Saturday, January 9, 2016

Q+A: Hillary Clinton shares stances on Nevada solar shake-up, Bundy saga and Yucca dumpsite - Las Vegas Sun News

A Roadmap for U.S. Nuclear Energy Innovation | Issues in Science and Technology

Following The Paris Climate Conference, The Mudslinging Starts - Forbes

Westinghouse's Kirst sees nuclear power as Ukraine's best route to energy independence in 2016

https://www.kyivpost.com/article/content/business/westinghouses-kirst-sees-nuclear-power-as-ukraines-best-route-to-energy-independence-in-2016-405597.html

Energy, Climate Change & the Case for Nuclear Power

David Walters argues that nuclear power as a low CO2 producing energy source must be part of the solution to uncontrolled global warming. New technologies, such as the Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor (which doesn’t require any uranium mining, enrichment or long term disposal of spent fuel) and the Integral Fast Reactor, provide the basis for eliminating fossil fuels and for powering a future society without want. The lesson of Fukushima is that it is too dangerous an industry to be left in private hands and to be driven by the profit motive. It would be much better for energy to be under the democratic control of society, that is, what we call socialism.

Listen at: http://www.equaltimeradio.com/2016/energy-climate-change-the-case-for-nuclear-power

http://www.equaltimeradio.com/2016/energy-climate-change-the-case-for-nuclear-power

ANS Update: Nuclear Energy Blog Carnival 294

Nuclear Energy Blog Carnival 294

By ansnuclearcafe on Jan 09, 2016 08:41 am

The 294th edition of the Nuclear Energy Blog Carnival has posted at Hiroshima Syndrome. • Click here to access Carnival 294. Each week, a new edition of the Carnival is hosted at Continue Reading →
Read in browser »

Bill Gates, Major Investors Form Coalition to Develop Cheap Clean Energy

Bill Gates, Major Investors Form Coalition to Develop Cheap Clean Energy
Virginie Glaenzer
January 5, 2016 \| Post Your Comment
	Will 2016 be the year we finally get serious about sustainability? With the start of a new year comes a new inspiring project that will influence the global population on being more responsible with their energy choices as well as bring attention to the importance of clean energy ... Full Article http://blog.renewableenergyworld.com/ugc/blogs/2016/01/bill_gates_majorin.html?cmpid=renewablesolar0192016

Friday, January 8, 2016

What happened to the U.S. nuclear renaissance?

http://neutronbytes.com/2016/01/08/what-happened-to-the-u-s-nuclear-renaissance/

Does Nuclear Power Have a Future in the U.S.?

http://www.alleghenyfront.org/story/does-nuclear-power-have-future-us

Small Modular Reactor Startup With Molten Salt Nuclear Design Wins $8M in Funding

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/Small-Modular-Reactor-Startup-Using-Molten-Salt-Nuclear-Design-Wins-7M-in

After Nuclear Plant Closure, Natural Gas Fills in the Gap: A Worrying Sign of Things to Come?

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/after-nuclear-plant-closure-natural-gas-fills-in-the-gap-a-worrying-sign-of

David Crane Exits NRG With a Warning: ‘There Is No Growth in Our Sector Outside of Clean Energy’

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/david-crane-exits-nrg-with-a-warning

UK Shuts Down Nuclear Reactor, Once World’s Most Powerful Photo of Andrew Follett

UK Shuts Down Nuclear Reactor, Once World’s Most Powerful

http://dailycaller.com/2016/01/07/world-former-most-powerful-nuclear-reaction-shutting-down-in-uk/

The Dubious Promise of Bioenergy Plus Carbon Capture

Climate change agreements rest on negative emissions technologies that may be unachievable.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/544736/the-dubious-promise-of-bioenergy-plus-carbon-capture/

Plans to implement nuclear build programme in South Africa promising

http://constructionreviewonline.com/2016/01/south-africa-races-to-implement-nuclear-build-programme/

Sanctions not fundamental way of solving Korean Peninsula nuclear issue -- experts

Sanctions not fundamental way of solving Korean Peninsula nuclear issue -- experts
http://en.ce.cn/main/latest/201601/08/t20160108_8159257.shtml

China expects Korean Peninsula nuclear issue to be resolved peacefully

http://www.nampa.org/index.php?model=categories&function=display&id=15229426

Hostile U.S. policy key reason behind DPRK's nuclear brinkmanship

Hostile U.S. policy key reason behind DPRK's nuclear brinkmanship
http://en.ce.cn/main/latest/201601/08/t20160108_8159226.shtml

Global Nuclear Fuel awarded fuels contract by Energy Northwest

Global Nuclear Fuel (GNF), a joint venture majority owned by GE, announced that it has been selected by Energy Northwest to continue to provide fuel reloads for the Columbia Generating Station near Richland, Washington. … Continue Reading http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2016/01/global-nuclear-fuel-awarded-fuels-contract-by-energy-northwest.html?cmpid=EnlWeeklyPowerJanuary82016&eid=288118515&bid=1271535

New Builds in a new year. Happy New Year!

A survey of new reactors, new nuclear initiatives and some nuclear blog accomplishments. Looking beyond the Northeast and Europe, nuclear is doing well.

http://yesvy.blogspot.com/2016/01/happy-new-year-industry-beginnings-and.html#.VobT9U2hN4U.linkedin

Thursday, January 7, 2016

To End North Korea’s Nuclear Program, End the Korean War - FPIF

Fukushima Update 1/7/16

Fukushima Update 1/7/16 –

Due to a relative slowdown in negative Fukushima news, some of Japan’s Press is recycling old news… The European Union will ease food import restrictions on Japan… Fukushima Prefecture wants entire forests decontaminated… The local mayor wants taxes paid on used fuel stored at Genkai station… A minor ventilation fire at Hamaoka unit #2 gets some Japanese Press coverage.

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

NEI Nuclear Notes: Winter Fury, Meet Nuclear Reliability

When Radiation Isn’t the Real Risk - The New York Times

What does the Tehran-Riyadh split mean for the Iranian nuclear deal? | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Westinghouse First to Demonstrate UK's Readiness for SMR Fuel Fabrication

http://www.westinghousenuclear.com/About/News/View/Westinghouse-First-to-Demonstrate-UKs-Readiness-for-SMR-Fuel-Fabrication

Why James Hansen Is Wrong About Nuclear Power

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/01/07/3736243/nuclear-power-climate-change/

North Korea: H-bomb and bombast

For edification and entertainment I recommend the blog "Without Bullshit," recommended by a friend who is a communications professor at the University of Texas. The blogger is Josh Bernoff, an author who comes by his skills via a career in business writing. His books are "Groundswell," "Empowered," and "The Mobile Mind Shift"

Blog Principles:

"Bullshit is any form of communication that does not communicate accurately and clearly. This includes any of the following (regrettably, this is not a complete list):"

outright lies
words intended to confuse
obfuscation: overuse of jargon or other constructions that hide meaning
passive voice and other constructions that hide the actors in a piece of writing
overuse of meaningless qualifying words (e.g., “generally,” “very,” “deeply”)
opinions presented as statements of fact
statistics presented without sources, out of context, or in a misleading way
vague connections presented as significant, for example, use of “linked to”
vague predictions presented as common knowledge, for example, use of “expected to”
citing one or two instances of anything as if they represent a universal pattern

Candor is the opposite of bullshit. Candor is truth presented with integrity, plainly and without deception.

Latest blog post:

http://withoutbullshit.com/blog/north-korea-h-bomb-bombast/

North Korea: H-bomb and bombast

http://withoutbullshit.com/blog/north-korea-h-bomb-bombast/

UK decommissioning agency lays out plans to 2019

http://world-nuclear-news.org/C-UK-decommissioning-agency-lays-out-plans-to-2019-06011501.html

Graphene can efficiently filter nuclear waste

http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/graphene-can-efficiently-filter-nuclear-waste-116010600325_1.html

Ginna guards get gun-law waiver

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2016/01/06/ginna-guards-gun-law-waiver/78356726/

In May, 150 jobs to be cut at Vermont Yankee

https://vtdigger.org/2016/01/06/in-may-150-jobs-to-be-cut-at-vermont-yankee/

Our view: S.J. nuclear energy industry could someday expand

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/top_three/our-view-s-j-nuclear-energy-industry-could-someday-expand/article_b2751b28-b46c-11e5-bc8f-03ee7f6b52c6.html

Westinghouse ready to make SMR fuel in UK Westinghouse announced today that its Springfields nuclear fuel fabrication facility in the UK has "reached the requirements necessary" for manufacturing fuel assemblies for its Small Modular Reactor. Last year the company proposed a partnership with the UK government to deploy SMR technology.

Westinghouse ready to make SMR fuel in UK
Westinghouse announced today that its Springfields nuclear fuel fabrication facility in the UK has "reached the requirements necessary" for manufacturing fuel assemblies for its Small Modular Reactor. Last year the company proposed a partnership with the UK government to deploy SMR technology.http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/UF-Westinghouse-ready-to-make-SMR-fuel-in-UK-0701164.html

TransCanada to sue US for $15 bn over Keystone XL pipeline rejection

TransCanada to sue US for $15 bn over Keystone XL pipeline rejection

Montreal (AFP) Jan 6, 2016 - TransCanada said Wednesday it will sue the US government for US$15 billion for blocking its project for an oil pipeline linking Canada with the Gulf of Mexico. TransCanada Corp. said the denial of a permit to complete the pipeline "was arbitrary and unjustified" under the North American Free Trade Agreement, and that the decision also exceeded the constitutional powers of US President Barack ... morehttp://www.oilgasdaily.com/reports/TransCanada_to_sue_US_for_15_bn_over_Keystone_XL_pipeline_rejection_999.html

What utilities need to know about solar growth after the ITC extension

The tax credit extension and the plummeting solar prices add up to unprecedented growth and new opportunities for power companies

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/what-utilities-need-to-know-about-solar-growth-after-the-itc-extension/411139/

Localization of Nuke Fuel 4th-gen Nuclear Reactor Fuel to be Developed by Korea

Localization of Nuke Fuel

4th-gen Nuclear Reactor Fuel to be Developed by Korea

- See more at: http://www.businesskorea.co.kr/english/news/sciencetech/13494-localization-nuke-fuel-4th-gen-nuclear-reactor-fuel-be-developed-korea#sthash.EgKx87xf.dpuf

http://www.businesskorea.co.kr/english/news/sciencetech/13494-localization-nuke-fuel-4th-gen-nuclear-reactor-fuel-be-developed-korea

EDF could sell over 6 bln euros of assets-Les Echos

http://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL8N14P3IW20160105

Drought, heat slash grain crops: study

Drought, heat slash grain crops: study

Paris (AFP) Jan 6, 2016 - Drought and heatwaves depleted grain harvests by 10 percent from 1964 to 2007, with sharper losses in the latter two decades and rich nations, reports a study released Wednesday. The first global overview of how extreme weather disasters affect grain output comes as climate scientists project even more severe and frequent warming over the next half-century. At the same time, other resear ... morehttp://www.terradaily.com/reports/Drought_heat_slash_grain_crops_study_999.html

Malware Campaign Reportedly Prompts Large-Scale Blackout in Ukraine

Malware Campaign Reportedly Prompts Large-Scale Blackout in Ukraine
Malware has apparently been used for the first time to prompt a large-scale power blackout. An attack was tied to a Dec. 23 blackout affecting about 1.4 million Ukrainians living in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, reported Ukrainian news media outlet TSN.… Read More http://www.powermag.com/malware-reportedly-prompts-large-scale-blackout-in-ukraine/?hq_e=el&hq_m=3198378&hq_l=7&hq_v=30108e0773

California Muni Says No to Coal Power

California Muni Says No to Coal Power
Silicon Valley Power (SVP)—Santa Clara, Calif.’s municipal electric utility—has decided to stop importing out-of-state electricity from the San Juan Generating Station, completely eliminating coal from its power supply. Read More http://www.powermag.com/california-muni-says-no-to-coal-power/?hq_e=el&hq_m=3198378&hq_l=9&hq_v=30108e0773

NRC Trumps Local Authorities, Authorizes Weapons for Nuclear Plant Security

NRC Trumps Local Authorities, Authorizes Weapons for Nuclear Plant Security
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted preemption authority to nuclear facilities in New York and California, allowing plant security forces to possess and use certain firearms and related devices despite local, state, or federal laws and regulations restricting their… Read Morehttp://www.powermag.com/nrc-trumps-local-authorities-authorizes-weapons-for-nuclear-plant-security/?hq_e=el&hq_m=3198378&hq_l=5&hq_v=30108e0773

Platt's Who's Who at Electric Power Plants

UDI Data & Directories

Comprehensive Energy Industry Intelligence from Platts

UDI's directories and data bases cover electric power operations in every country in the world including power company-, utility-, regulatory body-, association- and electric generating facility-level contact details, corporate financial and operating statistics, and power plant unit design specifications.

http://www.platts.com/udi-data-directories

NRC Blog Update: Considering Plant Circumstances for Post-Fukushima Requirements

Considering Plant Circumstances for Post-Fukushima Requirements

3 Comments Posted by Moderator on January 7, 2016

Lauren Gibson
Project Manager
Japan Lessons-Learned Division
When the NRC establishes a new requirement or asks its licensees for information, the agency sets appropriate deadlines. Plants usually meet those deadlines, but sometimes there are complications and a licensee needs more time than was originally anticipated.
The NRC established such deadlines for its post-Fukushima actions and, in some cases, licensees have asked for more time to complete the work. For instance, a plant might need information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to finish reevaluating its flooding hazard.
JLD vertical C

What happens if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is still working on that information as the NRC’s deadline approaches? Another plant might be nearing compliance with all aspects of the Mitigating Strategies Order, but unforeseen prolonged and severe winter weather causes construction delays with the equipment storage building.
Other plants have announced that they will be shutting down in a few years, but after some deadlines for Fukushima-related work will have passed. What do all these plants do? They formally ask the NRC to revise the plant’s deadlines or relieve the plant of its requirement.
The NRC considers many things when reviewing these schedule change requests, including:

Has the plant adequately justified its request?
Is the amount of extra time requested reasonable?
How will the plant continue to ensure safety in the period between the initial and proposed due dates?

If a licensee does not provide enough information for the NRC to make a decision, it will either request additional information from the licensee or deny the request. The NRC takes extension requests very seriously and ensures that each is thoroughly reviewed – by project managers, technical experts, NRC lawyers and enforcement experts, and NRC management (in some cases, up to the Director of the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation).
Plants that are permanently shutting down have other options. Depending on the timing of their shutdown, they may request that NRC orders requiring certain actions be cancelled or rescinded for them. The NRC will only rescind an order after the plant has certified it has permanently ceased operations and is no longer an operating reactor. This ensures the requirements stay in place if the plant later decides to keep operating.
Plants can also ask to delay certain work on the orders, which was the case for the recently-approved Oyster Creek relaxation request. The delay is not indefinite, though. If Oyster Creek does not shut down as planned, it must complete the work by a specified date.
Plants would follow a similar process to ask for schedule relaxations on the information requests (for example, the Vermont Yankee licensee requested to be relieved of responding to the request once the plant was shut down).
All of these requests get plenty of NRC review time. The NRC staff carefully considers each request on a plant-specific basis, and the NRC would only approve a relaxation request if a licensee provides good justification and demonstrates that safety would be maintained if the request were approved.
Even with the limited number of relaxation requests approved by the NRC, the industry is well on its way to appropriately implementing all post-Fukushima safety enhancements.

Christopher Hayden Crane Leading Radiation Oncologist

Lithuania calls on neighbors not to purchase nuclear energy from Belarus and Kaliningrad

http://world.einnews.com/article__detail/region/baltics/305123815-lithuania-calls-on-neighbors-not-to-purchase-nuclear-energy-from-belarus-and-kaliningrad?vcode=SJSg

China summons senior North Korean diplomat over nuclear test

http://asia.nikkei.com/Politics-Economy/International-Relations/China-summons-senior-North-Korean-diplomat-over-nuclear-test

Behind North Korea's nuclear weapons programme: a geriatric trio

http://uk.reuters.com/article/northkorea-nuclear-trio-idUKKBN0UL0YA20160107

Russia: Israel Makes Nuclear Bomb in Circumvention of International Law

http://enews.shafaqna.com/EN/AL/1984163

Egypt expresses concern over North Korean nuclear test

http://news.egypt.com/english/egypt-news/232191-egypt-expresses-concern-over-north-korean-nuclear-test.html

Exports: A New Day For U.S. Energy

http://breakingenergy.com/2016/01/05/exports-a-new-day-for-u-s-energy/?utm_campaign=Breaking+Energy+Daily+Digest&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=25057163&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8j70pN60UWfNe8VWVRYGbE6KertvW-YtO0WUZJDvWT1-Iss076q_1xsDmh4_eJDH83GJ0mZiI8umiTQ2MrNARUbP61ZA&_hsmi=25057163

Saudi-Iranian Diplomatic Crisis Threatens U.S. Policy

http://breakingenergy.com/2016/01/06/saudi-iranian-diplomatic-crisis-threatens-u-s-policy/?utm_campaign=Breaking+Energy+Daily+Digest&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=25057163&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_7WkMGKl8v9YGIsLVBWIi49UH_SFlOh7V5ITPW8QAMhnc5ebavFcP-USrjX6P-8AUWootGcMia2WQyE7jQLJBdGiSDxA&_hsmi=25057163

Dr. Sanjiv Malhotra To Lead Energy Department’s Clean Energy Investment Center

By U.S. Department of Energy

http://breakingenergy.com/2016/01/06/dr-sanjiv-malhotra-to-lead-energy-departments-clean-energy-investment-center/?utm_campaign=Breaking+Energy+Daily+Digest&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=25057163&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8dem80NcTNNoVo1dGMppc9yTt5gaACOkYW65vHurpizGM6G-qHIaBGlIO_aWhP5X3BWbi5qNwA1izXE5BxHcKh_vkRvA&_hsmi=25057163

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

U.S. Analysis Indicates North Korea Test Wasn’t Hydrogen Bomb

http://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-analysis-indicates-north-korea-test-wasnt-hydrogen-bomb-1452106850

North Korea’s nuclear tests affect Russian national security, says senior MP

North Korea’s nuclear tests affect Russian national security, says senior MP

More:
http://tass.ru/en/politics/848405

http://tass.ru/en/politics/848405

Curtiss-Wright to provide 16 reactor coolant pumps for Chinese AP1000 nuclear power plants

http://www.worldpumps.com/view/43522/curtiss-wright-to-provide-16-reactor-coolant-pumps-for-chinese-ap1000-nuclear-power-plants/

CB&I closes sale of nuclear construction business

http://seekingalpha.com/news/3010316-cb-and-i-closes-sale-of-nuclear-construction-business

Savannah River Site MOX project not impacted by deal between CB&I and Westinghouse

http://www.aikenstandard.com/article/20160105/AIK0101/160109651

Fluor to Manage Construction Workforce for Westinghouse

Fluor to Manage Construction Workforce for Westinghouse - See more at: http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/202897/fluor-to-manage-construction-workforce-for-westinghouse#sthash.BMFJYAem.dpuf

http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/202897/fluor-to-manage-construction-workforce-for-westinghouse

The Nuclear Year 2015

http://neinuclearnotes.blogspot.com/2016/01/the-nuclear-year-2015.html

Israel's Military Plutonium Inventory | Institute for Science and International Security

North Korea’s 2016 Nuclear Test | Institute for Science and International Security

Looking Ahead: Important 2016 Events | International Atomic Energy Agency

It's settled: Georgia Power, et al, reach agreement on Vogtle expansion - SmartGridNews

Hot and Violent | MIT Technology Review

The 6 Biggest Technology Failures of 2015 | MIT Technology Review

Other voices: Will a private-sector fusion solution meet all of our energy needs?

http://www.twincities.com/columnists/ci_29346992/other-voices-will-private-sector-fusion-solution-meet?source=rss

IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano’s statement on the DPRK’s announcement of a nuclear test

6 January 2016

Announcements, Featured, Press Releases

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) announced today it had carried out a hydrogen bomb test. The DPRK’s nuclear test, if confirmed, is in clear violation of UN Security Council resolutions and is deeply regrettable.
I strongly urge the DPRK to implement fully all relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and the IAEA.
The IAEA remains ready to contribute to the peaceful resolution of the DPRK nuclear issue by resuming its nuclear verification activities in the DPRK once a political agreement is reached among countries concerned.

We must turn to nuclear and shale to avoid an energy crisis

http://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/14183614.We_must_turn_to_nuclear_and_shale_to_avoid_an_energy_crisis/

Ningde 4 fuel loading completed

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Ningde-4-fuel-loading-completed-0601164.html

Average Annual Natural Gas Spot Price in 2015 was at Lowest Level Since 1999

http://www.theenergycollective.com/todayinenergy/2310107/average-annual-natural-gas-spot-price-2015-was-lowest-level-1999

Graphene Filter Could Change the Game in Nuclear Power Costs

http://spectrum.ieee.org/nanoclast/semiconductors/materials/graphene-filter-offers-a-tenfold-reduction-in-energy-requrements-for-cleaning-nuclear-waste

SCANA’s Main Energy Source to Shift from Coal to Nuclear

http://marketrealist.com/2016/01/scanas-main-energy-source-shift-coal-nuclear/

U.S. oil storage at record high

U.S. oil storage at record high

Louisville, Ky. (UPI) Jan 5, 2016 - The amount of crude oil held at the main U.S. storage hub in Cushing, Okla., set a record to start off 2016, market analysis from Genscape finds. By more than 340,000 barrels, the amount of crude oil in storage in Cushing beat the previous record set April 14, a report finds. Genscape said a combination of year-end tax strategies and fundamentals in the crude oil market were in part beh ... morehttp://www.oilgasdaily.com/reports/US_oil_storage_at_record_high_999.html

DOE signs off on $33M for ARPA-E distributed energy management projects

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/doe-signs-off-on-33m-for-arpa-e-distributed-energy-management-projects/411603/

South Korea doubts North’s claim it detonated hydrogen bomb

http://www.theolympian.com/news/nation-world/world/article53260230.html

Rouhani: Saudi Arabia spared no effort to prevent nuke deal

http://en.trend.az/iran/politics/2477320.html

EU says N.Korea nuclear test 'grave violation' of UN resolutions

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/9/180235/World/International/EU-says-NKorea-nuclear-test-grave-violation-of-UN-.aspx

Citizens in S.Korea, China react to nuclear test

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20160106_32.html

China shares rally, bucking Asia market falls after nuclear test

http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/china-shares-rally-bucking-asia-market-falls-after-nuclear-test/ar-AAgp2Ai

2016 Breakthrough Senior Fellows Announced

Five Leading Scholars Join Breakthrough

http://thebreakthrough.org/index.php/issues/ecomodernism/2016-breakthrough-senior-fellows-announced

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Get Over It: Iran Will Have Missiles

http://lobelog.com/get-over-it-iran-will-have-missiles/#more-32433

Get Over It: Iran Will Have Missiles

by Paul R. Pillar
There are several important things to understand about ballistic missiles and Iran, beyond the fact that this topic has become one of the latest on which those who want Iran to be an ostracized and feared pariah forever, and who still want to kill the agreement to restrict Iran’s nuclear program, have seized.
Ballistic missiles are any projectiles that follow, after an initial powered and guided phase, a ballistic trajectory. Devices with this name include an enormously wide variety of sizes, ranges, and capabilities. They run from short-range battlefield weapons to missiles with intercontinental range. Ballistic missiles are in the armed forces of many states. They have become important and accepted parts of the defense posture of many states. Most of those states do not have what are commonly called weapons of mass destruction, and the missiles in their arsenals are not intended or designed to be used with such weapons. Instead they are part of a standard conventional defense strategy. If there is a genie involved with ballistic missiles, it has long been way, way out of the bottle.http://lobelog.com/get-over-it-iran-will-have-missiles/#more-32433

Apparent North Korea nuclear blast as quake rocks test site

Apparent North Korea nuclear blast as quake rocks test site

Seoul (AFP) Jan 6, 2016 - North Korea appeared to have carried out a nuclear test Wednesday - its fourth - with seismologists detecting a 5.1 magnitude tremor next to its main atomic test site in the northeast of the country. The website of the China Earthquake Network Centre described the seismic activity, which came just two days before North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's birthday, as a "suspected explosion". N ... morehttp://www.spacewar.com/reports/Apparent_North_Korea_nuclear_blast_as_quake_rocks_test_site_999.html

Iran State TV Shows Off Nuclear-Capable Missiles in Underground Depot

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/iran-nuclear-talks/iran-state-tv-shows-nuclear-capable-missiles-underground-depot-n490501

Three states jump into Vermont Yankee trust fund fray

http://vtdigger.org/2016/01/05/three-states-jump-into-vy-trust-fund-fray/

US NRC Blog Update: NRC Keeping an Eye on Water Levels along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers

NRC Keeping an Eye on Water Levels along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers

Leave a comment Posted by Moderator on January 5, 2016

Victor Dricks
Senior Public Affairs Officer, Region IV
Heavy rains and subsequent flooding across America’s heartland are being carefully watched by the NRC and the operators of nuclear power plants located along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers, although none of the plants are expected to be adversely affected.
Flooding is one of the many natural hazards that nuclear power plants must be prepared for. As a condition of their operating license, every nuclear power plant must demonstrate the ability to withstand extreme flooding and shut down safely if necessary – requirements that have been updated and strengthened following the Fukushima accident in 2011.

According to the National Weather Service, the threat of significant flooding is expected to persist for another two weeks in parts of Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana – all states with operating nuclear power plants. Each of these plants has emergency diesel generators that can supply backup power for key safety systems if off-site power is lost. And all plants have robust designs with redundancy in key components housed in buildings with watertight doors.
In Nebraska, water levels are high along the Missouri River in the vicinity of Fort Calhoun and Cooper Nuclear Station, but not high enough to require any mitigating actions by plant operators.
In Missouri, the Callaway plant is not expected to be affected by any of the heavy rains and flooding that have plagued other parts of the state.
Arkansas Nuclear One, in Russellville, has not been affected by heavy rains and no impact is predicted. But some local roads that lead to evacuation routes were flooded, prompting local law enforcement officials to post detour signs.
At Grand Gulf in Mississippi, levels on the Mississippi River continue to rise, with a crest expected on January 15. The projected river levels, however, are not expected to have any effect on site operations.
At River Bend in Louisiana, the situation is similar. There, the Mississippi River level is expected to peak on January 18, at a level that will not affect site operations. Further downstream, levels on the Mississippi River near the Waterford nuclear plant are expected to crest at a level two feet below where the operator would need to take some actions at the site.

Richard Smith, the Acting Chief of Region IV’s Response Coordination Branch, said his staff is getting periodic updates from the National Weather Service on conditions that might affect any of the region’s nuclear plants. Additionally, the NRC is relying on its resident inspectors, who live in the communities near the plants where they work each day, to independently verify that precautionary flooding procedures taken by plant operators are being properly implemented.
“We’re following events closely here in the Region,” Smith said, “and if anything changes significantly our on-site inspectors will be able to confirm that the operators are taking appropriate protective actions.”

Nuclear India through a Western Eye

http://www.idsa.in/idsacomments/nuclear-india-through-a-western-eye_rnayan_040115

China Isn’t Approving Any New Coal Mines For The Next 3 Years

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2016/01/04/3735798/china-bans-new-coal/

CHINA SECURITY: China Is Developing More Effective Ways to Hide Nukes

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1933272-china-security-china-is-developing-more-effective-ways-to-hide-nukes/

Great power relations: How the US, China and India will forge new partnerships on nuclear energy in 2016

James Wertsch, Shen Dingli and Swaran Singh say this year will see greater collaboration between the world’s three largest polluters – the US, China and India – following their pledges to move away from fossil fuels

http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1898090/great-power-relations-how-us-china-and-india-will-forge-new

Grid-Scale Energy Storage Balance-of-System Costs Will Decline 41% by 2020

http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/grid-scale-energy-storage-balance-of-systems-costs-will-decline-41-by-2020?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Issue:%202016-01-05%20Utility%20Dive%20Storage&utm_term=Utility%20Dive:%20Storage

Ontario turns to storage for renewables integration, grid services

Ontario's system operator is pushing for more storage, but its approach differs from many organized markets in the US

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/ontario-turns-to-storage-for-renewables-integration-grid-services/411363/

OilPrice Intelligence Report: Middle East Tension Won’t Rescue Oil Prices

05/01/2016

Energy Intelligence Report

In this week’s newsletter, we will take a quick look at some of the critical figures and data in the energy markets this week. Last year ended on a sour note, with oil prices hitting 11-year lows. Aside from a fleeting price rally, 2016 doesn’t look much better, at least for the first half of the year.

We will then look at some of the key market movers early this week before providing you with the latest analysis of the top news events taking place in the global energy complex over the past few days. We hope you enjoy.

Chart of the Week

•   2015 was a historically bad year for oil. The energy portion of the S&P Goldman Sachs Commodity Index (GSCI) fell 41 percent over the course of 2015.
•   But last year was also an annus horribilis for other commodities. Every one of the 16 commodities tracked in the GSCI saw major losses. Nickel had the worst year, with a more than 40 percent decline in value. Grains fared a little better, based on tighter market conditions in the first half of 2015.
•   Readers by now have likely become familiar with the causes of the commodity crash: boom-bust cycles, a strengthening dollar, slowing global economic demand, debt, and deflationary pressure in many parts of the world. The big question is when any of these trends start to reverse. For the next few months at least, the bearish sentiment will persist.

Market Movers

•   Swift Energy Company, an independent oil and gas producer focusing on the Eagle Ford, became the 40th company to declare bankruptcy since the beginning of the oil price downturn. The company had already slashed spending by 60 percent and laid off a fifth of its workforce, but persistently low prices overwhelmed the company. It filed for Chapter 11 protection on December 31.

•   Canadian Oil Sands (TSE: COS) continues to resist the takeover bid from Suncor Energy (NYSE: SU), and there are only a few days left before the C$4.3 billion bid expires. Canadian Oil Sands, with its stake in the Syncrude project, wants to remain independent. Suncor is hoping to increase its holdings of the Syncrude asset. On Monday, executives at Canadian Oil Sands told its shareholders that it should remain independent, while Suncor argued the shareholders should accept the hostile takeover. January 8 is the deadline.

•   Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK), the second largest natural gas producer in the U.S., was downgraded by Raymond James due to low natural gas prices. The company has lost more than 75 percent of its value over the past year, although its share price jumped 10 percent on Monday after natural gas prices staged a small rally. There is a growing consensus among ratings analysts that Chesapeake could struggle to meet payments on billions of dollars in its outstanding debt.

Tuesday January 5, 2016

Happy New Year! 2016 kicked off with a ban in the energy markets. Oil prices rallied more than 4 percent in the opening hours of trading, as the markets weighed the consequences of a sudden outbreak in tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

The events are complex and fluid, but the short version goes like this: Saudi Arabia executed 47 prisoners over the weekend, one of which was a notable Shiite cleric. Iran (and many other countries around the world) expressed outraged. Iranian protestors torched the Saudi embassy in Tehran, causing Saudi Arabia to cut off diplomatic relations with Iran.

Middle East tensions often cause a spike in oil prices, so a sudden conflict between OPEC’s first and third largest oil producer unsurprisingly affected crude on January 4. At the same time, markets tend to react first, only to come to more realistic conclusions later. For now, the conflict has no real tangible effect on oil markets – there is little chance of a supply disruption, absent a more catastrophic escalation in the conflict. As such, oil prices quickly retraced their gains on January 4, closing out the day mostly back where they started.

The conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran almost certainly won’t erupt into a direct military confrontation. Instead, the conflict could play out in the world of oil. As a result, the effect on oil prices is, if anything, negative not positive. For example, Saudi Arabia just slashed its price for oil shipments heading to Europe, the region where Iran held significant market share before 2012 sanctions forced it out. Saudi Arabia is likely trying to box out Iran as it ramps up oil exports in the coming weeks and months when sanctions are removed. Saudi Aramco announced on January 5 that it would discount oil exports to Northwest Europe by $0.60 per barrel and by $0.20 for oil destined for the Mediterranean. The market share strategy also serves to outcompete Russia for the European market. Competition for market share will push down prices as more discounted crude floods the market.

Moreover, as the markets shove aside worries over geopolitical tension, the bearish case for oil once again stands out. It even got some more supporting evidence as we started the New Year. Manufacturing data from China painted a worrisome picture for the world’s second largest economy, which continues to slow. China’s major stock indices crashed by 7 percent.

The instability in China adds to the growing body of evidence that the global economy is not faring well. Yet another way of looking at the problem is through trade activity. In 2015, container traffic at some of the busiest ports in the world grew at its slowest rate in a half decade. In fact, container traffic at the 30 largest ports actually shrank by 0.9 percent in the third quarter, a time of year that normally sees an uptick in activity. That was the first decline since 2009. Part of the problem is the strengthening U.S. dollar, depressing demand for Chinese goods because of the yuan link to the dollar. But tepid economic growth is raising concerns about the stability of the global economy.

Meanwhile, another geopolitical crisis to keep an eye on is in Libya. Militants associated with the Islamic State attacked Libyan security forces at the country’s largest oil export terminal, Es Sider. Together with the Ras Lanuf port nearby, the two terminals have the capacity to export 560,000 barrels per day, but both are closed at the moment.

The attacks resulted in the explosion of an oil storage tank after it was hit by a shell. The port has been closed since 2014, so the attacks won’t necessarily affect export levels. But the events are illustrative of the terrible violence plaguing the war torn country, fomenting instability that will prevent a return to pre-war export levels. The attacks come even as the political situation is starting to improve. The two rival governments, controlling east and west portions of the country, respectively, have signed onto a power-sharing agreement. It remains to be seen how that can help Libya return to some semblance of stability.

Raymond James expects that oilfield service companies will experience a rough year in 2016, as rig counts continue to fall and drilling activity remains subdued. At the same time, analysts say that the second half of the year could rebound. “Look for a roller coaster ride in early 2016 for oil field services, followed by outsize gains in the second half,” Raymond James recently concluded. They project the rig count to fall by another 150 over the next six months, which will result in “a much uglier fundamental year than current consensus estimates.” But drilling activity could come back quickly if prices rebound, and all of the job losses and sidelining of equipment could create a supply constraint for rig services. “Labor and service availability likely becomes a major constraint on the ability to meet activity demand,” Raymond James analysts wrote. “This should be compounded by oil field service pricing increases as the market for services gets tighter.” In short, things will get worse for oilfield service companies, but once the market turns, fortunes could come back relatively swiftly.

In Oklahoma, the number of earthquakes surged by 50 percent in 2015 compared to a year earlier, hitting a total of 881 with a magnitude of 3 or greater. That set another record for seismic activity in the state, and many scientists and state regulators are increasingly confident that wastewater disposal from hydraulic fracturing is a main contributor. Regulators have issued voluntary guidelines for drillers to reduce disposal injections, but after one company rebuffed the requests, the state is looking at mandatory directives. Action could also come from the state legislature. New regulations could affect drilling operations for companies in the state.

We invite you to read several of the most recent articles we have published which may be of interest to you:

Saudi-Iran Dispute Won’t Cause Lasting Oil Price Rally
4 Big Energy Stocks To Watch In 2016
BP’s CEO Finally Sees Oil Prices Bottoming Out
What Comes After The Commodities Bust?
Fueling Star Wars’ Robots, What Powers The Droids?
Oil Companies Shun South China Sea As Geopolitical Tensions Rise
Is 2016 The Year Of Wind And Solar?
TAPI Pipeline Inches Forward
$10 Trillion Investment Needed To Avoid Massive Oil Price Spike Says OPEC

That’s all from your midweek intelligence report, we hope you enjoyed it and we´ll be back on Friday, with your latest energy market update, industry intelligence and special report.

Best regards,

Evan Kelly
News Editor, Oilprice.com

P.S. – Oilfield service companies might have been the first subsector in the industry that felt the pain of lower oil prices, deepwater drillers might be the subsector that will suffer the longest from the oil bust. Veteran trader Dan Dicker explains why some deepsea drillers are off limits now and warns that some of them might collapse before a potential rebound kicks in. Find out which players Dan Dicker is talking about by clicking here.

Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

Saturday, January 9, 2016

Duke's 934-MW Oconee-1 nuclear unit in South Carolina shuts

Westinghouse's Kirst sees nuclear power as Ukraine's best route to energy independence in 2016

Energy, Climate Change & the Case for Nuclear Power

Nuclear Energy Blog Carnival 294

More to read:

Friday, January 8, 2016

Does Nuclear Power Have a Future in the U.S.?

Small Modular Reactor Startup With Molten Salt Nuclear Design Wins $8M in Funding

After Nuclear Plant Closure, Natural Gas Fills in the Gap: A Worrying Sign of Things to Come?

David Crane Exits NRG With a Warning: ‘There Is No Growth in Our Sector Outside of Clean Energy’

UK Shuts Down Nuclear Reactor, Once World’s Most Powerful

The Dubious Promise of Bioenergy Plus Carbon Capture

Plans to implement nuclear build programme in South Africa promising

China expects Korean Peninsula nuclear issue to be resolved peacefully

South Korea-Japan ties improve in fallout of North Korea's nuclear test

Nuclear Power in BRIC Countries 2015-2019

Japan's $25 Billion Nuclear Recycling Quest Enters 28th Year

New Builds in a new year. Happy New Year!

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Westinghouse First to Demonstrate UK's Readiness for SMR Fuel Fabrication

Why James Hansen Is Wrong About Nuclear Power

North Korea: H-bomb and bombast

North Korea: H-bomb and bombast

Graphene can efficiently filter nuclear waste

Ginna guards get gun-law waiver

In May, 150 jobs to be cut at Vermont Yankee

Our view: S.J. nuclear energy industry could someday expand

What utilities need to know about solar growth after the ITC extension

The tax credit extension and the plummeting solar prices add up to unprecedented growth and new opportunities for power companies

Localization of Nuke Fuel

EDF could sell over 6 bln euros of assets-Les Echos

UDI Data & Directories

Considering Plant Circumstances for Post-Fukushima Requirements

Lithuania calls on neighbors not to purchase nuclear energy from Belarus and Kaliningrad

China summons senior North Korean diplomat over nuclear test

Behind North Korea's nuclear weapons programme: a geriatric trio

Russia: Israel Makes Nuclear Bomb in Circumvention of International Law

Egypt expresses concern over North Korean nuclear test

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

U.S. Analysis Indicates North Korea Test Wasn’t Hydrogen Bomb

Curtiss-Wright to provide 16 reactor coolant pumps for Chinese AP1000 nuclear power plants

CB&I closes sale of nuclear construction business

Savannah River Site MOX project not impacted by deal between CB&I and Westinghouse

Other voices: Will a private-sector fusion solution meet all of our energy needs?

We must turn to nuclear and shale to avoid an energy crisis

Ningde 4 fuel loading completed

Trending Topics: After Paris, The State of America's Electricity Sector Emissions

Average Annual Natural Gas Spot Price in 2015 was at Lowest Level Since 1999

Graphene Filter Could Change the Game in Nuclear Power Costs

SCANA’s Main Energy Source to Shift from Coal to Nuclear

DOE signs off on $33M for ARPA-E distributed energy management projects