Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

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

Saturday, April 13, 2019

Daily on Energy: Industry looks to small ‘plug and play’ power plants as the future of nuclear

Daily on Energy: Industry looks to small ‘plug and play’ power plants as the future of nuclear: SIGN UP! If you’d like to continue receiving the Washington Examiner's Daily on Energy newsletter, SUBSCRIBE HERE: http://newsletters.washingtonexaminer.com/newsletter/daily-on-energy/

How the American Uranium Market Is Poised for a Major - and Profitable - Change

How the American Uranium Market Is Poised for a Major - and Profitable - Change: This week, the U.S. Department of Commerce was due to put a recommendation involving the domestic uranium market on President Trump's desk.
He would have 90 days to act on it.
Depending on what happens, the domestic uranium market could become very different very quickly.
At the center of the drama is whether U.S. uranium miners will be granted relief from foreign competition under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.
The most direct way this could be done is for the president to decree that uranium is a national security material, although the uranium companies that brought the action have been requesting something less - a quota of usage inside the country reserved for U.S. production.
You would think that would be the case, given the need for uranium in the national arms and naval vessel reactor sectors. That at least is recognized.
U.S. law requires that uranium used for national defense purposes - in nuclear-powered naval vessels, for example, or to replenish nuclear warheads - must be mined, refined and processed domestically.
Unfortunately for the U.S. mining sector, those sources are not new production but defense stockpiles resulting from the Cold Wa

China Building First Floating Nuclear Power Station in Yellow Sea

China Building First Floating Nuclear Power Station in Yellow Sea: China plans to build its first-ever floating nuclear power station in Yellow Sea this year, and plans to build 20 more in future if the first one succeeds.

Anti-Nuclear Power Hysteria and it’s Significant Contribution to Global Warming - Matus1976 Blog - Philosophy, Science, Politics, Invention

Anti-Nuclear Power Hysteria and it’s Significant Contribution to Global Warming - Matus1976 Blog - Philosophy, Science, Politics, Invention

White House eyes nuclear weapons expert to lead challenge to climate science | Science | AAAS

White House eyes nuclear weapons expert to lead challenge to climate science | Science | AAAS: Physicist Paul Robinson once led Sandia National Laboratory

Coal and gas are far more harmful than nuclear power – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet

Coal and gas are far more harmful than nuclear power – Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet: Human-caused climate change and air pollution remain major global-scale problems and are both due mostly to fossil fuel burning. Mitigation efforts for both of these problems should be undertaken concurrently in order to maximize effectiveness.

Trump Admin Gives OK to Sell Nuclear Tech to Saudi Arabia

Trump Admin Gives OK to Sell Nuclear Tech to Saudi Arabia: Want to help the erratic, murderous Saudi regime develop nuclear technology? That's OK with the Department of Energy.

Trump Team Pushed to Illegally Give Saudis Nuclear Tech

Trump Team Pushed to Illegally Give Saudis Nuclear Tech: The White House pushed for the sale of nuclear power plants to Saudi Arabia – without seeking congressional approval – according to a report from House Oversight Committe chair Elijah Cummings.

Trump Backs Third Summit With Kim, Says Relations Very Good - Bloomberg

Trump Backs Third Summit With Kim, Says Relations Very Good - Bloomberg: President Donald Trump said relations with Kim Jong Un remain “very good” and he opened the door Saturday for a third summit, hours after the North Korean leader said he’s willing to meet as long as the U.S. offers acceptable terms for a deal by year end.

The Pentagon wants to boldly go where no nuclear reactor has gone before. It won’t work. - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

The Pentagon wants to boldly go where no nuclear reactor has gone before. It won’t work. - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: They have dubious strategic value, low chance of success, and could spark a uranium-fueled international arms race. So why does the Defense Department think putting small nuclear reactors in combat zones is a good idea?

Experts Are Horrified by the Military’s Portable Nuclear Reactor

Experts Are Horrified by the Military’s Portable Nuclear Reactor: The Army proposed shipping small nuclear reactors around the world to power military outposts. Experts suggest that may not be the wisest strategy.

North Korean leader dismisses South Korean attempts to mediate nuclear diplomacy | NK News - North Korea News

North Korean leader dismisses South Korean attempts to mediate nuclear diplomacy | NK News - North Korea News: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Friday criticized the South Korean government’s attempts to mediate and facilitate nuclear negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington, instead calling on Seoul to work towards the “interests of the nation.” In a policy speech delivered to deputies on the second day of the First Session of the 14th Supreme People’s Assembly

We can save the planet by building more nuclear plants

We can save the planet by building more nuclear plants: The scenario facing New York — nuclear plants closing as officials make rosy promises about renewable energy — has been playing out around the US, and around the world, in recent years.

(36) Newsom Outlines State Plan To Deal With Destructive Wildfires - YouTube

(36) Newsom Outlines State Plan To Deal With Destructive Wildfires - YouTube

Money for Victims, Uncertainty for PG&E: 'Everything's on the Table' in Newsom's New Wildfire Plan | The California Report | KQED News

Money for Victims, Uncertainty for PG&E: 'Everything's on the Table' in Newsom's New Wildfire Plan | The California Report | KQED News: The governor's new report includes controversial revisions to state liability laws and potentially breaking up PG&E.

The Latest: Governor reopens talks on utility liability | News | heraldcourier.com

The Latest: Governor reopens talks on utility liability | News | heraldcourier.com: SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on California Gov. Gavin Newsom's wildfire report (all times local):

CGNP's Appendix to Reply Comments in R.16-02-007


Here's the pair of URLs for Nuclear Wire readers to read CGNP's Appendix
to our Reply Comments in R.16-02-007.
_____


As a consequence of its length, a Notice of Availability is provided to
download CGNP's Appendix to its Reply Comments. The URLs have been
shortened for ease of use. These pair of files are available at:

http://tinyurl.com/Reply-Comments-Appendix-1
The 48-page Appendix Part 1 includes Exhibits A through L.

and

http://tinyurl.com/Reply-Comments-Appendix-2
The 62-page Appendix Part 2 includes Exhibits M through Y.

Supporting NSE: Kearney Fellowship is legacy of a “Nuclear Green”


Supporting NSE: Kearney Fellowship is legacy of a “Nuclear Green”

https://web.mit.edu/nse/news/spotlights/2013/kearney.html

PG&E electricity rates could double after more wildfires, report says - SFChronicle.com

PG&E electricity rates could double after more wildfires, report says - SFChronicle.com: If California wildfires continue to be as devastating as they have been the last two years, electricity could become so expensive it would inhibit the state’s ability to reduce fossil fuel use in cars and buildings, according to an analysis prepared for Gov. Gavin Newsom.

California Governor Seeks to Protect Utilities From the Cost of Wildfires - The New York Times

California Governor Seeks to Protect Utilities From the Cost of Wildfires - The New York Times: Electric utilities welcomed Gavin Newsom’s proposals but consumer groups said they would let PG&E off the hook while costing taxpayers billions of dollars.

Gov. Newsom calls out PG&E for its role in wildfires; utility takes safety to the sky | KSBY.com

Gov. Newsom calls out PG&E for its role in wildfires; utility takes safety to the sky | KSBY.com: As the governor of California criticized one of the state's largest power utilities Friday for its role in sparking several massive wildfires, PG&E took measures to more closely inspect its equipment for malfunctions that pose wildfire risks.

FirstEnergy Solutions – Court Refuses to Approve Disclosure Statement, Cites Releases as Rendering Plan "Patently Unconfirmable" | Daily Bankrupt Company Updates | Bankrupt Company News

FirstEnergy Solutions – Court Refuses to Approve Disclosure Statement, Cites Releases as Rendering Plan "Patently Unconfirmable" | Daily Bankrupt Company Updates | Bankrupt Company News: April 11, 2019 – The Court hearing the FirstEnergy Solutions Corp ("FES") cases issued an order denying the Debtors' motion requesting approval of their Disclosure Statement [Docket No. 2500]. The Court's order states, "Due to the breadth and ambiguity of the nonconsensual third-party releases proposed in Section VIII.E. of the Plan, the Court concludes that...Continue reading

Fearing bigger bills, consumer group wants role for ratepayers in PG&E Ch. 11 - Reuters

Fearing bigger bills, consumer group wants role for ratepayers in PG&E Ch. 11 - Reuters: A consumer group that has warred with power producer PG&E Corp since the 1970s over rates is seeking a court order appointing a committee to represent ratepayers in the company's bankruptcy, saying they are creditors and pointing to the potential for higher utility bills.

Insight: Big Business needs big policing - SFChronicle.com

Insight: Big Business needs big policing - SFChronicle.com: When government regulators don’t have the funds, use private resources to prosecute suspected corporate wrongdoing.

CA panel wants to strengthen utilities against fire claims | The Sacramento Bee

CA panel wants to strengthen utilities against fire claims | The Sacramento Bee

California Governor Proposes Fixes to State’s Wildfire Crisis - WSJ

California Governor Proposes Fixes to State’s Wildfire Crisis - WSJ: California Gov. Gavin Newsom released a suite of proposals for how to confront the wildfire liability costs that pushed PG&E into bankruptcy and threaten the financial health of the state’s other utilities.

California state report says wildfire costs should be spread 'broadly'

California state report says wildfire costs should be spread 'broadly': California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday released a wildfire report that slams PG&E for its role in major blazes and suggests the state could push to break up the utility. The also said wildfire costs should be spread more "broadly," beyond utilities and even to include government.

Gov. Newsom to Release Report on Wildfires, PG&E Bankruptcy | FOX40

Gov. Newsom to Release Report on Wildfires, PG&E Bankruptcy | FOX40: SACRAMENTO (AP) — A report Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration will release Friday aims to address a host of problems related to wildfires, including how to maintain a safe, affordable electricity supply for California in the wake of Pacific Gas & Electric Corp.

Dawn Toland, Courtroom Deputy to
The Honorable Judge William Alsup
Phillip Burton Federal Building & United States Courthouse 450 Golden Gate Ave, 19th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102

April 5, 2019
RE: 3:14-cr-00175-WHA-1 - USA v. Pacific Gas and Electric Company Hello, Dawn:
This is a follow-up to CGNP's letter dated April 2, 2019.

CGNP delivered the attached prepared comments on April 4, 2019 at CPUC Headquarters. Here is a copy of the docket in B293420 in the Court of Appeal of the State of California Second Appellate District Division Six. Finally, here is a copy of CGNP's Reply to Petition for Writ of Review and Memorandum of Points and Authorities in support therof.
A summary of CGNP's Reply, taken from the first two lines in the table of contents is, "Petitioner can obtain relief; The petition is not moot. SB 1090 covered issues not challenged here, and did not repeal the code provisions on which the petition is based."
CGNP stands ready to assist the Court in this important public safety matter. Sincerely,
Gene Nelson, Ph.D. CGNP Legal Assistant Californians for Green Nuclear Power, Inc. (CGNP) 1375 East Grand Ave Ste 103 #523
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
(805) 363 - 4697 cell

Government@CGNP.org email http://CGNP.org website
VIA EXPRESS U.S. MAIL, RRR /GN Enclosures:
Copy of CGNP's Prepared Comments in R1602007 Delivered at CPUC Headquarters - April 4, 2019 B293420 Docket in B293420 - January 31, 2019, 7:00 AM
B293420 CGNP's Reply in B293420 - December 18, 2018


Dawn Toland, Courtroom Deputy to
The Honorable Judge William Alsup
Phillip Burton Federal Building & United States Courthouse 450 Golden Gate Ave, 19th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94102

April 2, 2019
RE: 3:14-cr-00175-WHA-1 - USA v. Pacific Gas and Electric Company Hello, Dawn:

This is a follow-up to our previous telephone conversation. Californians for Green Nuclear Power, Inc. (CGNP) is an independent non-profit educational corporation. Since 2016, We have served the public interest as an Intervenor in a pair of California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Proceedings. We are comprised of a number of experts whose Ph.D.s relate to the field of nuclear power production - and many other experts. The head of our legal team is Attorney Mike Gatto (323) 819-0300 who served as a California Assemblyman for four terms. In his final term Gatto was head of the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee. Gatto made CPUC reform the focus of the legislation he introduced.
Attached find a copy of CGNP's most recent filing, a Reply Comment in R.16-02-007. the CPUC Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) proceeding. CGNP believes that Judge Alsup will be interested in the adverse public safety implications of PG&E's voluntary plan to close the highly-functioning Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) in 2025. The probability of another San Bruno pipeline explosion is a likely consequence of PG&E's plan, as PG&E's aging natural gas distribution and storage system would be strained to distribute the additional gas to generate the equivalent of more than five (5) Hoover Dams each year. The attached published OpEd explains why public safety depends on keeping DCPP operating. CGNP seeks a reversal of PG&E's proposal. Our filing summarizes our rationale.
CGNP's experts are available to provide review of PG&E's claims or participate in upcoming hearings as a friend of the Court. An illustration of CGNP's expertise is the transcript of the April 25, 2017 oral evidentiary hearing in which Michael Marty Marinak, Ph.D. persisted in obtaining an answer to an important technical question from PG&E's main witness, Ms. Frazier-Hampton. The citation is found in CGNP's attached Reply Comment.
CGNP looks forward to assisting the Court in this important public safety matter. Sincerely,
/s/ Gene Nelson, Ph.D. CGNP Legal Assistant Californians for Green Nuclear Power, Inc. (CGNP) 1375 East Grand Ave Ste 103 #523
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420

(805) 363 - 4697 cell Government@CGNP.org email http://CGNP.org website

CGNP IRP Comments at CPUC 04-04-19 Gene Nelson, Ph.D.
I'm reminded of the fable, 'The Emperor's New Clothes" when
ALJ Fitch noted without Diablo Canyon, the set of IRPs submitted will not be adequate to meet the GHG emissions goals and could even challenge grid reliability. CGNP is an independent group of technical and legal experts concerned with public safety. Here are key points from CGNP's recent Reply Comments.

1. CGNP first asks for PG&E to reverse their voluntary plans to retire Diablo Canyon in 2025.
2. California's current plan for California's energy future is to burn more, not less fossil fuel, particularly natural gas. CGNP provides real-world examples in their reply comments and Appendix of the principle that operating firming generators in an intermittent, inefficient manner results in increased emissions relative to steady operation of those generators.
3. Massive fossil-fuel lobbying also diminishes California's public safety - particularly in light of California's aging natural gas bulk transmission and storage system. Here's CGNP's October 7, 2017 OpEd describing how the operation of Diablo Canyon enhances public safety from the Santa Maria Times.
4. Even PG&E recognizes the stellar safety record of 35-year-old Diablo Canyon. At the recent Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee meeting, PG&E told the Committee that it is rotating some of Diablo Canyon's safety experts to other PG&E business units. Furthermore, PG&E's former CEO Geisha Williams reiterated the necessity of continued deployment of nuclear power to fight climate change.
CGNP's Reply Comments were just sent to Federal Judge William H. Alsup's Courtroom Deputy in connection with the ongoing federal criminal case USA v PG&E. A copy of the transmittal letter is here for the record. In this letter, CGNP offered its significant technical and legal expertise to serve as a friend of the Court in the federal criminal proceeding. PG&E, please withdraw your harmful Diablo Canyon plan to enhance your stature in the federal criminal case.

BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Order Instituting Rulemaking to Develop an Electricity Integrated Resource Planning Framework and to Coordinate and Refine Long-Term Procurement Planning Requirements
CALIFORNIANS FOR GREEN NUCLEAR POWER, INC. REPLY COMMENTS IN RESPONSE TO ALJ FITCH'S PROPOSED DECISION DATED MARCH 18, 2019 RE ADOPTING PREFERRED SYSTEM PORTFOLIO FOR 2017-2018 INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLAN
March 31, 2019
Gene Nelson, Ph.D. Legal Assistant Californians for Green Nuclear Power, Inc. 1375 East Grand Ave, Suite 103 #523 Arroyo Grande, CA 93420 Tel: (805) 363 - 4697
E-mail: Government@CGNP.org
1
R.16-02-007
(Filed 02/11/2016)
BEFORE THE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Order Instituting Rulemaking to Develop an Electricity Integrated Resource Planning Framework and to Coordinate and Refine Long-Term Procurement Planning Requirements
CALIFORNIANS FOR GREEN NUCLEAR POWER, INC. REPLY COMMENTS IN RESPONSE TO ALJ FITCH'S PROPOSED DECISION DATED MARCH 18, 2019 RE ADOPTING PREFERRED SYSTEM PORTFOLIO FOR 2017-2018 INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLAN
I.
Independent nonprofit, Californians for Green Nuclear Power, Inc. (CGNP) respectfully
requests time to present its viewpoint at the All-Party Meeting set for April 4, 2019 from 10:00 AM to Noon at the CPUC headquarters. In order to fight climate change, PG&E should withdraw its plan to voluntarily close its Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) in 2025 as its plan is not in the public interest..
While some arguments necessarily assume massive energy storage will be available for intermittent resources within 10-20 years, this proceeding by law covers time horizons much earlier as well.
There is nothing in the record or in the public domain that indicates the massive quantities of energy storage are available now or will be available shortly, to make
Introduction
2
R.16-02-007
(Filed 02/11/2016)
an appreciable difference in the deployment of “renewables” and hence emissions. For the next decade, the only logical thing to do is maintain extant dispatchable GHG-free power sources online, like Diablo Canyon Power Plant (DCPP.) As the record in previous proceedings shows, DCPP has ample useable life left to serve as the bridge technology that California needs.
CGNP submitted testimony in the Diablo Canyon Proceeding A.16-08-006 which showed that every large electric grid in the world relies upon a continuous large supply of power from baseload sources. This reliable supply must make up a substantial fraction of the total at all times in order to ensure grid stability. For the CAISO, this minimum is many times the output of Diablo Canyon. No reliable carbon free replacement for DCPP's 2,240 MW power has been identified in the IRP.
Under this IRP. the reliable supply of essential baseload power will be met by burning natural gas, more than if Diablo continued to operate, increasing CO2 emissions by 9 million tons annually. As the ALJ noted without DCPP, the set of IRPs submitted will not be adequate to meet the GHG emissions goals and could even challenge grid reliability. Further the ALJ noted that Since Diablo Canyon was a baseload resource and most renewable resources are not, if anything we are concerned that the replacement power procured mostly by CCAs will not represent as reliable and cost-effective a resource as DCPP has proven to be over the decades.
Indeed, intermittent solar and wind sources are not capable of replacing a baseload plant such as DCPP because they can never be counted upon to produce power whenever it is needed. All of the wind and solar sources in the proposed IRPs do not allow for ANY firm generating capacity to be retired. As the ALJ noted, the IRPs do not provide sufficient information on the emissions of pollutants associated with the resources they would use. Detailed analysis filed by CGNP in A.16-08-006 also shows the proposed intermittent replacements will result in much higher overall costs to ratepayers than continued operation of Diablo Canyon. For all of these reasons the IRP should provide for enabling Diablo Canyon, California's largest reliable, economical carbon free energy source, to continue operating well beyond PG&E's proposed shutdown.
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II. The Proposed IRP fails to identify a reliable, economical zero-carbon emitting replacement for DCPP.
This California net and total demand trend plot for June 14, 2018 is from the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) website. The aqua curve is total California electric power demand as a function of time. The horizontal units are hours, starting with 0 at midnight. The
curve ends 24 hours later at the next midnight. 1
The difference between the pair of curves is met by so-called "renewable" resources. The dominant intermittent generation means are solar and wind. Both of those generation resources fall to negligible values during significant intervals, with the biggest factor being night, which produces zero solar generation. CGNP carefully tabulated the CAISO generation records for the half-year ending on January 31, 2017. CGNP found that the "capacity factor" (or percentage on-time) for the
half-year for both solar and wind was only about 20%, or 1/5 of the time.2 Per the CAISO, the
1 The CAISO Net demand (demand minus solar and wind) is shown near the bottom of the page at http://www.caiso.com/TodaysOutlook/Pages/default.aspx. Unfortunately, only the previous 50 weeks of plots and spreadsheet data are visible. Thus, the above plot will only be visible at the CAISO website until the beginning of June, 2019.
2 "NECG Commentary - Diablo Canyon Retirement" by Gene Nelson, Ph.D. January 11, 2018 https://nuclear-economics.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-01-11-DCPP-1.pdf
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total installed generation (nameplate) capacity for California solar and wind was about 18,000 Megawatts (MW) on that date.
The purple curve is net demand, which is met by California's dispatchable generation resources. The primary fast-acting generation resource is natural-gas-fired generation, with its attendant emissions of both carbon dioxide (CO2) from combustion and methane (CH4) from leakage during extraction and distribution.. On Thursday, June 14, 2018, natural-gas-fired generation compensated for the remaining ~ 80% of the day. Promoters of solar and wind downplay this connection, which was documented in the August 11, 2016 Washington Post article by Chris Mooney, "Turns out wind and solar have a secret friend: Natural gas." http://tinyurl.com/Natural-Gas-Secret
The vertical coordinate is MW, or Megawatts of generation. Please note the zero level falls on the second line of text below the chart, with the first entry shown at 14,000 MW. The value increases by 5,000 MW with each entry, ending with a highest value of 39,000 MW.
The natural-gas-fired "ramp" starts at about noon and ends at about 8:00 PM. The ramp height is about 16,000 MW. To give some perspective, Hoover Dam's generation capacity (nameplate) is 2,078 MW. This curve means one Hoover Dam is added in the first hour, two Hoover Dams in the second hour until eight Hoover Dams are running in the eighth hour. These generators are not zero- carbon such as Hoover Dam or DCPP - a nuclear power plant. Instead, they are natural-gas- fired
plants that are being run in an inefficient, intermittent fashion, To understand this, consider operating your vehicle in stop- and-go city driving. Emissions are higher and miles per gallon are lower than running your vehicle on the freeway at an essentially constant power level. Natural-gas-fired generators are huge machines that obey the same laws of physics. The conclusion is this stop- and-go pattern for running these
5
natural-gas-fired generators yields higher natural gas consumption (good news for a natural-gas vendor) and higher emissions (bad news for the environment.) Any environmental benefit from the zero-carbon solar generation or wind generation is questionable. Results from both France and south Australia show emissions have increased as more solar and wind are added. Adding more solar or wind only exacerbates these intermittency problems. California's energy storage systems (Helms and Castaic) are used to prevent supply reliability and instability problems caused by intermittent solar and wind.
"Always On" zero-carbon DCPP does not suffer from any intermittency problems. It runs for years at a time with a self-contained energy source. Any "extra" nuclear power could be used to charge electric vehicles or desalinate water close to its point of use.
III: The impossibility of replacing zero-carbon DCPP with solar and wind
The previous section explained the reasons for this impossibility In 2017-2018, CGNP submitted written testimony and appeared before several California Assembly and California Senate standing committees advocating for preserving the environmental and ratepayer benefits of the continued safe operation of DCPP. Many times, CGNP reiterated the statement
... In an 11 April 2018 conversation with CGNP's Dr. Nelson, EQC 3 consultant Dr. David Garcia agreed, based on Dr. Nelson's analysis, that replacing Diablo Canyon with other carbon-free energy would be "impossible". Indeed, it is scientifically impossible....
Solar and wind advocates incorrectly point to "energy storage" as a means to mitigate the above intermittency challenges. California's two large energy storage projects, built in the 1980s demonstrate the negligible benefit of storage ( which is not an energy source. A power source charges storage.) Castaic Pumped Storage (Castaic) is in southern California and PG&E's Helms Pumped Storage (Helms,) is about 50 miles east of Fresno in the Sierra foothills. The modest annual production curves of Castaic and Helms are contrasted with the abundant output of DCPP in reference 2, above. The likely reason is "Ancillary Services" - which are required when large amounts of intermittent generation are attached to the California power grid - are given much
3 EQC = Senate Standing Committee on Environmental Quality https://senv.senate.ca.gov/
6
higher market rewards than bulk energy storage. To prevent equipment damage, voltage and frequency stability must be maintained, despite solar and wind's well-documented grid destabilization effects. Furthermore, Battery Electric Storage (BES) is not cost effective. 4
Furthermore, baseload generation is a requirement of California's power grid. When asked, “Are you aware of any large electric grid, anywhere in the world that operates without a substantial continual supply of electricity from base-load sources?” PG&E witness Frazier-Hampton, who performed their needs analysis, was unable to identify such a grid anywhere. 5
A similar problem is faced by a RV owner who wishes to run large loads such as an air conditioner or refrigerator. The owner needs a large fossil-fired generator to insure that starting large loads does not overload their generator, causing it to fail or open the main output breaker. Running those big loads with either solar or wind generation would be impossibly expensive and complicated. Solar or wind are only practical to power the owner's laptop computer.
The California Energy Commission (CEC) requested from the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST) an analysis of the most cost-effective pathway to achieve California's legislatively-mandated emissions reductions. Consistent with CGNP's advocacy, the highly- qualified CCST scientists and engineers indicated in a pair of 2011 reports the only path forward: Expand nuclear power.6
4 "The $2.5 trillion reason we can’t rely on batteries to clean up the grid - Fluctuating solar and wind power require lots of energy storage, and lithium-ion batteries seem like the obvious choice—but they are far too expensive to play a major role."
by James Temple,
MIT Technology Review, July 27, 2018 (Retrieved the day of publication) https://www.technologyreview.com/s/611683/the-25-trillion-reason-we-cant-rely-on-batteries-to-clean-up-the- grid/
5 A.16-08-006 Oral Evidentiary Hearing Transcript, April 26, 2017, PG&E, Frazier-Hampton, pp. 946, line 6. Additional details are found in the Appendix, "CGNP's Summary Responses to other Parties" Dec. 7, 2018.
6 "California’s Energy Future: The View to 2050" Release Date: May 24, 2011 | Last Updated Date: February 19, 2015 https://ccst.us/reports/californias-energy-future-the-view-to-2050/
... Nuclear power can provide constant, reliable emission-free energy with a much lower and more easily met requirement for load balancing. Roughly 30 new nuclear power plants could provide two-thirds of California’s electric power in 2050. However, nuclear waste storage remains a significant problem with existing reactor

7
Consider also the March 26, 2019 advocacy of PG&E's former CEO Geisha Williams for keeping
the U.S. nuclear power fleet operating as a critical means to fight climate change. 7 The Law 360 article also notes PG&E's potential liability of $10.5 billion for the lethal Camp Fire in November, 2018..
IV. Closing a zero-emissions nuclear power plant increases natural-gas-fired generation, hence increases emissions - contrary to California statutes.
California's San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) was closed in January, 2012 as a consequence of the plant owners mis-managing a routine service operation (steam generator replacement.) Nuclear generation, unlike solar generation and wind generation is safe and dispatchable, available to meet demand 24/7, 365 days a year. Thus, when dispatchable SONGS ceased generation, the replacement generation needed to be dispatchable, namely natural-gas-fired generation. This graphic clearly shows this concept. Zero-carbon SONGS prevented about 9 million metric tons (MMT) of emissions in 2011. Note how Combined-Cycle generation soared
technology, not to mention public concern, especially in the wake of Japan’s recent earthquake and tsunami disaster....
"California’s Energy Future – Powering California with Nuclear Energy" Release Date: July 1, 2011 | Last Updated Date: February 19, 2015 https://ccst.us/reports/californias-energy-future-powering-california-with- nuclear-energy/

... Jane C.S. Long, associate director at large for Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and co-chair of the California’s Energy Future study. Population growth and energy demand will eventually force a decision on California’s energy strategy, especially with the requirement for drastic reduction in emissions. “By 2050, California’s population is expected to rise to 55 million people. That increase, accompanied by economic growth, will likely require a doubling in electricity production, but with virtually no emissions, to meet state goals,” says Jane Long. “That is why nuclear power could prove one important option for meeting those strict and necessary standards.”...
7 "Climate Change Must Guide Utility Plans, Ex-PG&E Boss Says" By Keith Goldberg Law360 (March 26, 2019, 3:55 PM EDT) -- https://www.law360.com/bankruptcy/articles/1142924/climate-change-must-guide- utility-plans-ex-pg-e-boss-says retrieved March 27, 2019 "States have an important role in setting an emissions target. Setting wide and aggressive goals is appropriate," Williams said. "I think how to get there should be left to system operators ... and not necessarily by a prescriptive mandate that says you must purchase this percentage of electricity from certain technologies." In making that point, Williams put in a plug for keeping existing U.S. nuclear power plants and their carbon-free emissions up and running for as long as possible.
"I think that greenhouse gas is the enemy, and we need to decide how we reduce that in the most cost-effective manner," Williams said. "To cast that aside would be pretty irresponsible."
8
when SONGS closed in 2012. "Wet" years from 2016 to present allowed large hydro to displace some of this gas-fired generation. However, drought inevitably returns to California. "Peakers" are mandatory when there are large amounts of intermittent generation. This is shown by the lower red curve. More of the challenges of "peakers" follow.
If PG&E follows through with its proposal to voluntarily close DCPP in 2025, the inevitable result is an increase in fossil-fired emissions, likely from a combination of in-state and out-of- state fossil-fired generators. CGNP joined a coalition of environmental and labor organizations to defeat AB 813 in 2018. AB 813 would have terminated the operations of the CAISO and substituted a multi-state board, much more friendly to coal-fired generation. The likely beneficiary of AB 813 was to be the Berkshire Hathaway energy company PacifiCorp. PacifiCorp lobbied extensively for AB813. PacifiCorp currently owns 6,000 MW of dirty coal-fired generation, mostly in coal-friendly Wyoming. Contrary to legislative intent, replacing zero-carbon DCPP by outsourcing California's fossil-fired generation to out-of-state generators would cause multistate harms and increase California ratepayer burdens. See also this important March 25, 2019 article showing coal emissions continued to grow in 2018. 8
8 "In blow to climate, coal plants emitted more than ever in 2018," by Chris Mooney and Bradley Dennis, March 25, 2019, The Washington Post http://tinyurl.com/Coal-Emissions-Grow-In-2018
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V. Another imposed cost of "renewables" - substantial stranded assets
California ratepayers annually pay the investor-owned utilities (IOUs) shareholders large sums via the obscure "Capital Cost Recovery" or "Cost of Capital" mechanism. IOU shareholders are awarded the product of the annual allowed depreciation of the IOU's generation and transmission assets and a percentage, currently in the range of 10% to 11% - far in excess of the current Federal Funds Rate of 2.5%. Ratepayers are ultimately responsible for paying this high interest rate as a component of their energy bills.
A generating or transmission asset that is not in use most of the time is a "stranded asset" that provides little ratepayer benefit. As noted above, Helms Pumped Storage (HPS) is apparently used primarily to compensate for the intermittencies of solar and wind generation. Based on statistics from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (USEIA) this expensive asset is barely used. The greatest use of HPS between 2003 and 2018 was in 2016, with an average use of about 67 minutes per day during that year. The lowest use was an average of 12 minutes per day in 2005. In proceeding A.16-08-006, CGNP filed a data request with PG&E, the owner of HPS to learn why this resource with a nameplate capacity of 1,212 MW was used so sparingly. CGNP's data request was rebuffed by PG&E. See the Appendix for details regarding the roughly 0.6 TWh of curtailed California solar and wind generation between November, 2017 and February, 2019 - another example of a "stranded asset." "Peakers" are another example of a "stranded asset." See the summary chart on the next page..
10
Here's DCPP performance information, which is highly regarded throughout the U.S. nuclear power industry. DCPP's 2018 capacity factor (percentage "ON" time) is 92.75%, with a high of 96.231% in 2016.
Here's a comparison of four California power plants. Details are found in the Appendix.
PG&E wants to voluntarily close California's biggest, most reliable and most efficient generator by far - which is also truly zero-carbon - in 2025. The plan is to burn more fossil fuel, and as is demonstrated above, use that fossil fuel less and less efficiently as greater and greater amounts of intermittent solar generation and intermittent wind generation are planned to be deployed in California. California's already-excessive power rates will climb even higher. Clearly, this plan is not in the interests of ratepayers or the environment.
11
This harmful PG&E plan should be stopped dead in its tracks. Now.
VI. Fossil-fuel interest lobbying is likely the root cause of these poor policy choices.
Since before 2010, there has been a steady stream of news reports regarding the large annual amounts that fossil-
fuel interests expend on lobbying decisionmakers. CGNP believes the bloated amount being spent is acting as a barrier to implementing sound evidence-based energy policies. A pair of recent articles 9 highlighted PG&E's lobbying, a
corporation with billions of dollars in annual fossil fuel sales (natural gas.)
9 "Embattled California utility spent most for 2018 lobbying" KATHLEEN RONAYNE Associated Press The Chicago Tribune February 4, 2019 11:00 AM Sacramento, CA http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-bc-us--california-utility-lobbying-20190201-story.html
(This AP article appeared in the print edition of the San Luis Obispo, California
Tribune on page 1B of the Saturday, February 2, 2019 edition with the headline "Embattled PG&E spent most on lobbying in California last year.") Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. spent nearly $10 million on California lobbying efforts in the year before the utility giant declared bankruptcy, spending more than any other entity seeking to influence California government in 2018....
"PG&E Topples Western States Petroleum Association in California Lobbying Spending in 2018" by Dan Bacher IndyBay Tuesday Feb 5th, 2019 10:03 PM https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2019/02/05/18820999.php
Two days before the filing of lobbying expenses by PG&E, Consumer Watchdog called for the ouster of the California Public Utilities Commission over its decision to extend a $6 billion credit line to Pacific Gas & Electric in what the group called “an unneeded emergency process that allowed no time for scrutiny....”

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CGNP reviewed PG&E's recent lobbying expenditures directed towards the CPUC. The chart on the previous page provides a summary. CGNP believes the red bar is a significant outlier. In the third quarter of 2016, PG&E filed its application A.16-08-006 with the CPUC on August 11, 2016. PG&E expended almost a quarter of a million dollars lobbying the CPUC during the 3rd quarter of 2016. 10 At that time, PG&E's concerns about wildfire-related liabilities were not significant, as the Wine Country Fires did not occur until about a year later. So why was PG&E expending so much on CPUC lobbying that quarter? The likely answer was that PG&E desired to increase its post-2025 profits by voluntarily closing DCPP in 2025. The amounts PG&E spent lobbying the CPUC during that quarter clearly showed its desire to prevail in matters before the CPUC. The bar to ex-parte communications was not imposed until Q4, on October 6, 2016 at the prehearing conference (PHC.) The CCR mechanism, highlighted above, could be employed by PG&E to construct a very large amount of unneeded generation and transmission assets. CGNP's adverse testimony in A.16-08-006, which drew heavily on PG&E's sworn statements in A.10-01- 022, clearly established that DCPP had many more decades of useful life beyond 2025. The CPUC chose to ignore CGNP's technical and legal arguments in approving A.16-08-006 on January 11, 2018. CGNP timely filed its legal objections to the CPUC via an Application for Rehearing (AFR) that was denied on September 27, 2018. CGNP further pursued California Appellate Court review in B293420 before the 2nd District, Division 6. However, review was declined without prejudice. California law does not offer a right of appellate court review of a CPUC decision that a party objects to. Appellate court review is discretionary.
PG&E's lobbying for a California fossil-fueled future is a small component in a larger fossil-fuel interest campaign that has expended roughly a billion dollars since 2015 lobbying and using public relations tools to prevent meaningful action regarding climate change. 11
10 PG&E's Quarterly Form 635 lobbying disclosures with the California Secretary of State. The $222,908.11 PG&E spent lobbying the CPUC was almost one quarter of the $1,057,644.97 that PG&E spent lobbying the CPUC between the 4th quarter of 2015 and the 4th quarter of 2018.
11 "How Big Oil Continues to Oppoose the Paris Agreement" March 22, 2019 InfluenceMap, London, UKhttps://influencemap.org/report/How-Big-Oil-Continues-to-Oppose-the-Paris-Agreement- 38212275958aa21196dae3b76220bddc 12 instances of "California."
3 instances of "Western States Petroleum Association." "The Dirty Secret Of 'Renewables' Advocates Is That They Protect Fossil Fuel Interests, Not The Climate" by Michael Shellenberger
Forbes blog, March 29,
13
VII. The public safety harms of natural gas.
These reply comments have already supplied information regarding natural gas emissions - which are tightly interwoven with intermittent solar and intermittent wind generation. The public safety problem can be summarized in two words, "San Bruno." A summary of the trail of carnage related to the natural gas status quo in California and elsewhere is contained in the Appendix. The transmission and storage infrastructure is aging, with most assets 50-60 years old. These should be compelling reasons to expand the use of safe nuclear power. However, entrenched business interests have marshaled legions of public relations professionals to deflect away public concerns and regulatory agency concerns regarding inherently dangerous natural gas.
VIII. The path to CPUC Reform
Enlightened California leaders recognize the CPUC is failing at its statutory duties to provide safe, reliable public utilities at a reasonable cost. Special interests lobby to drive up the cost of California's essential electric power and water, which serves to drive employers to locate to other states, further harming California's economy, currently the fifth largest in the world. Do we want a return to ENRON's brownouts and blackouts? CGNP respectfully suggests California's leaders to use a pair of agencies as templates to drive CPUC reform. The professional expertise of the small staff of the Diablo Canyon Independent Safety Committee (DCISC) provides another layer of assurance that DCPP maintains its exemplary safety record. CPUC's technical expertise should be organized and funded as a separate body akin to the DCISC to minimize the influence of entrenched special interests on CPUC's technical decisions. The CPUC's Office of Ratepayer Advocates (Public Advocates Office) is financially dependent on the CPUC and rarely advances meaningful ratepayer advocacy. Instead, a Citizen's Utility Board (CUB) patterned after the Wisconsin CUB should be implemented. Note the cell phone number of Wisconsin's CUB Executive Director is public information, in marked contrast to the insular nature of the CPUC. Details are found in the Appendix. CGNP's Lead Counsel, Mike Gatto made CPUC regulatory
2019. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelshellenberger/2019/03/28/the-dirty-secret-of-renewables- advocates-is-that-they-protect-fossil-fuel-interests-not-the-climate/
See also Michael Shellenberger's recent YouTube video from TEDx Danubia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-yALPEpV4w At 9:11, he shows two wind turbine workers who died as a consequence of a 2013 wind turbine fire in the Netherlands. No workers nor anyone in the general public have died as a consequence of radiation from a U.S. commercial nuclear power plant.

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reform the centerpiece of his 4 terms of service before the California Assembly. Please contact him for additional details.
IX. Conclusion
In sworn 2010 CPUC filings, PG&E made a clear case for operation through 2045 as the most cost-effective among 18 detailed scenarios. CGNP’s analysis, based largely upon PG&E’s figures, confirmed this. DCPP deserves a zero-carbon credit (ZCC), such as awarded to nuclear plants in Illinois, New York and New Jersey, as its continued operation through 2045 would avoid the generation of well over 100 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions. A ZCC credit would appropriately recognize DCPP is California’s largest reliable and dispatchable carbon-free energy source, for which no reliable carbon-free replacement has been identified. It would create a level playing field ensuring DCPP is fully competitive. As a first step, CGNP advocates the proposed IRP should be modified to reflect the continued safe operation of DCPP well beyond 2025.
Dated: March 31, 2019 Respectfully submitted,
/s/ Gene A. Nelson, Ph.D.
Gene Nelson, Ph.D., Legal Assistant Californians for Green Nuclear Power, Inc. 1375 East Grand Ave, Suite 103 #523 Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
Tel: (805) 363 - 4697
E-mail: Government@CGNP.org

CGNP's Groundbreaking Pro-Nuclear Power Advocacy

CGNP's Groundbreaking Pro-Nuclear Power Advocacy



Gene A. Nelson, Ph.D. government@cgnp.org

AttachmentsFri, Apr 12, 8:04 PM (13 hours ago)


Attorney Michele Kearney
Nuclear Wire
Needham, MA
micheletkearney@gmail.com

April 12, 2019

Dear Michele:

I'm very impressed with your Nuclear Wire blog at
https://michelekearneynuclearwire.blogspot.com/

Using the blog's search feature, I located some 2015 and 2016 articles
regarding our nonprofit,  adverse CPUC intervenor, Californians for Green
Nuclear Power, Inc.

We've been very active on the legal front in our advocacy to save Diablo
Canyon Power Plant (DCPP) from a wasteful premature retirement in 2025.

We raised many relevant issues before the CPUC in A.16-08-006. The CPUC
recognized the quality of our voluminous testimony and vigorous
participation in all oral phases by granting us about $1/4 million in
intervenor compensation to date. Our legal battle spanned more than two
years in that proceeding. The CPUC found for PG&E.

Then we carried the battle to the California Court of Appeals in B293420.
They dismissed our Writ Petition on January 31, 2019. You might recognize
CGNP's lead attorney Mike Gatto. He served four terms in the California
Assembly, including serving as Chair of the Utility and Energy Committee.
I've attached CGNP's reply brief which summarizes the significant legal
issues. Our Writ Petition was dismissed without prejudice on January 31,
2019.

We also carried the battle back to the CPUC as a Party in the CPUC
Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) R.16-02-007.  Attached find our recent
reply comments and CGNP's prepared comments delivered at the CPUC All
Party's hearing on April 4, 2019. CGNP is now preparing its Answer in this
proceeding.

Finally, we have carried our battle to the Northern District of California
federal court. CGNP contacted Judge William Alsup via his courtroom
deputy. Judge Alsup is presiding in the federal case USA v PG&E. Judge
Alsup has been sharply critical of PG&E's poor safety culture, as shown in
business units other than DCPP. Attached find CGNP's transmittal letters.
CGNP is optimistic our nonprofit will eventually prevail.

CGNP would appreciate updated coverage in your Nuclear Wire blog.

Thanks!

Gene Nelson, Ph.D.  CGNP Legal Assistant
Californians for Green Nuclear Power, Inc. (CGNP)
1375 East Grand Ave Ste 103 #523
Arroyo Grande, CA 93420
(805) 363 - 4697 cell
Government@CGNP.org email
http://CGNP.org  website

6 Attachments

Thursday, April 11, 2019

NRC sets September hearing date for C-10 filing | Local News | gloucestertimes.com

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Coal, nuclear cleanup costs central to FirstEnergy’s rejected bankruptcy plan | Energy News Network

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New Mexico May Become Temporary Storage Site For Nuclear Waste : NPR

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Gas, nuclear lobbies butt heads as Senate takes up nuclear-rescue bill | PA Post

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Paying to preserve our nuclear plants is money well spent, legislator says - nj.com

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Nuclear bill in Senate differs from Rep. Mehaffie’s in three ways | Press & Journal

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Indian Point Unit 3 returns to service after final refueling

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Walz touts clean energy jobs amid uncertain nuclear future

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U.S. Senate bill mandates review of nuclear power cooperation with other nations - Reuters

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Nirab recommends GBP1 billion boost for innovation - World Nuclear News

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Framatome invests in Ugine nuclear alloy plant - World Nuclear News

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China installs steam generator at Tianwan unit 6 - World Nuclear News

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Georgia legacy waste management project launched - World Nuclear News

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Podcast #18: A Lifeline for Ohio’s Nuclear Power Plants? | ANS Nuclear Cafe

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Green lawmakers seek to elbow their way into Pa.’s nuclear debate - pennlive.com

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A former governor supports a bill to aid Pa.'s nuclear industry, but a Senate committee isn't so sure | Pennsylvania Capital-Star

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Rendell backs nuclear subsidy bill at Senate hearing - News - The Times - Beaver, PA

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Gas, nuclear lobbies butt heads as Senate takes up nuclear-rescue bill | State House Sound Bites | witf.org

Gas, nuclear lobbies butt heads as Senate takes up nuclear-rescue bill | State House Sound Bites | witf.org: Republican Senator Ryan Aument testifies in favor of his bill to save two of Pennsylvania's five nuclear plants from early retirement. (Katie Meyer/WITF) (Harrisburg) -- A bill aimed at saving two of Pennsylvania's nuclear power plants from early retirement is getting an expectedly mixed reception in the state Senate. The first committee hearing on the measure Wednesday saw nuclear and natural gas proponents clash over how to make Pennsylvania's energy markets fair. The proposal would recognize Pennsylvania's five nuclear plants as carbon-free energy, and add them to the commonwealth's Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard. That law requires electric utilities to buy power from clean sources, like wind and solar. By adding nuclear to the mix, proponents hope to bolster it in a market increasingly dominated by natural gas. Gas lobbyists argue nuclear plants are already mostly profitable, save Three Mile Island, which has only one reactor. Marcellus Shale Coalition President...

Achieving Excellence: IAEA, Partners Hold Seminar on Nuclear Leadership

Achieving Excellence: IAEA, Partners Hold Seminar on Nuclear Leadership

,
Lecturer Pekka Pyy introducing IAEA activities to participants of the International Nuclear Executive Leadership Seminar, held from 27 March to 3 April 2019 at Texas A&M University, College Station, USA. (Photo: Texas A&M University)
Managing a nuclear power programme is demanding and highly competent leaders are vital to success at all stages. An International Nuclear Executive Leadership Seminar that ended last week provided a fast track, broad overview of nuclear power fundamentals to 20 senior managers from regulatory bodies, nuclear power plant (NPP) operators, government institutions and the construction sector in 13 IAEA Member States. Participants represented a mix of countries embarking on a new nuclear power programme or expanding an existing one.
The ten-day course focused on nuclear leadership through the continuous reinforcement of excellence, commitment to nuclear safety and developing leadership competences. It was supported by an IAEA interregional technical cooperation project and hosted by the Nuclear Power Institute at Texas A&M University, in College Station, USA. The World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO), the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations in the US and several locally based organizations contributed to the programme.
The course on nuclear leadership has been a unique opportunity for learning and developing a lasting network of senior nuclear leaders.
Inemo Morris Adaka, Assistant Director for Nuclear Power Plant Development, Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission
“The effective management of a nuclear power programme entails strong leadership, strategy and planning, organization and competence development,” said Pekka Pyy, senior nuclear expert at the IAEA Nuclear Power Engineering Section, who lectured at the seminar. “Also, sustainable management systems are essential to ensure that all important issues ranging from safety, security, IAEA safeguards, to health and quality are included in the strategic decision making process.”
The seminar programme, presented in lectures, case studies, facilitated discussions, technical tours and interactive meetings addressed a wide range of topics, from establishing high standards and accountability in leadership to maintaining a strong nuclear safety culture and ensuring long term safe operation of NPPs, from applying project management fundamentals and lessons learned to spent fuel and radioactive waste management.
"This course has taken us from the very basics of radiation through construction to completion and operation of a nuclear power plant,” said Tomasz Kwiatkowski, Director of the Programme Coordination Office at PGE-EJ1, a subsidiary of the state-owned energy company PGE, set up to construct and operate Poland's first NPP. "We got firsthand knowledge from people who are working in the nuclear sector and they were willing to share their experience and knowledge.”
Participants were also able to gain appreciation for leadership strategies such as change management, organizational culture, nuclear knowledge management, workforce development and the importance of communication and developing strong relationships with local communities and government officials.
“The seminar was very useful for me because I am working in the field of nuclear communication,” explained Andreea Udrescu from Romania’s nuclear and radioactive waste agency ANDR.  “It is important to have external communication but also communication within the organization. This is why we have to build trust among us, to be open to communicate and to be accountable.”
Several sessions with local government and business representatives as well as technical tours completed the programme. These included visits to the South Texas Project Electric Generating Station, a two unit NPP producing 2700 MW(e) of electricity, and emergency response management and training facilities.
“The course on nuclear leadership has been a unique opportunity for learning and developing a lasting network of senior nuclear leaders,” said Inemo Morris Adaka, Assistant Director for Nuclear Power Plant Development at the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission.

IAEA support

The Interregional Technical Cooperation Project on Supporting Knowledgeable Decision-making and Building Capacities to Start and Implement Nuclear Power Programmes is a significant mechanism for the IAEA to provide support to Member States. It helps in establishing a global network and forum for information exchange with new and expanding nuclear power programmes. Launched in 2016, the project has been financially supported by more than 6 million euros, thanks to multiple donors: France, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United States, the Russian Federation and the IAEA Technical Cooperation (TC) fund.
The four-year project includes a total of seven workshops, 46 training courses, 11 fellowship programmes and 13 group scientific visits, training attendees from 41 Member States. It is aimed at enabling participants to acquire new knowledge required for decision making and building capacities to support the development or expansion of safe, secure and sustainable nuclear power programmes. A follow-up project, to be launched in 2020, is being developed.
Senior managers from 13 countries attended the International Nuclear Executive Leadership Seminar, held at the Nuclear Power Institute of Texas A&M University, 27 March - 3 April 2019. (Photo: Texas A&M University)
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Walz touts clean energy jobs amid uncertain nuclear future - SFChronicle.com

Walz touts clean energy jobs amid uncertain nuclear future - SFChronicle.com: ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz and Commerce Commissioner Steve Kelley said Monday that economics suggest nuclear power won't be part of Minnesota's energy mix if the state adopts the governor's goal of getting 100 percent of its energy from carbon-free sources by 2050. Walz and Kelley made the remarks at a news conference that they held to celebrate the growth in clean energy jobs in Minnesota. "We are outpacing other states," the governor said. "Now is the time for Minnesota to seize the momentum." The governor set the ambitious carbon-free goal last month in hopes of building on the success of Minnesota's Next Generation Energy Act, which passed in 2007 and was signed into law by Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty. That law required Minnesota utilities to get at least 25 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2025 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The rapid growth of wind and solar power helped the state largely achieve that goal two years ago. The carbon-free standard is part of a broad energy and climate policy bill that passed a committee Friday in the Democratic-controlled Minnesota House. But the idea is stalled in the GOP-controlled Senate. Minneapolis-ba

New Mexico May Become Temporary Storage Site For Nuclear Waste : NPR

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Nuclear Power Plant Market: Clear Understanding of the Competitive Landscape and Key Product Segments - AppWebRadar

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Pressure Mounts as Legislators Try to Save Nuclear Plants

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Senators seek oversight power on US nuclear energy transfers

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Inside the Gas Industry’s Plan to Sink Nuclear Power

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Carbon-Free Nuclear Power Faces Obstacles - WSJ

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Fukushima Update 4/11/19

Fukushima Update 4/11/19 –

The evacuation order has been rescinded for parts of F. Daiichi host, Okuma Town… Okuma’s “old man squad” ends its vigil… Tomioka Town’s no-go areas are visited by cherry-blossom tour busses… Fukushima had Japan’s largest growth in foreign visitors in January... The NRA uses artificial intelligence for automated transcriptions of its private meetings… A bridge connecting Kesennuma to a city island went into service.

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