Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire - Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry. Nuclear Activities
Saturday, February 10, 2024
Westinghouse Wins a Deal to Build Four AP300s in UK | Neutron Bytes
Westinghouse Wins a Deal to Build Four AP300s in UK | Neutron Bytes: Westinghouse Wins an SMR Project in the UK Westinghouse Eliminated from Czech Nuclear Project Five Companies Shortlisted to Build Bulgaria’s Kozloduy-7 AP1000 Nuclear Plant Korean Shipbuilder Joins…
Atlantic Ocean is headed for a tipping point − once melting glaciers shut down the Gulf Stream, we would see extreme climate change within decades, study shows
Atlantic Ocean is headed for a tipping point − once melting glaciers shut down the Gulf Stream, we would see extreme climate change within decades, study shows: Scientists now have a better understanding of the risks ahead and a new early warning signal to watch for.
Friday, February 9, 2024
Chartbook Carbon Notes 11 China's energy transition path and the global carbon budget
Chartbook Carbon Notes 11 China's energy transition path and the global carbon budget: China is the worldʼs largest greenhouse gas emitter, and the second-largest historical emitter, after the United States. In 2021, it produced 27% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with around 18% of the worldʼs population and GDP. Chinaʼs share of global emissions rose to this level from less than 10% in 1990. China was responsible for 73% of the increase in global CO 2 emissions from 2010 to 2022
Should power plants burn clean hydrogen to make… | Canary Media
Should power plants burn clean hydrogen to make… | Canary Media: Utilities say the fuel can help them achieve a carbon-free grid. Climate hawks say it opens up a morass of waste and greenwashing that may impede better…
Russia and India discuss expanding nuclear cooperation : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News
Russia and India discuss expanding nuclear cooperation : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News: A new protocol to the intergovernmental agreement on the construction of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant was signed during a two-day visit by Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev to the Indian plant.
Bechtel & Westinghouse Unite for European Nuclear Power | Energy Magazine
Bechtel & Westinghouse Unite for European Nuclear Power | Energy Magazine: Bechtel, in collaboration with Westinghouse Electric Company and the Czech Power Industry Alliance, introduce new nuclear reactors in the Czech Republic
UK's First SMR Nuclear Project to Showcase Four Westinghouse AP300 Reactors
UK's First SMR Nuclear Project to Showcase Four Westinghouse AP300 Reactors: Community Nuclear Power (CNP), the UK’s only independent small modular reactor (SMR) development company, will spearhead a project to build four
Why The Need For Nuclear Power Is Proliferating
Why The Need For Nuclear Power Is Proliferating: The world needs an enormous increase in energy now and in the future, which is why nuclear power is experiencing a renaissance.
Home - Juice the Series
Home - Juice the Series: From Texas to Tokyo, this five-part docuseries shows how politicians and corporate avarice weakened our most critical network — and why we need fission to fix it. Watch Episode 1 Episode 2: UNDERMINED BY ENRON EPIsode 3: GREEN DREAMS Episode 4: NUCLEAR RENAISSANCE EPIsode 5: INDUSTRIAL CATHEDRALS Synopsis The Texas blackouts of 2021 were just […]
AI Deployed Nukes 'to Have Peace in the World' in Tense War Simulation
AI Deployed Nukes 'to Have Peace in the World' in Tense War Simulation: OpenAI’s GPT models sounded like a genocidal dictator in a test of war-time decision-making.
Thursday, February 8, 2024
Nuclear waste canisters must last an entire century, bill proposes – Orange County Register
Nuclear waste canisters must last an entire century, bill proposes – Orange County Register: Columnist Teri Sforza writes that temporary storage, now licensed for 40 years, would have to last for 100.
Wind and solar energy producers frustrated by connection delays, congestion in power grid | MPR News
Wind and solar energy producers frustrated by connection delays, congestion in power grid | MPR News: Across Minnesota, solar and wind companies are building new facilities to generate green energy. However, many are frustrated by long delays in getting connected to the power grid, and then when they do, many find they cannot operate at full capacity because the grid cannot handle it.
Holtec Bets on Nuclear Paired with Solar to Support Decarbonization
Holtec Bets on Nuclear Paired with Solar to Support Decarbonization: The decarbonization of power generation is fostering research and development of new energy technologies, and some companies are reimagining what's
Russia and India discuss expanding nuclear cooperation : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News
Russia and India discuss expanding nuclear cooperation : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News: A new protocol to the intergovernmental agreement on the construction of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant was signed during a two-day visit by Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev to the Indian plant.
USA's Project Phoenix to support Slovenia SMR study : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
USA's Project Phoenix to support Slovenia SMR study : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: The US State Department's Project Phoenix aims to help countries transition from coal to small modular reactors. Slovenia had applied to take part, and has now announced that it has been selected to receive advisory and technical services as part of the programme.
Agreement signed for planned UK fleet of AP300 reactors : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Agreement signed for planned UK fleet of AP300 reactors : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: Westinghouse has signed an agreement with Community Nuclear Power Limited for the construction of four AP300 small modular reactors in the North Teesside region of northeast England. It would be the UK's first privately-financed SMR fleet.
Medvedev Warns Russia Has 'No Choice' But To Unleash Nuclear 'Apocalypse' If Attacked By NATO | ZeroHedge
Medvedev Warns Russia Has 'No Choice' But To Unleash Nuclear 'Apocalypse' If Attacked By NATO | ZeroHedge: ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero
Engineer steals US nuclear secrets worth millions from California employer, feds say
Engineer steals US nuclear secrets worth millions from California employer, feds say: The man copied more than 3,600 files containing trade secrets relating to nuclear launch detection and tracking systems, authorities say.
NASA’s Fission Surface Power Project Energizes Lunar Exploration
NASA’s Fission Surface Power Project Energizes Lunar Exploration: NASA tasked commercial partners with developing concept designs for a small nuclear fission reactor that could generate electricity on the Moon and Mars.
Commercial advanced nuclear fuel arrives in Idaho for testing - Idaho National Laboratory
Commercial advanced nuclear fuel arrives in Idaho for testing - Idaho National Laboratory: For the first time in two decades, Idaho National Laboratory, the nation’s nuclear energy laboratory, has received a shipment of used next-generation light water reactor fuel from a commercial nuclear power plant to support research and testing.
Full Speed Ahead on the Global Titanic - TomDispatch.com
Full Speed Ahead on the Global Titanic - TomDispatch.com
Tom writes:
Norman Solomon, Everything at Risk
Posted on February 8, 2024
Consider this strange: Seventy-eight years after the first and only nuclear weapons were used on Planet Earth, anyone with half a brain knows that a nuclear war would be an incomparable disaster for this planet and everyone living on it. So, remind me, why the endless nuclear pantomime?
Why, as last year wound down, for instance, did the U.S. decide to station some weapons from its nuclear arsenal in England — ones three times as powerful as the two atomic bombs it dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II — after an absence of 15 years? (If you didn’t even know this was happening, that’s because it’s barely been mentioned in the American media, though Russia’s Tass angrily denounced it and threatened an escalatory response.) This was undoubtedly passed off as a move to protect the United Kingdom and other European countries from a post-Ukraine attempt by Vladimir Putin to conquer the rest of Europe, nuclear attacks included, right? Now, mind you, even if you assume Putin is truly a madman and would launch nuclear strikes against Europe, what use would American nukes be in England when Washington could reach Russia with its vast nuclear arsenal from the U.S. or its nuclear subs patrolling the planet? No need to put them in Britain anyway, since that country already has nukes. It was the third nuclear power ever and still has a “nuclear deterrent” fitted out on submarines, at least one of which is at sea at any moment.
So why is Washington upping the ante in such an obviously symbolic, yet all too real way? And why up that particular ante when even a relatively “modest” nuclear exchange could easily lead to the destruction of life as we’ve known it on Planet Earth? In that grim context, let TomDispatch regular Norman Solomon, author most recently of War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine, explain just what it means to “modernize” your nuclear arsenal. Of course, given weaponry that could rob us of any future, the very act of modernization is undoubtedly also one of all too human madness. Tom
Full Speed Ahead on the Global Titanic
Going Along with the Utter Madness of Nuclear Weapons
By Norman Solomon
Yes, the Doomsday Clock keeps ticking -- it's now at 90 seconds to midnight, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists -- but the ultimate time bomb never gets the attention that it deserves. Even as the possibility of nuclear annihilation looms, this century’s many warning signs retain the status of Cassandras.
Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump withdrew the United States from vital pacts between the U.S. and Russia, the two nuclear superpowers, shutting down the Anti-Ballistic Missile, Open Skies, and Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaties. And despite promising otherwise, Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden did nothing to revive them.
Click here to read more of this dispatch.
https://tomdispatch.com/full-speed-ahead-on-the-global-titanic/#more
Wednesday, February 7, 2024
A landmark RNC Energy Freedom Resolution
A landmark RNC Energy Freedom Resolution: For the first time in more than 4 years, the Republican National Committee has passed a substantive resolution on energy — and it powerfully advocates for energy freedom.
Abbott, Ercot Received Early Warnings About Texas Power Prices - Bloomberg
Abbott, Ercot Received Early Warnings About Texas Power Prices - Bloomberg: The state’s efforts to boost backup electricity supply increased wholesale prices by $12 billion in the second half of last year, according to a watchdog.
Biden tightens air pollution limits for deadly soot | The Hill
Biden tightens air pollution limits for deadly soot | The Hill: The Biden administration is tightening air pollution restrictions — a move it says will save thousands of lives but is meeting pushback from industry, which argues it will harm the economy. The decision to tighten the restrictions on pollution from small particles, commonly referred to as soot, comes as a reversal of the Trump administration,…
Why The Need For Nuclear Power Is Proliferating
Why The Need For Nuclear Power Is Proliferating: The world needs an enormous increase in energy now and in the future, which is why nuclear power is experiencing a renaissance.
NIF fusion breakeven claims peer reviewed and verified by multiple teams
NIF fusion breakeven claims peer reviewed and verified by multiple teams: Five independent teams of researchers have reviewed the work and claims made by a group at the National Ignition Facility (NIF) who announced in December 2022 that they had achieved the first laser-powered fusion reaction that exceeded "scientific breakeven"—in which more energy was produced by a manmade fusion reaction than consumed by the reaction.
DoD reps evaluating use of nuclear reactors in Guam
DoD reps evaluating use of nuclear reactors in Guam: By Frank Whitman Department of Defense officials are gathering information to determine the feasibility of using a small-scale nuclear power reactor on Guam. Two DoD representatives were in Guam for a week at the end of January for that purpose and to inform residents and local officials about “Project Pele”- the name given the reactor which is still being developed. “Project Pele is a transportable micro nuclear reactor producing one to five megawatts of net electrical power for three years,” s
Nuclear power officially labelled as ‘strategic’ for EU’s decarbonisation – Euractiv
Nuclear power officially labelled as ‘strategic’ for EU’s decarbonisation – Euractiv: The Council of EU member states and the European Parliament agreed on Tuesday (6 February) to label nuclear power as a strategic technology for the EU's decarbonisation, following months of intense negotiations in Brussels over the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA).
Documentary film explores Richland, Washington’s complex heritage | WSU Insider | Washington State University
Documentary film explores Richland, Washington’s complex heritage | WSU Insider | Washington State University: Filmmaker Irene Lusztig drew heavily upon the expertise of WSU historian Robert Franklin for her award-winning film, “Richland,” which will be shown Feb. 8 in Pullman.
Sweden closes Nord Stream investigation, hands it off to Germany | Responsible Statecraft
Sweden closes Nord Stream investigation, hands it off to Germany | Responsible Statecraft
Don't expect much satisfaction this morning as the Swedes shut down their probe and passed it off to Germany, saying they 'no longer have jurisdiction.
All signs are pointing increasingly in the direction of Ukraine, despite Sy Hersh's reporting, now one year old (Feb. 6, 2023)
Tuesday, February 6, 2024
US lab reviews low-pressure microreactor design : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
US lab reviews low-pressure microreactor design : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: Idaho National Laboratory has completed a pre-conceptual design review of NANO Nuclear Energy Inc's ODIN low-pressure coolant microreactor design. The company's ZEUS microreactor design is also to be reviewed by the lab.
The Future of American Energy Production Must Include Nuclear | RealClearEnergy
The Future of American Energy Production Must Include Nuclear | RealClearEnergy: It’s the coldest time of the year, and the demand for energy is significantly higher as people try to warm their homes. According to the U.S. Energy Information Adm
Fusion fever grips Capitol Hill. Will big funding follow? - E&E News by POLITICO
Fusion fever grips Capitol Hill. Will big funding follow? - E&E News by POLITICO: A nascent caucus pushing fusion energy is adding lawmakers at eye-popping rates. Bills have advanced. Whether it all translates into results is a big
Approval of nuclear pilot plant that uses molten salt coolant instead of water a step towards safer reactors | News | Chemistry World
Approval of nuclear pilot plant that uses molten salt coolant instead of water a step towards safer reactors | News | Chemistry World: Historic milestone reached as US grants permission for non-water cooled reactor for first time in 50 years
Lessons from NuScale’s terminated project will help pave the way for advanced nuclear energy | Utility Dive
Lessons from NuScale’s terminated project will help pave the way for advanced nuclear energy | Utility Dive: Utility industry news and analysis for energy professionals.
Congress torpedoes a Biden nominee and casts doubt on nuclear safety - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Congress torpedoes a Biden nominee and casts doubt on nuclear safety - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Biden’s decision to drop Jeff Baran's nomination for another term with the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission is a blow to the independence of the agency—and the safety and security of the country.
Why The Need For Nuclear Power Is Proliferating
Why The Need For Nuclear Power Is Proliferating: The world needs an enormous increase in energy now and in the future, which is why nuclear power is experiencing a renaissance.
THE NORD STREAM PIPELINES AND THE PERILS OF CONTAINMENT
THE NORD STREAM PIPELINES AND THE PERILS OF CONTAINMENT: The sabotage in the Baltic Sea was the result of a long-standing US policy of driving a wedge between Russia and Western Europe
UN nuclear chief says security is still fragile at Ukraine's Russian-occupied nuclear power plant | AP News
UN nuclear chief says security is still fragile at Ukraine's Russian-occupied nuclear power plant | AP News: The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog says security at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains fragile amid recent staff cuts enacted by Russian authorities occupying the facility.
Toyota to invest in TSMC arm for 2nd Kumamoto chip plant in Japan - Nikkei Asia
Toyota to invest in TSMC arm for 2nd Kumamoto chip plant in Japan - Nikkei Asia: TOKYO -- Toyota Motor will invest in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s Japanese subsidiary to fund the construction of a second chip plant in J
Japan's hydrogen prowess in peril as China, U.S. and EU poised to overtake - Nikkei Asia
Japan's hydrogen prowess in peril as China, U.S. and EU poised to overtake - Nikkei Asia: TOKYO -- Fully 50 years ago, Japan, reeling from rocketing oil prices, began investigating how to develop an energy source that's now among the world'
Is EDF about to score a coup in Czechia? - by Angelica Oung
Is EDF about to score a coup in Czechia? - by Angelica Oung: The wounded giant has been dismissed as a basket case, but can EDF still come out on top?
Will the U.S. Follow Britain’s Disastrous Energy Path? | RealClearEnergy
Will the U.S. Follow Britain’s Disastrous Energy Path? | RealClearEnergy: Britain is the poster child for Net Zero, with its energy policies based on the notions that renewable energy is cheap and the cost of Net Zero is trivial. RealClear Foundation Senior Fellow Rupert Da
Monday, February 5, 2024
A Drilling Boom in Africa | OilPrice.com
A Drilling Boom in Africa | OilPrice.com: Of the 36 high-impact wells to be drilled in 2024 Africa is the most popular of all the continents, with 13 likely prospects.
Saudi Arabia Signals a Shift in Oil Strategy | OilPrice.com
Saudi Arabia Signals a Shift in Oil Strategy | OilPrice.com: Saudi Arabia has directed its national oil company, Saudi Aramco, not to exceed a production cap of 12 million barrels per day, marking a strategic shift in its oil policy and signaling the end of its era as the U.S.'s "wholly-owned gas station."
Ukraine Emerges as Battleground in US-Russia Nuclear Contest
Ukraine Emerges as Battleground in US-Russia Nuclear Contest: Ukraine's energy minister told Newsweek of Kyiv's evolving plan to end Russia's dominance of the global nuclear industry.
Power Outage Maps for California PG&E, SMUD, SoCal Edison & more | abc10.com
Power Outage Maps for California PG&E, SMUD, SoCal Edison & more | abc10.com: California Power Outage Maps: More than half a million people are without power Monday morning
Bay Area PG&E outages: 230,000 customers still without electricity
Bay Area PG&E outages: 230,000 customers still without electricity: More than 235,000 Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers across the Bay Area remained without power in the wake of a powerful weekend storm.
Preliminary design R&D completed for Russian molten salt research reactor : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Preliminary design R&D completed for Russian molten salt research reactor : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: The Mining and Chemical Combine, part of Rosatom, says that research and development work on the molten salt research reactor project has been completed, with a preliminary design developed.
Environmental permitting of Polish SMR plant progresses : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Environmental permitting of Polish SMR plant progresses : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: Orlen Synthos Green Energy can now begin environmental and siting research for its planned small modular reactor project in Stawy Monowskie, in Małopolska, Poland, after the country's General Director for Environmental Protection issued the scope of the environmental report for the project.
Preliminary design R&D completed for Russian molten salt research reactor : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Preliminary design R&D completed for Russian molten salt research reactor : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: The Mining and Chemical Combine, part of Rosatom, says that research and development work on the molten salt research reactor project has been completed, with a preliminary design developed.
HD Hyundai Expedites Offshore Nuclear Power Development with Bill Gates’ TerraPower - Businesskorea
HD Hyundai Expedites Offshore Nuclear Power Development with Bill Gates’ TerraPower - Businesskorea: HD Hyundai is teaming up with global small modular reactor (SMR) leaders to explore the offshore nuclear market.HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (K
Sunday, February 4, 2024
Chart: The World's Biggest Arms Exporters | Statista
Chart: The World's Biggest Arms Exporters | Statista: This chart shows the share of global arms exports from 2017 to 2021, by country.
US arms exports hit record high in fiscal 2023 | Reuters
US arms exports hit record high in fiscal 2023 | Reuters: Sales of U.S. military equipment to foreign governments in 2023 rose 16% to a record $238 billion, the U.S. State Department said on Monday, as countries sought to replenish stocks sent to Ukraine and prepare for major conflicts.
To Bomb or Not to Bomb Iran: That Is the Question - The American Conservative
To Bomb or Not to Bomb Iran: That Is the Question - The American Conservative: Air strikes must be proportional to presumed gains, as well as anticipated losses.
OpenAI CEO Altman Says Future of AI Depends on an Energy Breakthrough | Neutron Bytes
OpenAI CEO Altman Says Future of AI Depends on an Energy Breakthrough | Neutron Bytes: OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman said at a forum held at the Davos conference in Switzerland that an energy breakthrough is necessary for future artificial intelligence. It is needed, he said, because the s…
Fear and Ambition Propel Xi’s Nuclear Acceleration - The New York Times
Fear and Ambition Propel Xi’s Nuclear Acceleration - The New York Times: China’s leader built up a nuclear arsenal, steeling for a growing rivalry with the United States. Now China is exploring how to wield its newfound strength.
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