Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire - Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry. Nuclear Activities
Sunday, December 31, 2023
Saturday, December 30, 2023
Japan Marks Progress to Open Kashiwazaki-Kariwa | Neutron Bytes
Japan Marks Progress to Open Kashiwazaki-Kariwa | Neutron Bytes: Japan Marks Progress to Open Kashiwazaki-Kariwa South Korea Awards Contract to Build Two 1400 MW PWRs Spain to Pull the Plug on Seven Reactors by 2035 UK Struggles with Goals for Nuclear Energy Ene…
China-Linked Group Gives Millions to US Climate Groups | NTD
China-Linked Group Gives Millions to US Climate Groups | NTD: China-Linked Group Gives Millions to US Climate Groups
Friday, December 29, 2023
Inside the world's first reactor that will power Earth using the same nuclear reaction as the Sun | Euronews
Inside the world's first reactor that will power Earth using the same nuclear reaction as the Sun | Euronews: We go behind the scenes at the world’s largest nuclear fusion device attempting to harness energy from the same reaction that powers the Sun and stars.
Support for nuclear has grown dramatically, says global agency chief | Reuters
Support for nuclear has grown dramatically, says global agency chief | Reuters: Global energy security concerns and the drive to meet net zero targets have led to a sharp turnaround in support for nuclear, Director-General of the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) William D. Magwood IV tells Reuters Events.
Discussing Fossil Future with students from the John Locke Institute, Pt. 2
Discussing Fossil Future with students from the John Locke Institute, Pt. 2: More answers to intelligent pre-college students’ questions about energy, climate, and environment. This time, with economics professor Bryan Caplan.
IAEA Highlights and Achievements in 2023 – A Year in Review | IAEA
IAEA Highlights and Achievements in 2023 – A Year in Review | IAEA: From nuclear energy making history at COP28, to new programmes in food security and water resource management, to conducting safeguards in war zones, to driving safety and security around the world — including helping prevent a nuclear accident in Ukraine — to improving access to nuclear technology, this was an eventful year for the IAEA.
Top “Nuclear Explained” Reads in 2023 | IAEA
Top “Nuclear Explained” Reads in 2023 | IAEA: The IAEA ‘Nuclear Explained’ series offers easy-to-understand explanations of major topics in nuclear science and technology. See the top five ‘Nuclear Explained’ articles read by global audiences this year.
Transition from large-scale nuclear to SMRs gains momentum in US - ShareCafe
Transition from large-scale nuclear to SMRs gains momentum in US - ShareCafe: The central theme driving the energy transition and decarbonisation efforts revolves around the objective of maximising the use of electricity and sourcing this electrical power from renewable and low-carbon origins.
US Finalizes $1.1 Billion Award to PG&E For California Reactors
US Finalizes $1.1 Billion Award to PG&E For California Reactors: The Energy Department has finalized an award of as much as $1.1 billion to PG&E Corp. to keep two nuclear reactors in service at its Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, according to a notice made public Friday.
China blocks exports of rare earth technology
China blocks exports of rare earth technology: Move follows Western efforts to restrict the country's access to microchip technology
11 Most Promising Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Stocks According to Analysts - Insider Monkey
11 Most Promising Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Stocks According to Analysts - Insider Monkey: In this piece, we will take a look at the 11 most promising hydrogen and fuel cell stocks according to analysts.
Portable Nuclear Reactor Now A Reality
Portable Nuclear Reactor Now A Reality: Scientists have found a way to pocket the immense power of nuclear reactors creating a portable machine to produce the energy anywhere in the world.
2023 Ignited a New Era For Nuclear Fusion. 2024 Could Be Even Brighter
2023 Ignited a New Era For Nuclear Fusion. 2024 Could Be Even Brighter: This year, the National Ignition Facility repeated its energy gain achievement multiple times, making fusion scientists more optimistic than ever.
COP28 climate pledge to dump fossil fuels as energy is start | Fort Worth Star-Telegram
COP28 climate pledge to dump fossil fuels as energy is start | Fort Worth Star-Telegram: Climate pledge to move away from fossil fuels is huge. There’s just one problem | Opinion
Thursday, December 28, 2023
United States Geological Survey reports 3.7 magnitude earthquake east of Jonesboro
United States Geological Survey reports 3.7 magnitude earthquake east of Jonesboro: Officials with the United States Geological Survey reported an earthquake in northeast Arkansas Wednesday morning.
What Will Happen When the Grid Goes Down - by John Droz jr.
What Will Happen When the Grid Goes Down - by John Droz jr.: A WAKEUP warning about what you can and should do
If COP28 Keeps Its Word, It Leads To More Nuclear Energy
If COP28 Keeps Its Word, It Leads To More Nuclear Energy: If the global community triples its use of renewables and sends fossil fuels packing — per COP28 — then the natural extension is more nuclear energy.
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
How Electric Vehicles Are Losing Momentum with U.S. Buyers, in Charts - WSJ
How Electric Vehicles Are Losing Momentum with U.S. Buyers, in Charts - WSJ: How Electric Vehicles Are Losing Momentum with U.S. Buyers, in Charts
EV sales grew nearly 50% this year but have plateaued in recent months
How China Is Quietly Dominating the Global Car Market - Bloomberg
How China Is Quietly Dominating the Global Car Market - Bloomberg: The US Hasn’t Noticed That China-Made Cars Are Taking Over the World
The country is poised to become the No. 2 exporter of passenger vehicles, surpassing the US and South Korea and risking new tensions with trading partners and rivals.
Japan lifts operational ban on world's biggest nuclear plant | Reuters
Japan lifts operational ban on world's biggest nuclear plant | Reuters: Japan's nuclear power regulator on Wednesday lifted an operational ban imposed on Tokyo Electric Power's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant two years ago, allowing it to work towards gaining local permission to restart.
Why Oil Traders Shouldn’t Discard Israel-Hamas War Risk | OilPrice.com
Why Oil Traders Shouldn’t Discard Israel-Hamas War Risk | OilPrice.com: The Red Sea, and specifically the Bab-el-Mandeb strait has become a risky chokepoint for Western vessels, and traders should not yet discard the risks for oil supply
Tuesday, December 26, 2023
Breakthrough Institute 2023 Annual Report | The Breakthrough Institute
Breakthrough Institute 2023 Annual Report | The Breakthrough Institute
The folllowing is a letter from Breakthrough Institute's Executive Director, Ted Nordhaus, reflecting on 2023. At the bottom of this page you can find a link to Breakthrough's 2023 Annual Report.
On Conflict and Progress
This year at the Breakthrough Institute brought a fair amount of controversy, even for a place that has never shied away from it. In April, Breakthrough’s Ashley Nunes and I published a widely read essay in theWall Street Journal’s Week in Review section expressing skepticism that mass adoption of electric vehicles was as close at hand as many environmentalists and progressive Democrats believe. In June, we were the first, and one of the few, pro-nuclear organizations to publicly oppose the confirmation of Jeff Baran, a long-time obstructionist commissioner, to a third five-year term on the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. In July, Alex Trembath and I published a long essay on the risks of technocratic hubris in the wake of the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. And in August, Breakthrough’s Patrick Brown published a widely covered peer-reviewed paper in Nature and follow-up essay in The Free Press that sparked a global debate about publication bias in the climate science literature.
Each of these episodes was polarizing—even for some of our friends, funders, and allies. Discomforting as this was, we were not surprised: paradoxically, disrupting deeply polarized debates around climate change, clean energy, and food and agriculture is itself polarizing and frequently requires challenging strongly held views about the nature of climate risk, the pace of technological change, and the role of government in addressing the former and driving the latter. Explicitly and unapologetically defending a science-based, non-apocalyptic view of climate risk and the human future, a meliorist view of technology, and a skeptical view that technological change can primarily be achieved via regulatory fiat or that emissions reductions can be driven by behavioral change is not for the faint of heart!
But over the long term, that controversial work has consistently held up, whether it related to the central role that public investment in technology, innovation, and infrastructure would play in climate mitigation efforts; the need for nuclear energy and intensive, technological agriculture; or the limitations of renewable energy and organic farming. Already, the same is proving true of this year’s controversies.
Six months after we sounded the alarm, automakers are slashing prices and scaling back their electric vehicle production plans, as demand has softened and inventories have risen. Barely a year into the Inflation Reduction Act, rising costs and regulatory barriers have sidetracked efforts to rapidly scale up clean technology and infrastructure. New projections for global emissions, meanwhile, increasingly show strong divergence from the high emissions and warming scenarios that the most widely cited climate impacts literature in high-profile publications like Nature is largely predicated upon. And our willingness to take a controversial stand on the Baran renomination appears to have killed it for the moment and has significantly improved the prospects for significant regulatory reform at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Simply being right, of course, is not enough. With the gap between the Biden administration’s climate ambitions and what it can deliver with traditional clean energy subsidies and environmental regulations growing and public sentiment turning sharply against many of its energy policy priorities, there is going to be a need to chart a different course on nuclear, permitting, electric vehicles, and the power sector. With a growing office in Washington, DC, we are now better positioned than ever to offer not only vision and leadership in that endeavor but the policy details as well.
Deconstructing conventional environmental politics must always be in service of reconstructing an alternative framework and agenda. We remain committed to de-escalating the climate culture wars, to championing quiet climate policy that charts a non-millenarian course of action, and to building a new politics of abundance in place of limits-based environmentalism and technocratic progressivism. Doing that will frequently invite controversy and reaction. But we continue to believe that, over the long term, being willing to do so is the key to building a successful ecological politics capable of making a future that is better for people and nature a reality.
INFOGRAPHIC: Climate Scientists’ Credibility Hurt | The Epoch Times
INFOGRAPHIC: Climate Scientists’ Credibility Hurt | The Epoch Times: As climate experts warn of looming catastrophe, faulty past forecasts hurt their message.
Monday, December 25, 2023
A year of green gaslighting - spiked
A year of green gaslighting - spiked: 2023 proved that the war on cars is no conspiracy theory.
Sunday, December 24, 2023
US Officials Turned Regime Change Tactics Developed Abroad Against Trump, Evidence Suggests
US Officials Turned Regime Change Tactics Developed Abroad Against Trump, Evidence Suggests: US intelligence and security agencies appear to have used the “color revolution” playbook, including “lawfare” and street protests
Nuclear power: The USA wants to build a different type of reactor - Breaking Latest News
Nuclear power: The USA wants to build a different type of reactor - Breaking Latest News: Molten salts are used as a coolant at the CEA Cadarache nuclear research center in France. Nicolas…
Nuclear power's future opposed by some progressive groups | National News | kpvi.com
Nuclear power's future opposed by some progressive groups | National News | kpvi.com: (The Center Square) - One nuclear power plant can produce the same amount of electricity as 2,077 wind turbines. And some of the larger wind turbines are taller than the
Saturday, December 23, 2023
Is Nuclear Energy the Answer? It Depends on the Risk Threshold - Lexology
Is Nuclear Energy the Answer? It Depends on the Risk Threshold - Lexology: At the recently concluded U.N. Climate conference in Dubai (COP28), world leaders boldly announced a 22-nation, multilateral commitment to triple the…
Will SMRs Launch a Nuclear Power Bull Market? - Energy Investing with Energy and Capital | Energy Stocks
Will SMRs Launch a Nuclear Power Bull Market? - Energy Investing with Energy and Capital | Energy Stocks: Nuclear power is safe. People, however, are not. And this, dear reader, is why there’s always been so much concern about expanding America’s fleet of nuclear power plants.
PG&E demonstrates use of drones as company shifts to technology to inspect power pole issues – KION546
PG&E demonstrates use of drones as company shifts to technology to inspect power pole issues – KION546: SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) -- Tonight a behind the scenes look at how PG&E is using drones in its efforts to inspect faulty power poles Chief Photographer Calista Silva gives us a look in the video story you can watch by clicking "play" in the video above.
DOE seeks public input on Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation - Daily Energy Insider
DOE seeks public input on Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation - Daily Energy Insider: After creating its first agency-related foundation – the Foundation for Energy Security and Innovation (FESI) – the United States Department of Energy (DOE) released a Request for Information (RFI) this week seeking input on how ... Read More »
Steven Koonin: Separating Climate Science from Propaganda | Ep. 22: Multimedia: The Independent Institute
Steven Koonin: Separating Climate Science from Propaganda | Ep. 22: Multimedia: The Independent Institute: Dr. Atlas interviews Professor Steven Koonin of NYU. Koonin served as Undersecretary for Science in the Department of Energy from 2009 to 2011 and was a professor at Cal Tech for nearly 30 years where he served as Vice President and Provost. They have a fascinating conversation about the science on climate change and the general state of science, as climate and energy have become so prominent in the media and public policy debates.
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Ernst Is Pulling The Plug On Biden’s Electric Vehicle Charging Initiative | The Daily Caller
EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Ernst Is Pulling The Plug On Biden’s Electric Vehicle Charging Initiative | The Daily Caller: Sen. Joni Ernst is planning on introducing legislation that would terminate President Joe Biden's $7.5 billion programs to subsidize EV chargers.
Dem Lawmakers Want To Earmark $1,000,000 For Activists To Build ‘Environmental Justice’ Center | The Daily Caller
Dem Lawmakers Want To Earmark $1,000,000 For Activists To Build ‘Environmental Justice’ Center | The Daily Caller: Democratic senators want to earmark $1 million to help a politically-connected environmentalist organization build an "environmental justice" center.
Friday, December 22, 2023
Britain's Need to Sort Nuclear Energy Financing Is Getting Urgent - Bloomberg
Britain's Need to Sort Nuclear Energy Financing Is Getting Urgent - Bloomberg: An emerging supply gap may end up being filled with dirtier fuels unless the government can get more reactors built.
House reps urge 'swift' review of loan to restart Michigan nuclear plant
House reps urge 'swift' review of loan to restart Michigan nuclear plant: U.S. lawmakers want federal regulators to give "fair, full and swift" review of Holtec loan application to restart the Palisades Nuclear Plant.
If COP28 Keeps Its Word, It Leads To More Nuclear Energy
If COP28 Keeps Its Word, It Leads To More Nuclear Energy: If the global community triples its use of renewables and sends fossil fuels packing — per COP28 — then the natural extension is more nuclear energy.
Belarus 'could be a world leader in nuclear energy share' : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News
Belarus 'could be a world leader in nuclear energy share' : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News: Belarus is considering building a second nuclear power plant, or a third unit at its existing one, and could become one of the leading countries in terms of the proportion of its energy being nuclear-generated, Energy Minister Viktor Karankevich has said.
Sir Stephen Lovegrove to chair Rolls-Royce-led nuclear consortium | Rolls-Royce | The Guardian
Sir Stephen Lovegrove to chair Rolls-Royce-led nuclear consortium | Rolls-Royce | The Guardian: New role for former permanent secretary in energy department raises concerns over ‘revolving door’ between public and private
Crews Safely Complete Construction, Energization of 350 More Miles of Underground Powerlines in 2023 - PGE Currents
Crews Safely Complete Construction, Energization of 350 More Miles of Underground Powerlines in 2023 - PGE Currents: By Matt Nauman As of this week, PG&E has constructed and energized more than 600 miles of underground powerlines since its
Ukrainian, U.S. Nuclear Regulators Deepening Cooperation | MENAFN.COM
Ukrainian, U.S. Nuclear Regulators Deepening Cooperation | MENAFN.COM: The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC) signed a memorandum that provides f
Senators Markey and Warren Call for Strong Review of Proposed Changes to Emergency Response Capabilities at Seabrook Nuclear Power Station
Senators Markey and Warren Call for Strong Review of Proposed Changes to Emergency Response Capabilities at Seabrook Nuclear Power Station: Operator NextEra has proposed to move key emergency response capabilities 1,200 miles off-site, with...
Treasury proposes strict climate rules for lucrative hydrogen energy tax credit | The Hill
Treasury proposes strict climate rules for lucrative hydrogen energy tax credit | The Hill: Producers of hydrogen energy would have to comply with strict climate rules to qualify for a lucrative tax credit under new proposed guidelines from the Treasury Department. The Biden administration and climate advocates say these guidelines would ensure the nascent power source develops in a sustainable way rather than becoming a significant contributor to global…
Our Disappearing Shoreline
Our Disappearing Shoreline: How long will it take to move Miami or New York? Forever, if the planning never starts.
Thursday, December 21, 2023
The US wants to build a different kind of nuclear reactor from a decades-old concept that could power ships and other off-the-grid locations
The US wants to build a different kind of nuclear reactor from a decades-old concept that could power ships and other off-the-grid locations: Most nuclear reactors use water as a coolant. Molten-salt reactors use salts with higher boiling points. Kairos Power is set to build the US's first in decades.
Nuclear plant near Richland begins new 20-year operation | Tacoma News Tribune
Nuclear plant near Richland begins new 20-year operation | Tacoma News Tribune: Nuke plant north of Richland licensed to 2043.
Nuclear plant near Richland begins new 20-year operation | Tri-City Herald
Nuclear plant near Richland begins new 20-year operation | Tri-City Herald: Nuke plant north of Richland licensed to 2043.
Suddenly, US electricity demand is spiking. Can the… | Canary Media
Suddenly, US electricity demand is spiking. Can the… | Canary Media: Data centers, factories, heat pumps and EVs are putting increasing stress on a grid that isn’t growing fast enough, new data shows.
If COP28 Keeps Its Word, It Leads To More Nuclear Energy
If COP28 Keeps Its Word, It Leads To More Nuclear Energy: If the global community triples its use of renewables and sends fossil fuels packing — per COP28 — then the natural extension is more nuclear energy.
JET retires - after 40 years and 105,929 pulses : Other News - World Nuclear News
JET retires - after 40 years and 105,929 pulses : Other News - World Nuclear News: The pioneering Joint European Torus has performed its final fusion research experiments just over four decades after it delivered its first pulse on 25 June 1983.
Final Report SJR79_11.17.23.pdf
Final Report SJR79_11.17.23.pdf
1
Report to the Kentucky Legislative Research
Commission Pursuant to 2023RS SJR 79
Submitted by: Kentucky Office of Energy
Policy
Energy Secretary Says TVA is “Leading on Small Modular Reactors” | American Public Power Association
Energy Secretary Says TVA is “Leading on Small Modular Reactors” | American Public Power Association: U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm recently said that the Tennessee Valley Authority is “leading on small modular reactors” with its SMR project at the Clinch River Nuclear Site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
At COP28, More Than 20 Nations Pledge to Triple Nuclear Capacity - The New York Times
At COP28, More Than 20 Nations Pledge to Triple Nuclear Capacity - The New York Times: The group, including Britain, France and the United States, said the agreement was critical to meeting nations’ climate commitments.
Growing share of Americans favor more nuclear power | Pew Research Center
Growing share of Americans favor more nuclear power | Pew Research Center: A majority of Americans (57%) say they favor more nuclear power plants to generate electricity in the country, up from 43% who said this in 2020.
Take a Look at Nuclear Policy Across the Map
Take a Look at Nuclear Policy Across the Map: Many states are moving in the right direction and making long-term, strategic decisions about nuclear—the year hasn’t even finished!
600 Miles and Counting: PG&E Hits Significant Milestone as Crews Safely Complete Construction, Energization of 350 More Miles of Underground Powerlines in 2023
600 Miles and Counting: PG&E Hits Significant Milestone as Crews Safely Complete Construction, Energization of 350 More Miles of Underground Powerlines in 2023: /PRNewswire/ -- As of this week, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) has constructed and energized more than 600 miles of underground powerlines since its...
France and Sweden plan nuclear cooperation : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News
France and Sweden plan nuclear cooperation : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News: France and Sweden have signed a declaration of intent to develop long-term cooperation in the field of nuclear energy.
Regulators approve deal to pay for Georgia Power's new nuclear reactors | AP News
Regulators approve deal to pay for Georgia Power's new nuclear reactors | AP News: Regulators have unanimously approved an additional 6% rate increase to pay for remaining costs at Georgia Power Co.’s Plant Vogtle.
Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Supreme Court to hear arguments on blocking EPA cross-state smog pollution rule | The Hill
Supreme Court to hear arguments on blocking EPA cross-state smog pollution rule | The Hill: The Supreme Court will hear arguments about whether to block an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that seeks to address interstate smog, the court said Wednesday. The court issued an order saying it would not yet decide whether to block the rule from being effective. Instead, it will hear oral arguments on the matter during…
PG&E Fire Victims Will Soon Receive Final Compensation. They Won’t Be Made Whole. - WSJ
PG&E Fire Victims Will Soon Receive Final Compensation. They Won’t Be Made Whole. - WSJ: PG&E Fire Victims Will Soon Receive Final Compensation. They Won’t Be Made Whole.
Victims of a series of California wildfires caused by the utility are owed $13.5 billion under a 2020 settlement, but that won’t cover all their claims
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Accepts PG&E's Diablo Canyon Power Plant License Renewal Application, Allows Both Units to Continue Operating Past Current Licenses
Nuclear Regulatory Commission Accepts PG&E's Diablo Canyon Power Plant License Renewal Application, Allows Both Units to Continue Operating Past Current Licenses: /PRNewswire/ -- The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) determined today that Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (PG&E) License Renewal Application...
State regulators approve Diablo Canyon continued operation : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News
State regulators approve Diablo Canyon continued operation : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News: Californian regulators have agreed to extending the operations of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant for an additional five years, to 2030.
Why China, Not the United States, Is Making the Rules for Deep-Sea Mining - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Why China, Not the United States, Is Making the Rules for Deep-Sea Mining - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: Why China, Not the United States, Is Making the Rules for Deep-Sea Mining
PG&E can keep operating Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant | San Luis Obispo Tribune
PG&E can keep operating Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant | San Luis Obispo Tribune: Next up, PG&E will move ahead with the multi-year license renewal process.
GAIN Vouchers Accelerate Seven Advanced Nuclear Firms | Neutron Bytes
GAIN Vouchers Accelerate Seven Advanced Nuclear Firms | Neutron Bytes: GAIN Vouchers Accelerate Seven Advanced Nuclear Firms NASA’s Gets PU-238 to Power Deep Space Missions Bulgaria Approves €766 Million For Two New Reactors at Kozloduy Ukraine Signs with Westin…
Tuesday, December 19, 2023
PG&E's DCPP license renewal application accepted by Nuclear Regulatory Commission | Seeking Alpha
PG&E's DCPP license renewal application accepted by Nuclear Regulatory Commission | Seeking Alpha: PG&E's DCPP license renewal application accepted by Nuclear Regulatory Commission
COP28 spotlights key climate battle: Saving Himalayan ice - Nikkei Asia
COP28 spotlights key climate battle: Saving Himalayan ice - Nikkei Asia: DUBAI -- Filmmaker and environmental activist Jamyang Jamtscho Wangchuk brought a bit of his beloved Himalayas to the COP28 climate summit in Dubai la
The Golden Age of Coal | RealClearPolicy
The Golden Age of Coal | RealClearPolicy: You wouldn’t know it from reading the newspapers, but that is what we are living in. The recently-concluded COP28 conference touted a coming end to the use of fossil fuels, with coal first in…
How Big Oil is Taking Us for a Fossil-Fuelized Ride - TomDispatch.com
How Big Oil is Taking Us for a Fossil-Fuelized Ride - TomDispatch.com
Juan Cole, Greenwashing the Planet
December 19, 2023
[Note to TomDispatch Readers: I’ve been moved by the generosity of so many of you in response to my recent all-too-desperate winter letter laying out the crisis this website faces, having lost a key source of its funding. Yet when it comes to contributions, in these days before I shut the site briefly for the end of the year, life here always means needing more and TD does indeed need more of your $$$ to get through 2024! As ever, should you decide to help us navigate another strange year on this endangered planet of ours, just go to our donation page and do your damnedest, knowing that I truly will be forever grateful. Tom]
Yes, "the world" just gathered in the United Arab Emirates, a major oil producer, to decide the fate of our planet. And among those attending COP28 were at least 1,300 fossil-fuel lobbyists (three times the number at the previous year's climate summit), and possibly as many as 2,500 of them, along with the Saudis, the U.S., and other oil-producing states. Oh, and don't forget those "at least 166 climate deniers and fossil fuel public relations professionals" that, according to the Guardian, were also lending a helping hand.
The lead-up to this climate summit was, of course, the hottest six straight months in human history. Still, those lobbyists, climate-change deniers, fossil-fuel company representatives, and oil, coal, and natural gas states represent a world in which fossil-fuel production is still expanding. Meanwhile, China, the largest user of coal on the planet, continues to build new coal-fired power plants at a record rate.
In the end, the climate conference agreed not to agree on "phasing out" fossil fuels but all too vaguely on “transitioning away" from them. That's more like deciding to phase down humanity. But perhaps John Silk, the minister of natural resources for the Marshall Islands, those atolls in the Pacific that are likely to be early victims of climate-change-driven rising sea levels, should have the last word in this introduction -- before the remarkable Juan Cole of the must-read Informed Comment website offers his views on just how Big Energy of every sort is greenwashing this planet. At COP28, Silk said, "The Republic of the Marshall Islands did not come here to sign our death warrant. What we have seen today is totally unacceptable. We will not go silently to our watery graves." Nor should the rest of us. Tom
Newly developed material gulps down hydrogen, spits it out, protects fusion reactor walls
Newly developed material gulps down hydrogen, spits it out, protects fusion reactor walls: The advance, detailed in a paper published recently in the journal Physica Scripta, could enable more efficient compact fusion reactors that are easier to repair and maintain.
Sunday, December 17, 2023
Saturday, December 16, 2023
The Global Battle for Influence Over Latin America's Energy Industry | OilPrice.com
The Global Battle for Influence Over Latin America's Energy Industry | OilPrice.com: China's increasing economic and security ties, particularly in the energy sector, with Latin American countries, are raising concerns for the U.S. as it aims to establish regional energy ties.
Christmas Is the World’s Festival, Its Happy Place
Christmas Is the World’s Festival, Its Happy Place: I am an oddball. I like to work on Christmas. I don’t know how it is now, but when I was younger and worked for newspapers, variously in Africa, Britain and the United States, I always volunteered …
Nuclear Regulatory Commission taps its CIO and chief data officer to lead agency AI operations | FedScoop
Nuclear Regulatory Commission taps its CIO and chief data officer to lead agency AI operations | FedScoop: David Nelson will take on chief AI officer duties after the NRC told FedScoop last month that it was analyzing and assessing how the White House executive order applies to it as an independent agency.
NRC OKs Construction Permit for Kairos Research Reactor | Neutron Bytes
NRC OKs Construction Permit for Kairos Research Reactor | Neutron Bytes: NRC OKs Construction Permit for Kairos Research Reactor South Africa Plans 2500 MWe Nuclear Reactor Procurement Urenco to Expand Netherlands Enrichment Plant Microsoft Plans Use of Artificial Intel…
Biden Admin Unveils Record-Low Final Offshore Drilling Plan, Industry Calls Foul | The Epoch Times
Biden Admin Unveils Record-Low Final Offshore Drilling Plan, Industry Calls Foul | The Epoch Times: Biden's offshore wind projects can't happen without new oil and gas leases.
Biden wants all government employees to use EVs, take trains | Electrek
Biden wants all government employees to use EVs, take trains | Electrek: The US government – the country's largest employee – has issued a directive to federal employees to travel by train or electric car, or electric Uber or Lyft, when traveling on official business.
Friday, December 15, 2023
California Nuclear Power Plant, Diablo Canyon, Gets Approval to Extend Life - Bloomberg
California Nuclear Power Plant, Diablo Canyon, Gets Approval to Extend Life - Bloomberg: California regulators moved to extend the life of its last nuclear power plant to reduce blackout risks amid the state’s transition to a carbon-free electrical grid.
California Regulators Vote to Keep Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Open Another Five Years
California Regulators Vote to Keep Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Open Another Five Years: California’s Diablo Canyon nuclear plant can continue operating at least through much of 2030 after state energy regulators on Dec. 14 voted to keep the
California Votes to Extend Life of Last Nuclear Power Plant - BNN Bloomberg
California Votes to Extend Life of Last Nuclear Power Plant - BNN Bloomberg: California regulators moved to extend the life of its last nuclear power plant to reduce blackout risks amid the state’s transition to a carbon-free electrical grid.
California regulators vote to extend Diablo Canyon nuclear plant operations through 2030 - The Washington Post
California regulators vote to extend Diablo Canyon nuclear plant operations through 2030 - The Washington Post: California energy regulators have voted to allow the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant to operate for an additional five years, despite calls from environmental groups to shut it down
Nord Stream Pipelines Were Likely Blown Up by US - Putin
Nord Stream Pipelines Were Likely Blown Up by US - Putin: Nord Stream Pipelines Were Likely Blown Up by US - Putin
California regulators vote to extend Diablo Canyon nuclear plant operations through 2030 | AP News
California regulators vote to extend Diablo Canyon nuclear plant operations through 2030 | AP News: California energy regulators have voted to allow the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant to operate for an additional five years, despite calls from environmental groups to shut it down.
Regulators warn much of U.S. power grid is vulnerable to major winter storms : NPR
Regulators warn much of U.S. power grid is vulnerable to major winter storms : NPR: Experts warn that the power grid across much of the nation, especially in parts of the Southwest, are vulnerable to major winter storms like the one in Texas in 2021 that killed more than 250 people.
California regulators vote to extend Diablo Canyon nuclear plant operations through 2030 | AP News
California regulators vote to extend Diablo Canyon nuclear plant operations through 2030 | AP News: California energy regulators have voted to allow the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant to operate for an additional five years, despite calls from environmental groups to shut it down.
Agreement reached on EU electricity market reform : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News
Agreement reached on EU electricity market reform : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News: The European Council and Parliament have reached a provisional agreement to reform the European Union's electricity market design. The agreement now needs to be endorsed and formally adopted by both institutions.
MOX fuel with minor actinides produced for BN-800 reactor : Uranium & Fuel - World Nuclear News
MOX fuel with minor actinides produced for BN-800 reactor : Uranium & Fuel - World Nuclear News: The first three fuel assemblies with uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuel containing transuranic elements americium-241 and neptunium-237 have been produced by Rosatom's Mining and Chemical Combine.
Hinkley Point C landmark dome lift - in pictures : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Hinkley Point C landmark dome lift - in pictures : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: Construction of the first EPR unit at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in Somerset, UK, has reached a major milestone with the installation of the reactor building dome.
Thursday, December 14, 2023
EV Inventories Hit Record High in US as Cars Pile Up on Dealer Lots - Bloomberg
EV Inventories Hit Record High in US as Cars Pile Up on Dealer Lots - Bloomberg: Electric vehicle inventories on US dealer lots reached a new high in December, with a 114-day supply that was more than double what it was a year ago.
America's only cobalt mine opened to great, green energy fanfare. A few months l : NPR
America's only cobalt mine opened to great, green energy fanfare. A few months l : NPR: America's only cobalt mine opened last year to great fanfare, since the mineral is crucial for green energy. But it surprisingly closed months later.
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COP28: 5 big takeaways on a historic climate agreement | The Hill: The roller coaster of this year’s United Nations Climate Conference (COP28) has ended with a historic new agreement: For the first time, world governments have said countries should transition away from fossil fuels. The deal comes after days of tense negotiations, especially over the fossil fuel language, which caused the Dubai conference to stretch into overtime. Climate…
House Passes McMorris Rodgers Bill Banning Russian Uranium Imports To United States - Cathy McMorris Rodgers
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Nuclear energy industry eyes more wins in Congress in 2024: Lawmakers are moving surprisingly quickly through a legislative to-do list.
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US nuclear regulators to issue construction permit for a reactor that uses molten salt: The NRC is issuing the permit to Kairos Power for the Hermes test reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, the agency said Tuesday.
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Viewpoint: The legacy of Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace speech : Perspectives - World Nuclear News: The text of a speech delivered by World Nuclear Association Director General Sama Bilbao y León to the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars on 8 December, considering the legacy of US President Dwight D Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace speech 70 years ago.
Bing Chat and ChatGPT use '1 bottle of water' in cooling for every query, leading to concerns for local water supplies | Windows Central
Bing Chat and ChatGPT use '1 bottle of water' in cooling for every query, leading to concerns for local water supplies | Windows Central: Bing Chat is a thirsty, thirsty guy, according to new reports. Microsoft's water usage for cooling spiked by 34% in 2022, and will likely increase even further if the AI craze continues.
Generative AI consumes enough energy to power a small country | Windows Central
Generative AI consumes enough energy to power a small country | Windows Central: AI could potentially consume enough energy to power s small country for a year by 2027.
Microsoft to use nuclear energy to power its AI advances. | Windows Central
Microsoft to use nuclear energy to power its AI advances. | Windows Central: Microsoft's data centers and AI projects take up a lot of resources and negatively impact the climate. The company is looking to mitigate these issues by picking up nuclear energy. This is according t
Microsoft to invest billions of dollars into OpenAI | Windows Central
Microsoft to invest billions of dollars into OpenAI | Windows Central: Microsoft and OpenAI just extended their partnership. Microsoft will invest billions of dollars into OpenAI as part of the deal.
Microsoft Needs So Much Power to Train AI That It's Considering Small Nuclear Reactors
Microsoft Needs So Much Power to Train AI That It's Considering Small Nuclear Reactors: Going Nuclear Training and powering large language models is an incredibly power-intensive process that has an immense carbon footprint. Keeping data centers running requires a ludicrous amount of electricity that could generate substantial amounts of greenhouse emissions, depending of course on the source of energy. To keep emissions low in the future, Microsoft is betting […]
Microsoft Targets Nuclear to Power AI Operations - WSJ
Microsoft Targets Nuclear to Power AI Operations - WSJ: The tech company aims to expedite the nuclear regulatory process using AI, unlocking a round-the-clock energy source for its growing power needs.
Maersk, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical to supply green methanol in Japan - Nikkei Asia
Maersk, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical to supply green methanol in Japan - Nikkei Asia: TOKYO -- Danish shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk, the world's second-largest container shipping company, and Japan's Mitsubishi Gas Chemical will bui
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Westinghouse, Northrop Grumman, and Astrobotic Awarded U.S. Air Force Contract to Power Satellites with Nuclear Energy | Business Wire: Westinghouse Electric Company announced today that the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s Space Vehicle Directorate has selected Westinghouse for an
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France able to handle waste from six new reactors, Andra says | Reuters: The introduction of six new French nuclear reactors would moderately increase radioactive waste, but would be manageable by adapting waste storage projects, the National Agency for the Management of Radioactive Waste (Andra) said on Tuesday.
3 Microreactor Experiments to Watch Starting in 2026 | Department of Energy
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Nuclear Energy Makes History as Final COP28 Agreement Calls for Faster Deployment | IAEA: Nuclear energy made history today as the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) wrapped up in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai.
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Tesla Is Recalling Nearly All Vehicles Sold in US to Fix an Autopilot Fault | WIRED: The Tesla recall, which affects more than 2 million vehicles, follows a two-year investigation by the US government into a series of crashes linked to the Autopilot system.
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Wednesday, December 13, 2023
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California PUC, delay decision on Diablo Canyon until all the facts are in
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[Salon] Costly sanction battles -
Costly sanction battles
Garman Foreign Policy, 11 Dec 2023
> Costly sanction battles
>
> Garman Foreign Policy, 11 Dec 2023
>
> India’s largest gas utility demands US $1.8 billion in compensation from German supplier SEFE (formerly Gazprom Germania) for non-supply. The reason: sanction battles with Russia.
>
> Gail, India’s largest natural gas utility, is demanding up to US $1.8 billion in compensation for contact breach by GMTS, a subsidiary of the German gas supplier SEFE (ex-Gazprom Germania). The arbitration claim is based on GMTS’s failure to deliver agreed liquefied natural gas cargoes to Gail last year. The German company had planned to deliver Russian LNG, but Russia’s response to the EU sanctions regime meant that it has not received Russian gas since late spring 2022. Although SEFE/GMTS managed to procure LNG from alternative sources, it has prioritised deliveries to the German market. Gail estimates the damage caused by supply shortfalls to be in the billions of dollars. The Indian company has now initiated proceedings before the International Court of Arbitration in London. India was not the only country in South Asia to suffer LNG shortages last year as European energy companies snapped up available stocks on the global market and drove up prices. Bangladesh and Pakistan also saw a sharp decline in LNG imports. Indeed, only this month has Pakistan received its first gas shipment from the spot market since mid-2022.
> Dispute over Gazprom Germania
>
> The background to the current compensation claim by the Gail energy group is a dispute over Gazprom Germania. This former unit of the Gazprom group was placed under the trusteeship of the Federal Network Agency on 4 April 2022 – reportedly because Gazprom wanted to liquidate the entity, thus causing major problems for Germany’s utilities.[1] Gazprom Germania had handled almost half of Germany’s gas imports. Moscow responded to this move by imposing sanctions on Gazprom Germania and its subsidiaries on 11 May 2022, after which no more Russian gas could be supplied to the company. Gazprom Germania then had to source natural gas elsewhere, at significantly higher prices, in order to avoid jeopardising supplies to Germany. On 14 November 2022, the Federal Ministry of Economics finally ordered nationalisation of the company, which had already been rebranded as SEFE (Securing Energy for Europe) since 20 June.[2]
>
> It was reported that the German government could escape the compensation claims due to the parent company, Gazprom, by arguing that Gazprom Germania/SEFE had already incurred losses of more than €3 billion euros by the end of August, while the company’s equity value amounted to no more than one billion euros.[3] So the German position is that any compensation is out of the question.
> Europe first
>
> The conflict has had major repercussions for Gail, India’s largest and majority state-owned gas provider, because Gail had concluded a 20-year contract with the Gazprom unit GMTS (Gazprom Marketing and Trading Singapore) in 2012, a deal that was later transferred to Gazprom Germania. The contract stipulated that GMTS was to supply Gail with 2.5 million tonnes of LNG on average each year.[4] However, following the imposition of Russian sanctions on SEFE, GMTS stopped receiving Russian natural gas. Gail received one last LNG cargo in June 2022, after which deliveries were stopped completely. Supplies were only resumed this year after Moscow lifted sanctions on SEFE and its subsidiaries. By then, Gail had lost a total of 30 shiploads of liquefied gas. The complaint levelled by the Indian energy group against GMTS is that the latter had been contractually obliged to procure replacement deliveries from other sources for any cancelled Russian deliveries. GMTS said it was not prepared to do so, arguing that it first had to “meet demand in Europe” [5] and offering to pay Gail only a contractual penalty calculated at 20 per cent of the gas purchase price [6].
> Losses in India
>
> Gail suffered major losses as a result of the supply shortfall. The Indian utility calculates that GMTS gas was contributing at least eight to nine per cent to annual sales. Replacing this input meant buying NLG on the spot market, which was much more expensive, costing up to three times the price agreed with GMTS.[7] Even so, Gail could not make good the gas shortages. It failed to meet the demand of important customers, such as Indian fertiliser producers and other industrial clients. These businesses were damaged and Gail itself saw its pre-tax profit fall by more than US $700 million in the 2022/23 financial year. The group attributes its difficulties primarily to non-supply by GMTS.[8] Its position is that GMTS had been contractually obliged to procure liquefied gas from non-Russian sources as a replacement but failed to do so. Now demanding compensation of up to US $1.8 billion from the German supplier, Gail has initiated proceedings at the International Court of Arbitration in London.[9] In response, SEFE subsidiary GMTS is trying to defend itself by claiming that the Russian sanctions came as a “force majeure” for which it is not responsible. Observers doubt that the Court of Arbitration will accept this defence.
> “Sucked dry”
>
> Gail was by no means the only gas utility in South Asia to be hard hit last year by the dire supply situation as European corporations combed global markets, buying up virtually all available LNG stocks for consumption in Europe. As prices were driven up, there was hardly anything affordable left for other players. In the first half-year of 2022, European countries increased their LNG imports by 49 per cent against the same period of the previous year. In July 2022, Pakistan’s Petroleum Minister Musadik Malik complained, “Every single molecule that was available in our region has been bought by Europe because they want to reduce their dependence on Russia.”[10] An expert from Wood Mackenzie, a consultancy specialising in energy and commodities, was quoted as saying, “The European gas crisis is sucking the world dry.”[11] Bangladesh, for example, which generates a good three quarters of its electricity from liquefied natural gas, reported at the beginning of July 2022 that the government had to impose electricity rationing. Its fragile industrial sector, which had been experiencing a cautious upturn, was hit particularly hard. According to industry data, Bangladesh’s LNG imports fell from 5.08 million tonnes to 4.43 million tonnes in 2022, a drop of 13 per cent[12].
> Losers and winners
>
> As for Pakistan, the exorbitant prices on the spot market meant the country was unable to purchase even one large LNG cargo. Even those imports that had been contractually guaranteed did not arrive. Liquefied natural gas producers were able to charge such extortionate prices in Europe that it was more profitable to divert the LNG shipments already on course for Pakistan to European markets and pay the contractual penalty due to Islamabad. The state-owned Pakistan LNG Ltd (PLL) announced in early October 2023 that it had just succeeded in acquiring the first liquefied gas cargo in over a year and expected it to arrive in December.[13] Pakistan’s industry was badly damaged by the energy deficits. The combined LNG imports to India, Pakistan and Bangladesh sank by 18 per cent in 2022,[14] while gas imports to the EU-27 and UK rose by 73 per cent.
>
>
>
> [1] Martin Greive, Mareike Müller, Julian Olk, Klaus Stratmann, Catiana Krapp, Moritz Koch: So entging Deutschland knapp einem Blackout. handelsblatt.com 09.12.2023.
>
> [2] Treuhandverwaltung SEFE Securing Energy for Europe GmbH. bundesnetzagentur.de.
>
> [3] Klaus Stratmann: Bund verstaatlicht Ex-Gazprom-Tochter Sefe. handelsblatt.com 14.11.2022.
>
> [4], [5] Former Gazprom unit cuts LNG supplies to India. businesstoday.in 04.08.2022.
>
> [6] Gazprom Singapore Pays ‘Meagre’ Penalty For Defaulted LNG Deliveries To India. outlookindia.com 12.09.2022.
>
> [7] Former Gazprom unit cuts LNG supplies to India. businesstoday.in 04.08.2022.
>
> [8] Mathias Peer: Deutsche Staatsfirma soll 1,8 Milliarden Dollar zahlen. handelsblatt.com 07.12.2023.
>
> [9] GAIL seeks $1.8 bn from former Gazprom unit. economictimes.indiatimes.com 01.12.2023.
>
> [10] Nasrul: Use gas and electricity judiciously. dhakatribune.com 06.07.2022. See also After us the Deluge.
>
> [11] Saeed Shah, Anna Hirtenstein: Europe Scoops Up LNG, Choking Off Power Supplies in Poorer Nations. wsj.com 07.07.2022.
>
> [12] Another deal inked with Oman to increase LNG import. tbsnet.news 19.06.2023.
>
> [13] Daniyal Ahmad: Pakistan buys first LNG spot cargo since 2022. profit.pakistantoday.com.pk 04.10.2023.
>
> [14] Global liquefied natural gas trade volumes set a new record in 2022. eia.gov 05.07.2023.
>
--
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