energy Investment Sinkhole Problem

our-investment-sinkhole-problem?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Energy+Collective+%28all+posts%29

Doel, Tihange reactor vessel flaw resolution

http://atomicpowerreview.blogspot.com/2013/02/electrabel-february-4-press-release.html

Belgian regulator FANC believes there is no reason to permanently retire the Doel-3 and Tihange-2 reactors; see press release and background links.

Crystal River 3 to be retired

http://atomicpowerreview.blogspot.com/2013/02/crystal-river-to-decommission.html

Duke Energy has decided to retire Crystal River 3. What's next? What's behind this decision? What happens to the plant? For these answers and many more, see the article which includes many added background links.

Latest developments at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station

http://atomicpowerreview.blogspot.com/2013/02/sce-responses-to-boxer-markey-letter.html

This week has seen several developments in the ongoing SONGS steam generator U-tube degradation situation. A presentation to the NRC, a letter from a Senator and a response from SCE to that letter have all occurred within the week. This story gives the latest response along with background links.

China will take more aggressive steps for cleaner cars and power in the face of killer air pollution

China will take more aggressive steps for cleaner cars and power in the face of killer air pollutionhttp://nextbigfuture.com/2013/02/china-will-take-more-aggressive-steps.html

Hydro beats coal and nuclear which beat oil and natural gas plants in a recent study

Hydro beats coal and nuclear which beat oil and natural gas plants in a recent studyhttp://nextbigfuture.com/2013/02/hydro-beats-coal-and-nuclear-which-beat.html

"Virginia ANS section discovers hidden asset – Clay Condit"

"Virginia ANS section discovers hidden asset – Clay Condit"

On January 31, 2013, lucky members of the Virginia section of the
American Nuclear Society heard a series of informative tales from an
innovative pioneer of the First Atomic Age -- Clay Condit, a man
overflowing with personal memories of important nuclear energy
milestones. Rod Adams reports.

http://ansnuclearcafe.org/2013/02/05/virginia-ans-section-discovers-hidden-asset-clay-condit/

San Onofre restart issue growing more contentious and convuluted by Lucas W Hixson

San Onofre restart issue growing more contentious and convuluted

by Lucas W Hixsonhttp://enformable.com/2013/02/san-onofre-restart-issue-growing-more-contentious-and-convuluted/

Revolution by Charles Barton

Revolution

by Charles Barton

The original title of my pro-nuclear blog was Nuclear Green. The primary interest was in Molten Salt and Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors. As I began to explore the potential of this technology, I came to see more and more possibilities. http://nucleargreen.blogspot.com/2013/02/revolution.html

Pilgrim LOOP / NOUE by Will Davis

Pilgrim LOOP / NOUE

by Will Davis

Last evening (2/8) as a result of the blizzard burying the Northeast of the United States, Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Massachusetts suffered a LOOP event (Loss Of Offsite Power) and subsequent reactor trip (also popularly called a "scram") which is the as-designed event sequence for an LOOP event. The NRC has made a press release this morning, the text of which follows:

----------

NRC MONITORS PILGRIM STATION AFTER LOSS OF OFFSITE POWER AND UNUSUAL EVENT DECLARATION

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Region I staff is monitoring the Pilgrim nuclear power plant after the site lost offsite power Friday evening. The plant is operated by Entergy Nuclear and is located in Plymouth, Mass.

Pilgrim automatically shut down after losing offsite power at 9:17 Friday night (2/8). The plant is stable and all plant safety systems responded as designed. The plant's diesel generators are currently supplying power to plant equipment. Plant operators declared an unusual event due to the loss of all off-site power. An Unusual Event is the lowest of four levels of the NRC’s emergency classification system.

There was no impact to plant workers or the public.

----------

Pilgrim did not scram out from full power, as the plant had been operating at a reduced power level to negate problems with a simmering relief valve. The last data point shown by NRC for Pilgrim had the plant at 83% power.

If any updates are required, I'll make them here or on Twitter -- ' @atomicnews '.

(Data and reports from Entergy, NRC, Cape Cod Times, and others.)

11:00 AM Eastern 2/9/2013ATOMIC POWER REVIEW

Senator Murkowski's Energy Policy Blueprint

by CliftonYin

Senator Lisa Murkowski, the ranking Republican on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, released a comprehensive, 121-page energy policy blueprint featuring about 200 policy recommendations spanning fossil fuels, clean energy technology, environmental responsibility, and effective government.http://theenergycollective.com/cliftonyin/183116/murkowski-energy-blueprint?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=The+Energy+Collective+%28all+posts%29

Climate Change and Winter Storm Nemo

by JosephRomm

People should take the weather forecasts of this storm seriously and act accordingly. Similarly, the nation should take seriously the climatic projections of ever worsening storms from global warming, and act accordingly.http://theenergycollective.com/josephromm/184206/historic-blizzard-climate-change?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=The+Energy+Collective+%28all+posts%29

Half a million without power in US storm Financial Times

Why We Still Need Nuclear Power

Making Clean Energy Safe and Affordable

By Ernest Moniz

November/December 2011http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/136544/ernest-moniz/why-we-still-need-nuclear-power

Mass. nuclear power plant loses power, shuts down during snowstorm; NRC monitoring

U.S. snowstorm shuts down Massachusetts nuclear planthttp://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/09/usa-weather-nuclear-idUSL5N0B90JK20130209

Asahi: Tepco to check for “smashed fuel rods” after large piece of debris fell at Fukushima Unit 3 pool

Published: February 8th, 2013 at 11:52 am ET
By ENENews http://enenews.com/asahi-tepco-to-check-for-smashed-fuel-rods-after-large-piece-of-debris-fell-at-unit-3-fuel-pool

Title: TEPCO accident causes new problem at Fukushima
Source: THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
Date: February 08, 2013

The operator of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant has admitted dislodging broken equipment weighing 1.5 tons and sending it falling further into a pool where fragile nuclear fuel rods lie.
[...] on Feb. 7, Tokyo Electric Power Co. officials said work a day earlier to shift an unrelated steel frame nearby caused “vibrations” which dislodged the hoist. It fell, disappearing beneath the water surface.
TEPCO now plans to drop a video camera into the pool to check whether the hoist has smashed fuel rods below. [...]
They insisted there has been no significant change in radioactive concentrations measured in the pool and in the atmosphere since before the latest incident.

ANS Update 2/9 End-of-week news wrap/February 8, 2013

End-of-week news wrap/February 8, 2013

By Will Davis on Feb 08, 2013 05:30 pm

By Will Davis There have been some significant developments in a number of ongoing news stories this week; we’ll touch on three highlights in this wrap-up. Crystal River-3 to be retired, Placed in SAFSTOR On Tuesday, February 5, Duke Energy … Continue reading →
Read in browser »

Energy leaders’ nuclear uncertainty diminishing

Concerns over nuclear energy use have been eclipsed by energy price volatility, the global recession, political unrest and future climate frameworks as the top uncertainties for global energy leaders, according to the World Energy Council (WEC).http://energyandnuclear.com/2013/02/08/energy-leaders-nuclear-uncertainty-diminishing/?goback=.gde_2437005_member_212241354

Negotiations on new nuclear power plants ‘need more scrutiny’

Negotiations on new nuclear power plants ‘need more scrutiny’http://energyandnuclear.com/2013/02/08/negotiations-on-new-nuclear-power-plants-need-more-scrutiny/?goback=.gde_2437005_member_212241192

Continuing cleanup of Fukushima pool

A large twisted steel truss has been removed from the fuel pool of Fukushima Daiichi 3 as part of efforts to clear debris from the pond and service floor area.
Securing long-term safety for used fuel in the four damaged reactor buildings is the main priority for Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco). The storage pools on the top floors of the buildings are littered with heavy concrete and steel wreckage after the hydrogen explosions that followed the core melts of March 2011.http://energyandnuclear.com/2013/02/08/continuing-cleanup-of-fukushima-pool/?goback=.gde_2437005_member_212359061

Nuclear News Round Up (4th Feb - 8th Feb)

February 8, 2013

Nuclear News Round Up (4th Feb – 8th Feb)

4th February 2013

5th February 2013

7th February 2013

8th February 2013

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Fukushima Survivors To Sue Japan Government Over Role In Nuclear Disaster

Fukushima Survivors To Sue Japan Government Over Role In Nuclear Disaster http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/08/fukushima-survivors-sue-japan-government_n_2647715.html

NRC Probing Edison Unit's Documents on Nuclear Plant

Bloomberg - ‎

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission is investigating information that an Edison International unit provided to the agency about two shuttered reactors at the company's San Onofre plant in California. The probe, which began Sept. 28, is looking into the ...http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-09/nrc-probing-edison-unit-s-documents-on-nuclear-plant.html

San Onofre design issues probed by regulatory commission

Los Angeles Times - ‎

The head of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Friday that the agency's office of investigations is probing the "completeness and accuracy" of information Southern California Edison has given the agency about equipment at its troubled San Onofre ...http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2013/02/san-onofre-design-issues.html

Best Technology: Thorium Reactors technology

Best Technology: Thorium Reactors technology
The metal has its own “issues” but no thorium reactor could easily spin out of control So the Chinese will soon lead on this thorium technology as well as ...
technologyyz.blogspot.com/.../thorium-reactors-technology.ht...

Friday, February 8, 2013

US Nuclear Power: Bloodied, but Unbowed

US Nuclear Power: Bloodied, but Unbowed
Investing Daily
Another one bites the dust. Following months of speculation, Duke Energy Corp (NYSE: DUK) announced this week that it will permanently close the Crystal River nuclear plant it acquired as part of last year's merger with the former Progress Energy.http://www.investingdaily.com/16198/us-nuclear-power-bloodied-but-unbowed

Fukushima Whistleblower Makes False Accusations

Fukushima Whistleblower Makes False Accusations

A panel-member of Japan’s congressional Nuclear Accident Independent Investigative Committee (NAIIC) says Tepco “blocked” one of their critical accident investigations last February. To the contrary, the evidence at-hand irrefutably proves his entire allegation is materially false.

http://www.hiroshimasyndrome.com/fukushima-commentary.html

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Merchant reactors face power price pressure

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/08/utilities-entergy-nuclear-idUSL1N0B869R20130208

MOX Facility Could Face Sequestration Cut

Massive federal spending cuts due to take effect in March have worried defenders of a planned $4.8 billion facility that would convert nuclear-weapon plutonium into mixed-oxide fuel for use in atomic energy reactors, Roll Call reported on Tuesday.
The White House Management and Budget Office has considered cutting funds for the unfinished Mixed-Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, according to the newspaper.
President Obama should sustain funding for the MOX project, The State on Wednesday quoted six South Carolina lawmakers as saying in a written statement to the administration.http://www.nti.org/gsn/article/mox-facility-could-face-sequestration-cut/

Atomic Power Review: SCE Responses to Boxer / Markey Letter

SCE Responses to Boxer / Markey Letter

by Will Davis

It has now become fairly widely reported that Senator Barbara Boxer (D) and Representative Ed Markey (D) have written a letter to the NRC supposedly containing "smoking gun" information from a leaked (i.e., non-public) Mitsubishi report. How they got this report remains open to question.

In response, Southern California Edison has sent out two press releases, which follow in the order of their dates. To my way of thinking, the second is far more important; both are here for completeness. My comment and a couple of links follow.

--------------------
{Press Release 1}

Southern California Edison Reacts to Congressional Letter

ROSEMEAD, Calif., Feb. 6, 2013 — Southern California Edison (SCE) is aware of the letter dated today by Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Ed Markey to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). SCE is fully cooperating with the NRC review process and is complying with all requests for information and documents related to the company’s San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. SCE leadership takes very seriously all allegations raised by the letter.

The plant has provided voluminous records, data, information and other accurate reports as requested in the months since the plant was safely shut down. SCE will continue its own internal work and we respect the NRC's inspection process. SCE is strongly committed to the transparent review of its operations at San Onofre and the safety of the public and its employees.

The plant’s Unit 2 was taken out of service Jan. 9, 2012, for a planned outage. Unit 3 was safely taken offline Jan. 31, 2012, after station operators detected a small leak in a steam generator tube. Each unit will remain shut down until the NRC is satisfied that the unit is safe to operate.

For more on the plant, please visit www.SONGScommunity.com, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SCE_SONGS and on www.facebook.com/SCE.

About Southern California Edison
An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.

--------------------
{Press Release 2}

Southern California Edison Addresses Congressional Letter

ROSEMEAD, Calif., Feb. 7, 2013 — The Feb. 6 letter to the Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) from Sen. Barbara Boxer and Rep. Ed Markey quotes portions of two sentences from a lengthy technical report that was prepared by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), not Southern California Edison (SCE). The report was submitted to the NRC by MHI months ago as part of the voluminous records, data, information and other materials the NRC has been thoroughly reviewing and inspecting as part of its consideration of SCE’s request to restart Unit 2 safely.

It is simply not accurate to suggest, as the letter does, that when they were installed “SCE and MHI were aware of serious problems with the design of San Onofre nuclear plant’s steam generators.” Indeed, MHI, the manufacturer of the steam generators, warranted the steam generators to be free from defects for 20 years after installation.

SCE would never, and did not, install steam generators that it believed would not perform safely.

SCE, like other utilities seeking to replace its steam generators, sought to purchase replacement steam generators that would meet or improve upon the safety standards and performance of the original steam generators.

SCE’s design specifications followed industry standards for compliance with NRC processes. In fact, SCE submitted two license amendments during the replacement steam generator review process, which the NRC approved.

The plant’s unit 2 was taken out of service Jan. 9, 2012, for a planned outage. Unit 3 was safely taken off line Jan. 31, 2012, after station operators detected a small leak in a steam generator tube. Each unit will remain shut down until the NRC is satisfied that the unit is safe to operate.

For more on the plant, please visit www.SONGScommunity.com, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/SCE_SONGS and on www.facebook.com/SCE.

About Southern California Edison
An Edison International (NYSE:EIX) company, Southern California Edison is one of the nation’s largest electric utilities, serving a population of nearly 14 million via 4.9 million customer accounts in a 50,000-square-mile service area within Central, Coastal and Southern California.

--------------------

Today, there will be a hearing with all the NRC Commissioners about the ongoing San Onofre issues -- no doubt why this Boxer / Markey letter "appeared" within the last 48 hours.

For background on this situation, see this recent APR post with thorough links to a great deal of information. Following the links from this post, you'll see that the NRC fully approved the design changes at San Onofre, and issued license amendments. I myself have read through all of the presentations (even those for today, which were posted several days ago) and still see nothing that tells me that either SCE or Mitsubishi should reasonably have suspected that these steam generators wouldn't work properly when they were installed.

8:30 AM Eastern 2/7/2013
ATOMIC POWER REVIEW

February 2013 edition of ANS journal Nuclear Technology available

by pbowersox

The February 2013 edition of the technical journal Nuclear Technology (NT) is available electronically and in hard copy for American Nuclear Society member subscribers and others.
NT is the international research journal of ANS and is edited by Nicholas Tsoulfanidis.
The February issue contains the following peer-reviewed articles:

Methodology for Designing a Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor with Inherent Safety, by N. E. Stauff, L. Buiron, B. Fontaine, G. Rimpault

Superprism-Sized Breed-and-Burn Sodium-Cooled Core Performance, by Florent Heidet, Ehud Greenspan

Shape Optimization of an Outlet Plenum of a Pebble Bed Modular Reactor, by Jae-Woo Ju, Sang-Moon Lee, Kwang-Yong Kim

Critical Mass Estimates for Homogeneous Metal-Water Mixtures of Key Fissionable Nuclides, by Drew E. Kornreich

New Risk Assessment Method for a Reprocessing Plant: Quantitative Safety Assessment, by Yoshikazu Tamauchi, Takashi Miyata, Kazumi Takebe, Yoshiaki Hayashi, Shingo Matsuoka, Kazuya Hayashi, Katsuya Kurosu

Fuel Cycle Investigation for Wallpaper-Type HTR Fuel, by Alain Marmier, Michael A. Fütterer, Kamil Tucek, Jim C. Kuijper, Jaap Oppe, Biser Petrov, Jérôme Jonnet, Jan Leen Kloosterman, Brian Boer

Synthesis Route for the Safe Production of Targets for Transmutation of Plutonium and Minor Actinides, by Catharina Nästrén, Asunción Fernandéz-Carretero, Joseph Somers

Investigation of Fission Product Transport into Zeolite-A for Pyroprocessing Waste Minimization, by James R. Allensworth, Michael F. Simpson, Man-Sung Yim, Supathorn Phongikaroon

Photon Intermediate Direct Energy Conversion Using a ⁹⁰Sr Beta Source, by Robert J. Schott, Charles L. Weaver, Mark A. Prelas, Kyuhak Oh, Jason B. Rothenberger, R. V. Tompson, Denis A. Wisniewski

Development of Self-Interrogation Neutron Resonance Densitometry to Improve Detection of Possible Diversions for PWR Spent Fuel Assemblies, by Adrienne M. Lafleur, William S. Charlton, Howard O. Menlove, Martyn T. Swinhoe, Alain R. Lebrun

Synthesis of Silica-Coated Uranium Oxide Nanoparticles by Surfactant-Templated Sol-Gel Process for Use as Catalysts, by Shameem Hasan, Tushar K. Ghosh

ANS journals are available for purchase by edition or by article. Please click here to go to the online journals page. A menu of ANS publications is available online by clicking here.

Making Concrete Plans Experts Meet to Discuss NPP Infrastructure Development

Making Concrete Plans

Experts Meet to Discuss NPP Infrastructure Development

Story Resources

Listen to this story

About 100 nuclear policymakers and senior managers will gather from 11 to 14 February 2013 at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, Austria, to discuss nuclear power infrastructure development, with a particular focus on countries starting nuclear programmes and their specific needs.
The objective of the weeklong Technical Meeting on Topical Issues of Infrastructure Development: Nuclear Power Project Development in Emerging Nuclear Power States is to serve as a forum for sharing experiences especially regarding the management of nuclear power projects.
Participants will discuss siting, feasibility studies, contracting, construction and stakeholder involvement.
In addition, experiences with using IAEA reviews services such as the Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR), Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS), Emergency Preparedness Review (EPREV), International Physical Protection Advisory Service (IPPAS), International State System of Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Material Advisory Service (ISSAS) will be shared.
The Technical Meeting will also cover nuclear safety. Participants will examine case studies, good practices and lessons learned during the process of implementing a nuclear power programme. Panel discussions on future trends will also be included.
Attendees, mostly from countries preparing to build their first nuclear power plants, will be policymakers and senior managers engaged in the implementation of national nuclear power programmes and projects, senior managers developing national strategies, future owner/operator organizations and nuclear regulators.
Background
Since 2006, the IAEA has organized an annual Technical Meeting (TM) on Topical Issues of Infrastructure Development aimed at providing a platform for exchanging best practices in developing the required infrastructure and identifying the main issues that need to be considered when introducing nuclear power.
Previous meetings focused on knowledgeable decision-making and awareness building, infrastructure development and the implications of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident.
-- By Sasha Henriques, IAEA Division of Public Information

IAEA Reviews South Africa's Nuclear Infrastructure for Expansion

Story Resources

Listen to this story

Johannesburg, South Africa -- An IAEA team of international experts has carried out a review of South Africa's nuclear infrastructure - the first Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission to a country that is already generating nuclear power, and the first in Africa.
The team, assembled by the IAEA at South Africa's request, observed strong Government support for the country's nuclear expansion programme, noted strengths, and made recommendations for further action.
"This mission could not have come at a more important time for our country," said Nelisiwe Magubane, Director General of South Africa's Department of Energy.
"The INIR mission has strengthened the expertise and also the cooperation amongst the nuclear industry in South Africa. It has also given an opportunity to extend public engagement in preparation for the expansion of the nuclear programme."
The mission was conducted from 30 January to 8 February 2013. The IAEA has carried out eight previous INIR missions and one follow-up, all of them in "newcomer" countries that are initiating nuclear power programmes.
South Africa currently has Africa's only commercial nuclear power plant, at Koeberg in the Western Cape. Koeberg Nuclear Power Station began operating in 1984, and its two reactors generate five percent of the country's electricity. The South African government is committed to expanding its nuclear power programme, and asked the IAEA to conduct an INIR mission to review its infrastructure and identify areas for improvement.
"The mission has made a thorough review of all areas of South Africa's nuclear infrastructure," said IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano. "I warmly congratulate South Africa on this significant move to ensure a robust framework for expansion of its nuclear power programme."
INIR missions, which consist of IAEA staff and other international experts, are designed to help IAEA Member States to assess the status of their national infrastructure for the introduction or expansion of nuclear power.
The INIR team identified strengths in several areas supporting both the existing and new build programme, including regulatory self-assessment, environmental impact assessment, grid development and stakeholder involvement. It also made recommendations and suggestions to help South Africa strengthen its nuclear infrastructure as it expands its nuclear power programme.
The IAEA has developed a milestones approach and guidelines to help countries work in a systematic way towards the introduction of nuclear power and ensure that the infrastructure required for the safe, responsible and sustainable use of nuclear technology is developed and implemented.
The mission was funded through a combination of support from the South African government, the Peaceful Uses Initiative, and IAEA Technical Cooperation.
Background
Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review
Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) Missions provide IAEA Member State representatives with an opportunity to have in-depth discussions with international experts about experiences and best practices in different countries. In developing its recommendations, the INIR team takes into account the comments made by the relevant national organizations. Implementation of any of the team's recommendations is at the discretion of the Member State requesting the mission. The results of the INIR mission are expected to help the Member State to develop an action plan to fill any gaps, which in turn will help the development of the national nuclear infrastructure.
Milestones
The INIR missions review the 19 infrastructure issues identified in the Agency's publication Milestones in the Development of a National Infrastructure for Nuclear Power.
-- By Gill Tudor, IAEA Division of Public Information

60 Groups to John Kerry: Prioritize Climate Change, Reject Keystone XL

Posted: 08 Feb 2013 01:00 AM PST

Sixty organizations have asked newly appointed Secretary of State John Kerry to take strong action on climate change including rejecting the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.http://theenergycollective.com/danielle-droitsch/182791/kerry-keystone-xl?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Energy+Collective+%28all+posts%29

Energy Innovation: Lithium Battery Technology and Economic Growth

Posted: 08 Feb 2013 05:00 AM PST

We need to double-down on advanced battery technology and lithium-based batteries, not shun them. Storing ever increasing amounts of energy in ever decreasing amounts of mass is a dangerous business. But it is a business we must be in, as future economic prosperity depends upon using energy storage to facilitate ever increasing amounts of electronic data and energy.http://theenergycollective.com/jim-greenberger/182906/battery-technology-future-economic-growth?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Energy+Collective+%28all+posts%29

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant Weekly Review

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant Weekly Reviewhttp://nuclearstreet.com/nuclear_power_industry_news/b/nuclear_power_news/archive/2013/02/08/fukushima-daiichi-nuclear-plant-weekly-review-020802.aspx

Duke Reactor Shutdown Plan Shows Shale’s Sway Over Power

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-06/duke-reactor-shutdown-plan-shows-shale-s-sway-over-power-energy.html

Nonproliferation News updates 2/8

Nuclear Policy - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
A physicist by training, Acton specializes in nonproliferation, deterrence, and ... Chubin, who is based in Geneva, focuses his research on nonproliferation, ...
carnegieendowment.org/programs/npp/

Strategic Trade Control: Nonproliferation Engagement and Training
Argonne's Nonproliferation Engagement and Training Team provides critical support to the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA's) Office of Nuclear ...
www.ne.anl.gov/research/NPNS/net.html

U.N. Secretary General Inspires Students toward Increased Nuclear ...
Concentrating on nuclear nonproliferation, Secretary Ban stressed the importance of escalating nonproliferation activity worldwide, and the dangers of delaying ...
beforeitsnews.com/.../u-n-secretary-general-inspires-students-t...

Russia and US are to sign new agreement on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons

February 8, 2013 Yelena Chernenko, Kommersant

The new agreement might envisage use of joint expertise in the disposal of WMD from third-party countries. That, however, could entail some problems. http://indrus.in/world/2013/02/08/russia_and_us_are_to_sign_new_agreement_on_non-proliferation_of_nuclear_22175.html

Fukushima Updates 2/8

The topics for today's Fukushima updates include...

The former governor of Iwate Prefecture, Hitoya Masuda, says Tokyo’s Reconstruction Agency should play a critical role in local government budget planning... A class-action suit will be filed by Fukushima evacuees on March 11, the second anniversary of the accident’s onset... There will be a new Tokyo government panel created to oversee the decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi... Fukui Prefecture will investigate into using Liquid Natural Gas-fired units to replace their 14 nuke units... Nuclear Energy Insider’s Feb. 6 editorial says Japan’s nuclear restarts and new nuclear construction must be based on safety standards that are independent of politics.

http://www.hiroshimasyndrome.com/fukushima-accident-updates.html

France debates nuke waste facility

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2013/02/08/France-debates-nuke-waste-facility/UPI-19571360299960/

DOE considers furloughs as part of sequestration plan

Nemo Finds the Northeast: Three Feet of Snow Expected in Some Areas

http://www.yourenergyblog.com/nemo-finds-the-northeast-three-feet-of-snow-expected-in-some-areas?pk_campaign=JK-Nemo&goback=.gde_67258_member_212368834

France debates nuke waste facility

A public debate on whether to build a mammoth underground nuclear waste facility in northeastern France began this week amid praise and skepticism of the idea.

http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2013/02/08/France-debates-nuke-waste-facility/UPI-19571360299960/

Yucca Mountain Update

Decades-long Yucca Mountain battle could flare up - Elko Daily Free ...
CARSON CITY(AP) — Officials in the Nevada Agency for Nuclear Projects religiously check their computers every Tuesday and Friday when they wake up ...
elkodaily.com/.../article_11212fd4-6fcb-11e2-9ed3-001a4bcf..

“Yucca Mountain Will Be There Long After Senator Reid Is Gone ...
What happens when thousands of scientists do decades of research and taxpayers spend spend $15 billion on a scientifically validated site for nuclear waste ...
esciencenews.com/.../yucca.mountain.will.be.there.long.after.s...

San Onofre News Update 2/8

Edison rejects Sen. Boxer's claim about San Onofre generators
Los Angeles Times
Southern California Edison, the operator of the troubled San Onofre nuclear power plant, pushed back against two federal lawmakers who said that the utility company was aware of defects in the plant's replacement steam generators before they were ...http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0208-san-onofre-20130208,0,5170316.story

San Onofre nuke plant operator disputes safety claim
abc7.com
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Southern California Edison has denied that it knew of equipment problems linked to a tube break that released a trace of radiation at the San Onofre nuclear power plant last year. The plant was partially shut down in Jan 2012 ...http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/state&id=8984511

abc7.com

San Onofre Power Plant Owners Knew Of Steam Generator Problems Before ...
Huffington Post
In a letter to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Allison Macfarlane, Senator Barbara Boxer and Representative Edward Markey said a 2012 document by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, maker of the San Onofre power plant's steam generators, ...http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/07/san-onofre-power-plant_n_2637308.html

Edison and Mitsubishi Knew San Onofre Steam Generators Were Defective
OB Rag
A press release issued Wednesday by two prominent members of Congress charged that Southern California Edison (SCE) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) knew that the two replacement steam generators for the San Onofre nuclear plant were ...http://obrag.org/?p=70916

OB Rag

NEWS | SAN DIEGO Edison San Onofre unit probably won't start for peak season
San Diego Source (subscription)
Thursday, February 7, 2013. Article; Comments. California's power grid operator isn't expecting to receive any power from either reactor at Edison International's San Onofre nuclear plant as it prepares for peak cooling demand this year. Subscription ...http://www.sddt.com/news/article.cfm?SourceCode=20130207fbl&_t=Edison+San+Onofre+unit+probably+wont+start+for+peak+season

Financial Times Energy 2/8

FT.com - Energy

Eni in graft probe over Algeria contracts

http://link.ft.com/r/A1TNOO/CWI26H/5C0ZLF/7ABVJX/1OXN7O/6C/h?a1=2013&a2=2&a3=8

Ophir sale halves Mittal and Ziff stake

http://link.ft.com/r/A1TNOO/CWI26H/5C0ZLF/7ABVJX/9MSBYZ/6C/h?a1=2013&a2=2&a3=8

Japan’s Tepco signs gas deal with US

http://link.ft.com/r/A1TNOO/CWI26H/5C0ZLF/7ABVJX/4VYU42/6C/h?a1=2013&a2=2&a3=8

Cutifani pans threat of SA mining review

http://link.ft.com/r/A1TNOO/CWI26H/5C0ZLF/7ABVJX/YG5J2B/6C/h?a1=2013&a2=2&a3=8

India slashes annual growth forecast

http://link.ft.com/r/A1TNOO/CWI26H/5C0ZLF/7ABVJX/OF6WTS/6C/h?a1=2013&a2=2&a3=8

Nick Butler

The problems with Petrobras

http://link.ft.com/r/A1TNOO/CWI26H/5C0ZLF/7ABVJX/6AELW1/6C/h?a1=2013&a2=2&a3=8

A Cheap and Easy Plan to Stop Global Warming

Intentionally engineering Earth’s atmosphere to offset rising temperatures could be far more doable than you imagine, says David Keith. But is it a good idea?

http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/511016/a-cheap-and-easy-plan-to-stop-global-warming/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_source=newsletter-weekly-business&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20130208

PennEnergy's Top OIl & Gas News 2/8

Top Oil & Gas News

PennEnergy Video News Update

From the latest on the Pemex explosion

, to the possible changes in U.S. LNG exports

, to Wyoming's new safety rule

, all of the week's biggest headlines are in the PennEnergy Video News Update.
Full Article

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Gas buildup blamed for Pemex blast

A faulty electrical system and a buildup of gas are the factors behind a deadly blast at the Mexico City headquarters of Pemex on January 31st.
Full Article

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This Week's Most Popular Oil & Gas News
• Lawmakers push to fast track shipping natural gas overseas

• Wyoming imposes new oil and gas worker safety rule

• Oil and natural gas revolution turning U.S. into energy superpower

• Petroleum rail deliveries increase in 2012

• Halliburton announces new frack fluid

• Gas production startup at Eni’s MLE field in Algeria

• Spring hydrocarbon leak at Heimdal offshore field addressed in PSA order

• Oil transportation infrastructure upgrade contract in Italy for ABB

• Permian asset sale announced by Falcon E&P Opportunities

• Overseas investments lead strong start to 2013 for DSL

• Offshore Angola final investment decision from Chevron

• New oil discovery in western Egyptian desert for Eni

• Deep offshore Cyprus exploration for Total

• Glitne offshore facility consent for Statoil

Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Our Energy Investment Sinkhole Problem | The Energy Collective Dailyhttp://theenergycollective.com/gail-tverberg/184031/our-investment-sinkhole-problem?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Energy+Collective+%28all+posts%29

China will take more aggressive steps for cleaner cars and power in the face of killer air pollutionhttp://nextbigfuture.com/2013/02/china-will-take-more-aggressive-steps.html

Hydro beats coal and nuclear which beat oil and natural gas plants in a recent studyhttp://nextbigfuture.com/2013/02/hydro-beats-coal-and-nuclear-which-beat.html

Why We Still Need Nuclear Power

Mass. nuclear power plant loses power, shuts down during snowstorm; NRC monitoring

U.S. snowstorm shuts down Massachusetts nuclear planthttp://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/09/usa-weather-nuclear-idUSL5N0B90JK20130209

Related articles

Asahi: Tepco to check for “smashed fuel rods” after large piece of debris fell at Fukushima Unit 3 pool

Published: February 8th, 2013 at 11:52 am ET By ENENews http://enenews.com/asahi-tepco-to-check-for-smashed-fuel-rods-after-large-piece-of-debris-fell-at-unit-3-fuel-pool

See also: Tepco: Debris is missing at Unit 3 -- May have 'sunk' into fuel pool (PHOTOS)

Published: February 8th, 2013 at 11:52 am ET By ENENews

Related Posts

End-of-week news wrap/February 8, 2013

More to read:

Energy leaders’ nuclear uncertainty diminishing

Negotiations on new nuclear power plants ‘need more scrutiny’http://energyandnuclear.com/2013/02/08/negotiations-on-new-nuclear-power-plants-need-more-scrutiny/?goback=.gde_2437005_member_212241192

Continuing cleanup of Fukushima pool

Fukushima Survivors To Sue Japan Government Over Role In Nuclear Disaster http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/08/fukushima-survivors-sue-japan-government_n_2647715.html

Friday, February 8, 2013

Making Concrete Plans

Experts Meet to Discuss NPP Infrastructure Development

Story Resources

IAEA Reviews South Africa's Nuclear Infrastructure for Expansion

Story Resources

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant Weekly Reviewhttp://nuclearstreet.com/nuclear_power_industry_news/b/nuclear_power_news/archive/2013/02/08/fukushima-daiichi-nuclear-plant-weekly-review-020802.aspx

Duke Reactor Shutdown Plan Shows Shale’s Sway Over Power

Russia and US are to sign new agreement on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons

DOE considers furloughs as part of sequestration plan

Nemo Finds the Northeast: Three Feet of Snow Expected in Some Areas

France debates nuke waste facility

Europe consuming more coal

Fukui Prefecture looks to replace nuclear plants with natural gas

Massachusetts utility crews prepare for blizzard

A Cheap and Easy Plan to Stop Global Warming

Published: February 8th, 2013 at 11:52 am ET
By ENENews http://enenews.com/asahi-tepco-to-check-for-smashed-fuel-rods-after-large-piece-of-debris-fell-at-unit-3-fuel-pool

Published: February 8th, 2013 at 11:52 am ET
By ENENews