Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

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

Saturday, October 17, 2020

What China gains if Trump wins - The Washington Post

What China gains if Trump wins - The Washington Post: Even before the pandemic hit, there was a view in China that the United States was a waning power. Now, officials in Beijing see what’s unfolding in America as part of an acceleration of American decline.

Friday, October 16, 2020

COVID Misinformation Is Killing People - Scientific American

COVID Misinformation Is Killing People - Scientific American: Scientific American is the essential guide to the most awe-inspiring advances in science and technology, explaining how they change our understanding of the world and shape our lives.

EPA may violate courts with new rule extending life of unlined coal ash ponds | TheHill

EPA may violate courts with new rule extending life of unlined coal ash ponds | TheHill: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will allow utilities to store toxic waste from coal in open, unlined pits — a move that may defy a court order requiring the agency to close certain types of so-called coal

Official release of "Shorting the Grid"

 

Official release of "Shorting the Grid"
Shorting the Grid available at Amazon
Shorting the Grid: The Hidden Fragility of Our Electric Grid is Available!

I am terrifically pleased to announce that all three editions of Shorting the Grid are now available at Amazon! Woot! Woot!! Shorting the Grid is available!


For the hardcore, the hardcover is available at this link.

The official release date is October 19. However, all versions can be ordered now, with some orders considered a "pre-release" order.

Shorting will also be available on other platforms. More about the other platforms as soon as I know. The other platforms should include iBooks, Barnes and Noble Nook, and more.

Praise

John McClaughry and I worked together to try to save Vermont Yankee. I sent McClaughry an early review copy of my book. He wrote this in a review in the Ethan Allen Institute Newsletter.

"Shorting the Grid ...(is) not likely to make the New York Times Best Seller List, but it will certainly prove to be the gold standard for anyone working to keep the lights on, who needs to know how electric power is produced, distributed, and priced."

Rod Adams, a long-time friend and pronuclear blogger, interviewed me on his podcast. I sent him an early review copy of my book. On his blog today, Adams wrote:

"It belongs in the library of every congressional and senatorial office....Governors and state level legislators might want (to) incorporate lessons revealed in the book and reconsider their decisions to rely more heavily on markets than on well-regulated monopolies with an obligation to serve."

Buy the book

Maybe, instead of "Buy the book," I should say, "Let the wild rumpus begin!" (It's a controversial book.)

Meanwhile, join the rumpus and buy the book!




Thank you!
Meredith Angwin 


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Why the Vatican’s pediatric hospital is one of the best children’s hospitals in the world

Why the Vatican’s pediatric hospital is one of the best children’s hospitals in the world: Bambino Gesù draws patients from across Europe and beyond.

How to recognize the symbols of martyrdom in art

How to recognize the symbols of martyrdom in art: Palm trees and crowns have been used for centuries as symbols of the victory of faith.

Putin proposes Russia, U.S. extend New START arms control treaty for one year | Reuters

Putin proposes Russia, U.S. extend New START arms control treaty for one year | Reuters: Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed on Friday that Russia and the United States extend their New START arms control treaty that expires in February for at least a year without imposing any conditions.

Director-General FU Cong's Interview with Kommersant

Director-General FU Cong's Interview with Kommersant

Trump to release aid to CA fire victims after denying appeal | The Sacramento Bee

Trump to release aid to CA fire victims after denying appeal | The Sacramento Bee: The Trump administration initially rejected California’s request for a disaster declaration

Video – CatholicVote org

Video – CatholicVote org: CatholicVote's mission is to inspire every Catholic in America to live out the truths of our faith in public life.

DOE cost-share award of $1.355 billion is approved for UAMPS’ to build NuScale SMR in Idaho

 BREAKING

DOE cost-share award of $1.355 billion is approved for UAMPS’ to build NuScale SMR in Idaho

-= DOE cost-share award of $1.355 billion is approved for UAMPS’ to build NuScale SMR in Idaho. PDF file attached. bit.ly/355wSPp

U.S. official pushes nuclear energy as economic, environmental boost - The Salt Lake Tribune

U.S. official pushes nuclear energy as economic, environmental boost - The Salt Lake Tribune

Guest column: Celebrating 70 years of success at SRS | Opinion Columns | postandcourier.com

Guest column: Celebrating 70 years of success at SRS | Opinion Columns | postandcourier.com: This month marks the 70th anniversary of the Savannah River Site. Looking back, the site has accomplished a remarkable amount of essential national defense missions to safeguard our nation and

The two big-name companies that won't be designing Ontario’s next nuclear reactor | TVO.org

The two big-name companies that won't be designing Ontario’s next nuclear reactor | TVO.org: OPINION: The province has passed over two major players on its shortlist for a small-modular-reactor design. Will that mean a more competitive process?

Commentary: Santee Cooper is making progress as it undergoes transformation | Commentary | postandcourier.com

Commentary: Santee Cooper is making progress as it undergoes transformation | Commentary | postandcourier.com: The South Carolina General Assembly has spent much time and effort considering the future of Santee Cooper, and what would be best for our customers and the state itself. The

New Design Molten Salt Reactor Is Cheaper To Run, Consumes Nuclear Waste

New Design Molten Salt Reactor Is Cheaper To Run, Consumes Nuclear Waste: Molten salt reactors are not new. The defining work was done on them at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee in the 1950s through the 1970s. It was a time of creativity in reactor design, particularly under Alvin Weinberg, the lab's gifted and legendary director.

Rosatom, IAEA to cooperate in nuclear security, energy & applications

Rosatom, IAEA to cooperate in nuclear security, energy & applications: Rosatom Technical Academy (Rosatom Tech) has become the first IAEA Collaborating Centre to extend its work with the IAEA into three different programmatic areas: nuclear sciences and applications, nuclear security and nuclear energy.

Japan ready to dump contaminated water from Fukushima plant into ocean

 

Japan ready to dump contaminated water from Fukushima plant into ocean

 https://alkhaleejtoday.co/international/5106212/Japan-ready-to-dump-contaminated-water-from-Fukushima-plant-into-ocean.html

Co-Chairs Appointed to Lead New National Science, Technology, and Security Roundtable | National Academies

Co-Chairs Appointed to Lead New National Science, Technology, and Security Roundtable | National Academies: Maria T. Zuber, John C. Gannon, and Richard A. Meserve will serve as co-chairs of a newly launched National Science, Technology, and Security Roundtable convened by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Fort Worth activists protest nuclear waste plan for Texas | Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Fort Worth activists protest nuclear waste plan for Texas | Fort Worth Star-Telegram: A plan to transport 5,000 tons of high-level nuclear waste from across the country to sites on the Texas-New Mexico border poses a particular danger to Fort Worth, a group of environmental activists opposed to the plan said Thursday.

Seattle DJC.com local business news and data - Environment - Nuclear energy backers try to attract more supporters

Seattle DJC.com local business news and data - Environment - Nuclear energy backers try to attract more supporters: The resurgence of interest in nuclear power as a clean energy source could be boosted by emphasizing how it would help humanity, the chairwoman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Wednesday.

Washington state nuclear reactor company receives $80M grant | Govt-and-politics | omaha.com

Washington state nuclear reactor company receives $80M grant | Govt-and-politics | omaha.com: SEATTLE (AP) — A Washington state nuclear reactor design company founded by Bill Gates has received an $80 million federal Energy Department grant.

The World’s Growing Nuclear Waste Dilemma | OilPrice.com

The World’s Growing Nuclear Waste Dilemma | OilPrice.com: Though nuclear energy offers a promising low-emissions form of energy production, there is one glaring issue the industry still hasn’t been able to overcome

US official: Nuclear energy can attract more supporters | Chattanooga Times Free Press

US official: Nuclear energy can attract more supporters | Chattanooga Times Free Press: The resurgence of interest in nuclear power as a clean energy source could be boosted by emphasizing how it would help humanity, the chairwoman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Wednesday.

U.S. official pushes nuclear energy as economic, environmental boost - The Salt Lake Tribune

U.S. official pushes nuclear energy as economic, environmental boost - The Salt Lake Tribune

U.S. official touts nuclear power | Northwest | lmtribune.com

U.S. official touts nuclear power | Northwest | lmtribune.com: BOISE — The resurgence of interest in nuclear power as a clean energy source could be boosted by emphasizing how it would help humanity, the chairwoman of the U.S. Nuclear

Research reactors promise world of benefits to African nations -- ANS / Newswire

Research reactors promise world of benefits to African nations -- ANS / Newswire

Canada invests in small modular nuclear technology, eyes net-zero future | Reuters

Canada invests in small modular nuclear technology, eyes net-zero future | Reuters: The Canadian government took a tentative step forward on its national small modular reactor (SMR) plan on Thursday, with an investment to help an Ontario company edge closer to commercializing its reactor technology.

EDF plans to announce new EPR nuclear reactor by mid-2021 | Reuters

EDF plans to announce new EPR nuclear reactor by mid-2021 | Reuters: EDF aims to unveil a new, cheaper-to-build version of its EPR nuclear reactor by mid-2021, the French power company said on Thursday.

Decades-Long Cleanup Complete At Gaseous Diffusion Plant :: The Independent Global Nuclear News Agency

Decades-Long Cleanup Complete At Gaseous Diffusion Plant :: The Independent Global Nuclear News Agency: A decades-long effort to clean and transform the former Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant in the US state of Tennessee is complete, resulting in the first-ever removal and remediation of a uranium enrichment complex.



Since cleanup operations began, hundreds of buildings measuring more have been demolished and more than 1.2 million cubic metres of waste –enough to fill up more than 500 Olympic-size swimming pools – have been disposed, including nearly 30,000 truckloads of soil.



This progress has paved the way for the US Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management to transfer more than 500 hectares of land  at the facility, also known as the East Tennessee Technology Park, back to the community for economic development with another 40 hectares set aside for historic preservation.

NRC approves Yucca Mountain roadmap -- ANS / Newswire

NRC approves Yucca Mountain roadmap -- ANS / Newswire

Report highlights socioeconomic impact of power plant closures -- ANS / Newswire

Report highlights socioeconomic impact of power plant closures -- ANS / Newswire

Xcel gets $10.5M federal grant for pilot project on hydrogen - StarTribune.com

Xcel gets $10.5M federal grant for pilot project on hydrogen - StarTribune.com: The new plant will be at either Prairie Island or the utility's Monticello nuclear facility.

Economic Modelling Compares Costs Of SMR To Conventional PWR :: The Independent Global Nuclear News Agency

Economic Modelling Compares Costs Of SMR To Conventional PWR :: The Independent Global Nuclear News Agency: The total cost per kW of electricity generated by a 114-MW small modular reactor unit is $2,653 compared to $4,764 per kW for a conventional pressurised water reactor unit of 1,144 MW, economic modelling data indicates.



The data has been published by the Energy Impact Centre (EIC), founded in 2017 by robotics expert Bret Kugelmass. EIC is developing what it calls Open100, the world’s first open-source blueprint for the design, construction and financing of a 114-MW SMR.



It shows that the total cost of the SMR would be slightly over $303m. This compares to $5.5bn for the 1,144-MW reference plant.



The levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) from the SMR would be $36/MWh compared to $92/MWh for the reference plant.

WINS Special Report on Security of Advanced Reactors is now available for download

 

Click here to view the report
Dear << Test First Name >>,
 
We are proud to release, in partnership with the Nuclear Threat Initiative, this Special Report on the Security of Advanced Reactors. As more countries reconsider using nuclear technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide energy security, this topic is more important than ever.
 
The report encourages advanced reactor developers and regulators to incorporate security into their designs as early as possible, providing the following five recommendations:
  • Identify effective methods of communicating nuclear reactor security obligations and guidance internationally
  • Share best practices and lessons learned via a series of meetings
  • Provide professional development training and expert access to ensure developers and their staff are up to date on the latest security challenges
  • Commission studies to identify and research potential future challenges
  • Facilitate security peer reviews of nuclear reactors
As Ambassador Laura Holgate and Ray Rothrock observe,
 
“These new reactors can be designed to incorporate modern security elements that make it easier to prevent theft or sabotage… Because these advanced reactors operate differently from the well-understood light-water fuel cycle around which most current security concepts are designed, security experts must be involved early to understand and guide designs to account for current and future security risks and threats.”
 
We hope you will take a moment to review the report and its recommendations and then disseminate the report to your colleagues, peers and other contacts. If you have any questions, please let us know.
 
We will be discussing the recommendations and next steps with our colleagues at the Nuclear Threat Initiative and Third Way in a webinar on 12 November at 11:00 EST (GMT -5), so stay tuned for more details about that event. We hope you can join us then.
 
You can find additional information about the report and upcoming events here.
 
PS: If you are not already a member of WINS, we encourage you to register free of charge and join a global community of practitioners dedicated to improving nuclear security.





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ECA Update October 16, 2020