Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire - Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry. Nuclear Activities
Saturday, July 22, 2023
California Power Grid Emergency Sparks Renewed Debate Over Unreliable Renewable Energy | California Globe
California Power Grid Emergency Sparks Renewed Debate Over Unreliable Renewable Energy | California Globe: The California Independent System Operator (ISO) announced Friday that they would not be asking for power conservation from residents a day after
Friday, July 21, 2023
Senate defense policy bill includes major nuclear energy reforms - ExchangeMonitor | Page 1
Senate defense policy bill includes major nuclear energy reforms - ExchangeMonitor | Page 1: ExchangeMonitor covers nuclear weapons, waste management, nuclear cleanup, international intelligence as well as carbon capture and storage.
How to Achieve a Thriving Nuclear Power Industry in the U.S.
How to Achieve a Thriving Nuclear Power Industry in the U.S.: There are many reasons to be excited about the U.S. nuclear power industry and its potential for growth. For activists focused on climate change, its
China Studies Nuclear Risk in the Context of the Ukraine War – The Diplomat
China Studies Nuclear Risk in the Context of the Ukraine War – The Diplomat: What lessons does Russia’s nuclear signaling hold for a prospective Chinese war to force unification with Taiwan?
Like doctors, some engineers take an oath to do no harm - Big Think
Like doctors, some engineers take an oath to do no harm - Big Think: With U.S. infrastructure crumbling, an honor oath summons engineers to do no harm, just like it would for doctors.
What explains Ron DeSantis’s woeful run for president? - The Spectator World
What explains Ron DeSantis’s woeful run for president? - The Spectator World
Todd Pierce writes:
I read the Spector for the sole purpose to stay informed of what the “Right” has in store for me to make my life, and my loved one’s, and the rest of the world’s, miserable with their constant push for war. Especially when some candiates, like the New Right’s, occasionaly conceal that as the equivalent of “secret writing,” in their designed to deceive campaign rhetoric (oh no, they would never do that, you tell me, but see the “Six-Party Theory” of the Grand Poobah of Right-wing campaigns, Arthur Finklestein, and how he helped the biggest military spender in our history perhaps, Donald Trump, get elected as the “Peace Candidate” for fringe Republicans, while delivering the military goods for “Traditional Republicans).
So I won’t deny that this news fills me with glee, without any “regret tone,” when the Spectator was so enthusiastic for “DeSanctimonious” earlier. Though hating to admit I agree with Trump on anything (and don’t give me that **** about him being a “Right-wing Peacenik,” which he wasn’t, and isn’t. And any “plan" he has to end the US war against Russia in Ukraine can be counted on to include upfront “Fire and Fury” nuclear threats against Russia, in the finest "Traditional Conservative” Republican tradition, Ã la Goldwater, Nixon, and Eisenhower, down to the present day; so throughout my entire life.
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/16/eisenhower-defends-use-of-nuclear-weapons-march-16-1955-1224003
He (Eisenhower) responded: “I wouldn’t comment in the sense that I would pretend to foresee the conditions of any particular conflict in which you might engage; but we have been, as you know, active in producing various types of weapons that feature nuclear fission ever since World War II.
“Now, in any combat where these things can be used on strictly military targets and for strictly military purposes, I see no reason why they shouldn’t be used just exactly as you would use a bullet or anything else.
And see the attached article: "This article examines the question of how serious President Eisenhower was in contemplating the use of nuclear weapons on the Korean peninsula and Chinese mainland. To do this, it surveys Eisenhower’s thinking and policies about the issue from 1953 to 1968 in regard to maintaining the security of South Korea. In contrast to many in the literature who argue that Eisenhower would have been very reluctant to authorize their use or who downplay the significance of his many statements about the use of nuclear weapons, it maintains that the president was much more willing to use nuclear compellent force than many have supposed.”
https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/08/world/us-papers-tell-of-53-policy-to-use-a-bomb-in-korea.html
"Documents released today give details on a decision by President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Administration in 1953 to use atomic bombs in North Korea and Communist China, if necessary, to end the Korean War."
https://mronline.org/2021/05/31/eisenhower-rejected-military-chiefs-demand-for-nuclear-war-on-china-classified-account-of-58-taiwan-strait-crisis-reveals/
Though to Eisenhower’s credit, he wasn’t as bad as his military advisors and the “Traditional Conservatives” of National Review magazine, who always demanded deference to the most hardline militarists in the military were: "Navy brass in the Pacific had urged unconditional support for Chiang’s regime during the civil war with the Communists and derided as “pinkies” those State Department officials–beginning with Secretary George C. Marshall–who entertained any doubts about the Kuomintang leader.
"By 1958, the Air Force was so strongly committed to its role as an exclusively nuclear-weapons delivery organization that it insisted on being able to able to using nuclear weapons in any war it fought in the Pacific region.
"The account of the crisis reveals that, when the Air Force Commander in the Pacific, Gen. Lawrence S. Kuter, learned of Eisenhower’s decision to defend the offshore islands with conventional weapons, he relayed the message to Gen. John Gerhart, the Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff. Shockingly, Gerhart responded that the Air Force “could not agree in principle” to the use of SAC forces for such non-nuclear operations."
There you have it, precedent for Trump’s "Fire and Fury nuclear coercion threats!"
> Trump is relishing his adversary’s slide, naturally. “DeSanctimonious is a terrible candidate,” he declared last weekend, in that glee-dressed-as-regret tone he so often deploys when discussing his failing rivals. “I think he’s out.”
…….
> “His campaign is run by dorks for dorks,” says the Trump insider, and it’s easy to see his point. Murdoch, for one, has reportedly gone off him. According to reports, he “has privately winced” at DeSantis’s “anti-woke” messaging. Fox News has duly started making more critical noises about DeSantis. "The editorial board of Murdoch’s Wall Street Journal has not rushed to his defense.”
Something else I agree with the Trump campaign on :-)
Thursday, July 20, 2023
Time to Close Diablo - The Santa Barbara Independent
Time to Close Diablo - The Santa Barbara Independent: The Public Utilities Commission needs to hear loudly and clearly that nuclear power is unsafe and unnecessary for California's energy needs.
NuScale Power Enhances Case for Small Modular Reactor Applications in Major Industrial Processes with New Steam Production Estimates | NuScale Power
NuScale Power Enhances Case for Small Modular Reactor Applications in Major Industrial Processes with New Steam Production Estimates | NuScale Power: NuScale’s carbon-free SMR technology will support the hard-to-decarbonize industrial sector using superheated steam, a first for light water SMR technology.
Energy Northwest and X-energy Sign Joint Development Agreement for Xe-100 Advanced Small Modular Reactor Project | Business Wire
Energy Northwest and X-energy Sign Joint Development Agreement for Xe-100 Advanced Small Modular Reactor Project | Business Wire: Energy Northwest, a premier provider of carbon-free electricity, and X-Energy Reactor Company, LLC (“X-energy”), a leading developer of advanced small
Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Multiple Xe-100 SMRs planned for Washington State : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Multiple Xe-100 SMRs planned for Washington State : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: A joint development agreement has been signed between US utility Energy Northwest and X-Energy Reactor Company for the deployment of up to 12 Xe-100 small modular reactors in central Washington State. Energy Northwest expects to bring the first Xe-100 module online by 2030.
Senate defense policy bill includes major nuclear energy reforms - ExchangeMonitor | Page 1
Senate defense policy bill includes major nuclear energy reforms - ExchangeMonitor | Page 1: ExchangeMonitor covers nuclear weapons, waste management, nuclear cleanup, international intelligence as well as carbon capture and storage.
House Subcommittee Considers Advanced Nuclear Bills
House Subcommittee Considers Advanced Nuclear Bills: The House E&C Subcommittee on Energy, Climate and Grid Security took testimony on 15 bills aimed at promoting advanced nuclear plants.
Chair Rodgers Opening Statement on Securing America’s Nuclear Energy Future
Chair Rodgers Opening Statement on Securing America’s Nuclear Energy Future: The Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest standing legislative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives and is vested with the broadest jurisdiction of any congressional authorizing committee.
Carper, Capito, McMorris Rodgers, Pallone Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort Urging NRC to Establish Useable Advanced Nuclear Reactor Licensing Framework - Majority News - U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
Carper, Capito, McMorris Rodgers, Pallone Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Effort Urging NRC to Establish Useable Advanced Nuclear Reactor Licensing Framework - Majority News - U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works: WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, along with Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.-05) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.-06), Chair and Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today led 20 senators and 44 House members in a letter to members of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) urging the commissioners to carefully review and modify, as necessary, the draft licensing framework for advanced nuclear reactor technologies to establish regulations that would enable the deployment of advanced reactors.
“We all agree that a successful Part 53 regulatory framework should reflect congressional intent and be used to license the next generation of nuclear reactors,” the members wrote. “In order to be effective, we urge the Commission to work to address any outstanding issues prior to issuance of a final rule. Your review and modifications of the proposed rule will determine if that success is achieved.”
The full text of the letter is available here.
###
Lawmakers Seek Support to Speed Deployment of Nuclear Reactors
Lawmakers Seek Support to Speed Deployment of Nuclear Reactors: House Republicans Tuesday touted more than a dozen bills they are hoping to move through a key committee to avoid lengthy delays from nuclear regulatory licensing and speed deployment of next-generation nuclear reactors.
Energy Subcommittee Chair Duncan Opening Statement on Securing America’s Nuclear Energy Future
Energy Subcommittee Chair Duncan Opening Statement on Securing America’s Nuclear Energy Future: Energy Subcommittee Chair Duncan Opening Statement on Securing America’s Nuclear Energy Future
Grant Shapps earmarks £20bn for new fleet of nuclear reactors in UK | Energy industry | The Guardian
Grant Shapps earmarks £20bn for new fleet of nuclear reactors in UK | Energy industry | The Guardian: Britain’s neglect of nuclear industry has been a ‘colossal mistake’ says energy minister
Scientists Behind Nuclear Fusion Milestone Near Repeat of Feat in Recent Test - BNN Bloomberg
Scientists Behind Nuclear Fusion Milestone Near Repeat of Feat in Recent Test - BNN Bloomberg: The scientists behind last year’s nuclear fusion breakthrough, which raised the possibility of an abundant and clean future energy source, have not yet been able to duplicate their historic achievement. But they’re close.
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
The Hype of a Nuclear "Renaissance" - TomDispatch.com
The Hype of a Nuclear "Renaissance" - TomDispatch.com
Joshua Frank, Nuking Us All
Posted on July 18, 2023
On August 6, 1945, when the mushroom cloud from the first atomic bomb rose over the devastated Japanese city of Hiroshima, who could have imagined the “peaceful atom”? And in the decades that followed who could have imagined just how unpeaceful that second version of atomic power might prove to be? I’m thinking, of course, about, among other disasters, the 1979 almost-meltdown at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, cleanup from which took more than 15 years and cost a billion dollars; or the all-too-peaceful 1986 total disaster at a Soviet nuclear plant in Chernobyl, Ukraine, that killed 30 people, led to the evacuation of 350,000 more, and caused “the largest uncontrolled radioactive release into the environment ever recorded for any civilian operation,” sending fallout over Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia itself; or the one at a nuclear plant in Fukushima, Japan, in 2011, thanks to an earthquake and tsunami, from which, 12 years later, significant amounts of treated radioactive wastewater are soon to be released into the Pacific Ocean; or the one that, at this very moment, continually threatens to occur at another vast “peaceful” nuclear facility, now occupied (and possibly mined) by the Russian military at Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, in the midst of a devastating war there.
And then, of course, there’s the peaceful nuclear waste produced by the creation and running of any nuclear facility. That’s something TomDispatch regular Joshua Frank has focused on in a devastating fashion in his book Atomic Days: The Untold Story of the Most Toxic Place in America, about the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in the state of Washington, the place in this country most likely to give us our own Chernobyl.
And to make matters potentially worse, as he reports today, there’s a whole new kind of “small” nuclear facility that lurks in our future, ensuring that ever more nuclear waste will be humanity’s fate even if another nuclear weapon is never used (and don’t count on that either). In a better world, the nearly $2 trillion that the U.S. military is planning to spend in the decades to come to sustain and “modernize” the American nuclear arsenal might be used to begin to denuclearize our world. With that in mind, consider Frank’s latest thoughts on a deeply troubling subject. Tom
House hearing to showcase nuclear's bipartisan support
House hearing to showcase nuclear's bipartisan support: The Energy and Commerce session centers on draft bills that aim to hasten a nuclear energy renaissance.
TESTIMONY: BTI President Ted Nordhaus to… | The Breakthrough Institute
TESTIMONY: BTI President Ted Nordhaus to… | The Breakthrough Institute: The Breakthrough Institute is an environmental research center based in Berkeley, California. Our research focuses on identifying and promoting…
Could the bills against gas stove rules become law? - E&E News by POLITICO
Could the bills against gas stove rules become law? - E&E News by POLITICO: Many Democrats have scoffed at legislation to protect gas stoves, but some Republicans see the bills as having enough bipartisan […]
The Urgency of NRC Reform_July 2023_1.pdf Guest Post
TheUrgency_NRCReform_Draft - The Urgency of NRC Reform_July 2023_1.pdf
The Urgency of NRC Reform
by Judi Greenwald, Executive Director, Nuclear Innovation Alliance
There is growing recognition that advanced nuclear energy is needed to meet our climate and energy
security goals, and that Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reform is needed to enable advanced nuclear
energy. Our mission at the Nuclear Innovation Alliance (NIA) is to help create the conditions necessary for
development and deployment of advanced nuclear energy, including NRC reform. Two things are required to
make reform happen: (1) a shared sense of urgency and (2) a shared willingness to roll up our sleeves and dig
deeply into removing the operational and organizational barriers that are getting in the way of meeting this
moment.
NRC’s job is to license new reactors and oversee existing ones to ensure the public safely benefits from
nuclear energy. NRC has many organizational strengths. It has a highly technical and dedicated staff. As an
independent Commission with a bipartisan set of five commissioners, it is relatively insulated from changing
political winds. It has a proud history of overseeing a remarkably safe nuclear industry.
But it is not doing its job efficiently enough. Historically, public debate around NRC has been between
anti-nuclear voices advocating for slower licensing or fewer nuclear power plants, and industry advocating for
streamlined regulations and more nuclear power plants. NIA and others are injecting a new voice and
message into this conversation: that there is a public interest in efficient and effective licensing because there
is a public interest in solving climate change and achieving energy security as quickly as possible.
NRC licensing efficiency is just one example of a broader challenge for all clean energy, not just nuclear
energy. Our country’s infrastructure permitting rules implicitly assume that it is okay if it takes years or even
decades to build new infrastructure. This premise is no longer acceptable and, in retrospect, it probably never
was just or correct. Solving climate change and ensuring energy security requires that we replace and build
new clean energy infrastructure rapidly. NRC reform is a set of actions that need to be taken by NRC staff, the
Commission, Congress, the nuclear industry, and civil society to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of
advanced reactor licensing. Work is needed to reform NRC licensing on three timescales: short-term,
medium-term and long-term.
In the short term, about a dozen advanced reactor developers are engaging one-on-one with NRC to obtain
approvals under existing rules. This is challenging because the current licensing pathways have been tailored
to conventional, large, light water reactors. There are many things that NRC and industry license applicants
can do to make these early engagements go well. (See the recommendations in NIA’s most recent licensing
efficiency report). NRC staff and applicants have been making good progress on licensing the Hermes test
reactor and the Abilene Christian University research reactor, incorporating lessons learned from NuScale’s
design approval, which took too long and cost too much. But licensing timelines and costs are uneven, often
attributable to inconsistent quality in mundane but important practices like disciplined project management
and clear internal and external communication.
The NRC Commissioners are beginning to dig into the details to improve licensing efficiency. For example,
then-Commissioner Baran proposed in June that the Commission request staff input on a proposed
Commission policy statement to communicate the Commission’s expectations to the NRC staff, the Advisory
Committee on Reactor Safeguards, and external stakeholders on the effectiveness, efficiency, and timeliness
of new reactor licensing reviews. In a complementary effort, Commissioners Wright and Caputo are working
together on a proposal to establish performance metrics to measure NRC’s progress in improving licensing
efficiency. Commissioner Crowell has said NRC is not successful if it is not timely, and Chairman Hanson is
digging into the reasons why subsequent license renewal costs are increasing.
For the medium term, NRC is in the midst of a multi-year rulemaking on risk-informed, performance-based
and technology-inclusive licensing (referred to as "10 CFR Part 53”, or more simply “Part 53”). This
rulemaking is required under the 2019 Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act (NEIMA), and a
draft rule is before the Commission. As described in NIA’s Part 53 paper, the rule is flawed but fixable with
Opinion | A Climate Hawk’s Issues With Electric Vehicles - The New York Times
Opinion | A Climate Hawk’s Issues With Electric Vehicles - The New York Times: Toyota is notoriously skeptical of a rapid transition to all-electric E.V.s. It may have a point.
The Myth of Solar “Power” | The Breakthrough Institute
The Myth of Solar “Power” | The Breakthrough Institute: The Breakthrough Institute is an environmental research center based in Berkeley, California. Our research focuses on identifying and promoting…
£20bn set aside to develop small nuclear power stations
£20bn set aside to develop small nuclear power stations: Ministers will commit £20 billion of taxpayer money to fund the development of a network of small nuclear power stations, in a bid to meet the government’s 2035 net zero target
Monday, July 17, 2023
France, India expand cooperation to include SMRs : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News
France, India expand cooperation to include SMRs : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News: France and India are to launch a cooperation programme on small modular reactors and advanced modular reactors. The announcement came after a meeting in Paris between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President of France Emmanuel Macron, during which they noted progress made on the six-EPR power plant project in Jaitapur, India.
The Real History of the War in Ukraine
The Real History of the War in Ukraine
By JOHN LEAKE
I’m pleased to announce that Tony Lyons, President of Skyhorse Publishing, has invited me (John Leake) to write a weekly column for the Kennedy Beacon Substack for providing accurate information about presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Tony and Mark Gorton, CEO of Tower Researcher Capital, recently founded the American Values 2024 Super PAC dedicated to electing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to President of the United States.
As an investigative author, my primary interest in politics is in maintaining the integrity of the First Amendment. As far as I’m concerned, the moment free speech is suppressed, we are no longer a free country. I believe the essence of RFK, Jr.’s candidacy is his commitment to preserving the First Amendment. Five days ago, in an interview with Dave Rubin, he announced that if he is elected president, he will issue an Executive Order prohibiting the federal government from directing social media companies to engage in censorship.
Joining me as guest columnists on the Kennedy Beacon are Columbia University Professor, Jeffrey Sachs, author and Salon co-founder, David Talbot, and Colonel Douglas MacGregor.
In my weekly column I will cover many of the same topics that I write about here on Courageous Discourse, but with an emphasis on combatting censorship and the underlying philosophy of free speech and the U.S. Constitution.
My first column will be published tomorrow, but today I would like to share with our readership a vitally important essay by Jeffrey Sachs titled The Real History of the War in Ukraine: A Chronology of Events and Case for Diplomacy.
Please check out Professor Sachs’s essay, share it with your friends, and consider subscribing to the Kennedy Beacon Substack to receive accurate information about presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Even if RFK, Jr. is not your cup of tea as a presidential candidate, you will, I believe, find value in the Kennedy Beacon’s reporting on major public policy issues such as the War in Ukraine.
Many thanks for your consideration.
China Begins Construction of Pakistan's Largest Nuclear Power Plant
China Begins Construction of Pakistan's Largest Nuclear Power Plant: Project would be nation's largest civil nuclear power plant – to contribute 1,200 megawatts of electricity daily to the national grid – at estimated cost of at least $3.5 billion
Core module completed for Chinese SMR : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Core module completed for Chinese SMR : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: The core module for the ACP100 small modular reactor demonstration project has passed the final acceptance and will be shipped to the construction site at the Changjiang nuclear power plant on China's southern island province of Hainan, China National Nuclear Corporation has announced.
Hawley, Missouri leaders demand St. Louis nuclear waste cleanup | STLPR
Hawley, Missouri leaders demand St. Louis nuclear waste cleanup | STLPR: Nuclear contamination in the St. Louis region dates back to the 1940s. Documents show leaders of Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, which processed uranium in St. Louis, knew of the contamination risks in 1949.
Some of Japan's neighbors are freaking out over the release of Fukushima water. Should they be?
Some of Japan's neighbors are freaking out over the release of Fukushima water. Should they be?: South Korea’s official endorsement of the plan has done little to put its public at ease, as officials cope with panic-buying, protests and consumer boycotts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)