Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

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

Saturday, August 17, 2024

Aalo Atomics Raises $27M Series A Funding | Neutron Bytes

Aalo Atomics Raises $27M Series A Funding | Neutron Bytes

A new US, Russia, China nuclear arms race spells danger | The Strategist

A new US, Russia, China nuclear arms race spells danger | The Strategist

The Energy Transition in Five Charts and Not Too Many Numbers - RMI

The Energy Transition in Five Charts and Not Too Many Numbers - RMI

Wake up call for world's largest electricity market - TEA

Wake up call for world's largest electricity market - TEA

What is the outlook for U.S. natural gas inventories at the end of injection season? - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

What is the outlook for U.S. natural gas inventories at the end of injection season? - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

Tom Kent: Nuclear power: A past, present and future necessity

Tom Kent: Nuclear power: A past, present and future necessity

Energy Northwest goes for X-energy HTGR SMRs | Energy Central

Energy Northwest goes for X-energy HTGR SMRs | Energy Central

MIL-OSI USA: Letter to the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate on the Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United  States of America and the Government of the Republic of Singapore Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear  Energy | ForeignAffairs.co.nz

MIL-OSI USA: Letter to the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate on the Agreement for Cooperation Between the Government of the United  States of America and the Government of the Republic of Singapore Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear  Energy | ForeignAffairs.co.nz

Reuters: Owner of Three Mile Island in talks with state about potentially re-opening nuclear facility

Reuters: Owner of Three Mile Island in talks with state about potentially re-opening nuclear facility

America’s plan to resurrect nuclear power

America’s plan to resurrect nuclear power

Alt News Analysis for Today - by Robert W Malone MD, MS

Alt News Analysis for Today - by Robert W Malone MD, MS "More Inconvenient Nord Stream Truth One big story that came to light this week was first published in the Wall Street Journal, but it hardly made a dent in the minds of Americans. That story is that Ukraine blew up the Nord Stream pipeline. Of course, this means we, the public, have been fed lies about the event, which has crippled the German economy ever since. Of course, the WSJ quickly asserted that Zelinksy approved the plan and disapproved. Talk about having it both ways! The WSJ was also quick to assert that the CIA learned of the plan and asked the Ukrainian president to pull the plug, which he did- but it was too late. Of course, this propaganda is impossible to swallow and reeks of an attempt by the US government and Ukraine to cover their asses. My friend, Mattias Desmet did an excellent and short analysis of the situation on Twitter, copied below: A so-called 'false flag' operation is coming to light at a record pace. The media initially wanted us to believe that 'the Russians' blew up the Nord Stream pipeline. Anyone with any ability to critically distance themselves raised an eyebrow. The Russians blow up that pipeline to prevent themselves from transporting their own gas to Europe? Besides the many other strange creases and twists in the story, the next question immediately arose: why don’t the Russians simply turn off their gas tap instead of blowing up a pipeline at the bottom of the sea? And the same goes for a whole range of other elements in the Ukraine story. You don’t have to be a genius to also raise an eyebrow at the story about the blown-up dam over the Dnipro River. It is not because a line of thought is completely absurd that people will not blindly follow it. Propagandists know this all too well. All you need is a horde of unprincipled journalists, an army of thoughtless fact-checkers, and a lonely, exhausted population. As Steve Aernouts wrote on my Facebook page: ‘When top journalist and former Pulitzer Prize winner Seymour Hersh argued a few months after the incident, through a CIA insider, that Russia was not to blame, the man was dismissed as some kind of idiot by all the media.’ Regardless of how solid both the logic and the relationship to the facts of Hersh’s story were, society chose to go along with the completely absurd story spread through the mainstream media. To quote Hannah Arendt: “The ideal subject for a totalitarian regime is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but someone for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exists.” Propaganda works, stunningly well. And we can only conclude: the media apparatus, once conceived as the societal organ that must continually give birth to the Truth in society, has largely been absorbed by the propaganda apparatus. *** A few days ago, the media story about the Nord Stream pipeline began to slowly unravel. First, it appeared in the media that ‘a Ukrainian’ had blown up the pipeline, then the pointing finger identified a Ukrainian diving school, and now it is added that Zelensky himself approved the operation. So, try to imagine it clearly: To turn European public opinion against Putin, Zelensky had a team of divers blow up the Nord Stream pipeline. The great monster Putin would thus be responsible for a winter without gas in Europe. One thing is clear: Zelensky is truly capable of anything. We can ask ourselves: is there a reason why Zelensky is being thrown under the bus here and now? But besides that—and I may be naïve—I still see it as a good sign that the media are still capable of breaking their own story. So I say sincerely: thank you to the media. And do the same with the COVID story and all other forms of fake news that have been spread in recent years. Let the truth break through. Nietzsche said: “In the light of every truly great person, thousands of secrets of history crawl out from under their stone.” To all journalists: try to be such a ‘truly great person.’ ‘Become who you are.’ Feel the pride you deserve when you remain true to the ethics of true journalism. Ensure that we can once again truly respect journalism. Stop allowing yourselves to be used, stop reducing yourselves to a propaganda tool. You can be so much more than that. *** A century and a half ago, some began to realize: the possibilities of propaganda are virtually unlimited. Among other things, it sends thousands of young people into the trenches to fight against other young people who have done them absolutely no harm. To understand the history of the last 150 years, one must primarily study the practice of propaganda. The way the mass media are centrally controlled according to the principles of Walter Lippmann, the way information flows are directed on the internet, the way tens of thousands of so-called ‘digital first responders’ constantly ridicule, criminalize, and pathologize every dissident voice—the better you understand the phenomenon of ‘propaganda,’ the more you realize: the world is truly ruled by lies. To everyone whose heart aches when they think of all those Russian and Ukrainian people dying on the battlefield, I ask: please watch Tucker Carlson’s interview with the American top diplomat Jeffrey Sachs (see this link). These are the kinds of interviews we need: calm, nuanced, and with immense knowledge of the facts. Listen to that interview, and you’ll quickly stop thinking in black and white. Putin is no saint, we know that. But I fear that in this case, we must say: the most sinister role in the story is certainly not being played by Putin. Make some effort to explore some of the historical context of this 'unprovoked war.' You will see that there is no question of 'unprovoked' at all. And when you begin to see that, stand up and say: not in my name."

Power to the Patients: the Navajo Nation vs. the Uranium Industry - CounterPunch.org

Power to the Patients: the Navajo Nation vs. the Uranium Industry - CounterPunch.org

America prepares for a new nuclear-arms race

America prepares for a new nuclear-arms race

The Nuclear Weapons Era Is Coming Back, but Few Are Paying Attention. - Business Insider

The Nuclear Weapons Era Is Coming Back, but Few Are Paying Attention. - Business Insider

Ukraine preparing ‘dirty nuke’ attack – media — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union

Ukraine preparing ‘dirty nuke’ attack – media — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union

‘Catastrophic’: Top Grid Official Sounds The Alarm On Biden’s Sweeping Power Plant Rules | The Daily Caller

‘Catastrophic’: Top Grid Official Sounds The Alarm On Biden’s Sweeping Power Plant Rules | The Daily Caller

America’s JASSM air to ground stealth missiles and Russian plans to use tactical nukes

America’s JASSM air to ground stealth missiles and Russian plans to use tactical nukes

The Bad Boys Start a Business

The Bad Boys Start a Business

North Carolina is getting a $1.4B sodium-ion battery gigafactory | Electrek

North Carolina is getting a $1.4B sodium-ion battery gigafactory | Electrek

Friday, August 16, 2024

How Booming Electricity Demand Is Stalling Efforts to Retire Coal and Gas, in Charts - WSJ

How Booming Electricity Demand Is Stalling Efforts to Retire Coal and Gas, in Charts - WSJ

Project 2025 promises billions of tonnes more carbon pollution – study | Climate crisis | The Guardian

Project 2025 promises billions of tonnes more carbon pollution – study | Climate crisis | The Guardian

Sage Geosystems Inc. Partners with San Miguel Electric Cooperative, Inc. to Build First Geopressured Geothermal System | Business Wire

Sage Geosystems Inc. Partners with San Miguel Electric Cooperative, Inc. to Build First Geopressured Geothermal System | Business Wire

$93m offshore wind auction is ‘much-needed’ boost to Biden’s energy goals - Global Construction Review

$93m offshore wind auction is ‘much-needed’ boost to Biden’s energy goals - Global Construction Review

Ukraine’s plan to buy Russian-made nuclear reactors sparks uproar – POLITICO

Ukraine’s plan to buy Russian-made nuclear reactors sparks uproar – POLITICO

Rwanda Signs Deal With US Nuclear Firm For Mini-reactors | Barron's

Rwanda Signs Deal With US Nuclear Firm For Mini-reactors | Barron's

Optimizing nuclear waste management: the role of DQO in decommissioning - Nuclear Engineering International

Optimizing nuclear waste management: the role of DQO in decommissioning - Nuclear Engineering International

Argonne’s NSTF: Active testing of passive cooling -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

Argonne’s NSTF: Active testing of passive cooling -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

Maersk agrees to study nuclear-powered container shipping | Reuters

Maersk agrees to study nuclear-powered container shipping | Reuters

Nuclear new build procurement considerations -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

Nuclear new build procurement considerations -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

Wishful Thinking in the Stratosphere

Wishful Thinking in the Stratosphere

PG&E: Here’s why the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is good for California | Opinion

PG&E: Here’s why the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is good for California | Opinion

Update 244 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine | IAEA

Update 244 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine | IAEA

IAEA Director General Statement in Relation to the Agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States Related to Naval Nuclear Propulsion | IAEA

IAEA Director General Statement in Relation to the Agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States Related to Naval Nuclear Propulsion | IAEA

IAEA Director General Statement on a Water Leakage at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station | IAEA

IAEA Director General Statement on a Water Leakage at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station | IAEA

In Wyoming, Bill Gates moves ahead with nuclear project aimed at revolutionizing power generation

In Wyoming, Bill Gates moves ahead with nuclear project aimed at revolutionizing power generation

California legislators break with Gov. Newsom over loan to keep state's last nuclear plant running

California legislators break with Gov. Newsom over loan to keep state's last nuclear plant running

Where does nuclear waste go? An important question as Indiana welcomes small reactors

Where does nuclear waste go? An important question as Indiana welcomes small reactors

PG&E: Here’s why the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is good for California | Opinion

PG&E: Here’s why the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant is good for California | Opinion

PG&E’s annual Sonoma County safety findings released - The North Bay Business Journal

PG&E’s annual Sonoma County safety findings released - The North Bay Business Journal

As US Coal Plants Shutter, a Renewed Focus on Nuclear | The Epoch Times

As US Coal Plants Shutter, a Renewed Focus on Nuclear | The Epoch Times

Thursday, August 15, 2024

Electricity Mid-Year Update_July 2024 - ElectricityMid-YearUpdate_July2024.pdf

Electricity Mid-Year Update_July 2024 - ElectricityMid-YearUpdate_July2024.pdf

Regulatory assessment of nuclear-powered cargo ships : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News

Regulatory assessment of nuclear-powered cargo ships : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News

9 Things Musk and Trump Said About Climate Change, Annotated - The New York Times

9 Things Musk and Trump Said About Climate Change, Annotated - The New York Times

No power, no operator, no problem: Argonne test facility simulates nuclear reactors to explore next-generation nuclear safety systems | Argonne National Laboratory

No power, no operator, no problem: Argonne test facility simulates nuclear reactors to explore next-generation nuclear safety systems | Argonne National Laboratory

Amazon's $650M Data Center Faces Energy Battle - IEEE Spectrum

Amazon's $650M Data Center Faces Energy Battle - IEEE Spectrum

Further innovation required to achieve $0.05/kWh target for long-duration storage: DOE | Utility Dive

Further innovation required to achieve $0.05/kWh target for long-duration storage: DOE | Utility Dive

Exclusive | U.S. Battery Rush Spurs $1.4 Billion Sodium-Ion Factory in North Carolina - WSJ

Exclusive | U.S. Battery Rush Spurs $1.4 Billion Sodium-Ion Factory in North Carolina - WSJ

Electricity Bills Now Surpassing Rent In California. Why Are Prices Higher Than Anywhere But Hawaii? - Benzinga

Electricity Bills Now Surpassing Rent In California. Why Are Prices Higher Than Anywhere But Hawaii? - Benzinga

Robot detects 25-ton radioactive water leak at Fukushima nuclear site

Robot detects 25-ton radioactive water leak at Fukushima nuclear site

Russia’s Secret Nuclear Dossier Leaked: 32 NATO Targets

Russia’s Secret Nuclear Dossier Leaked: 32 NATO Targets

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

bne IntelliNews - China is on track to overtake France and the United States as the world's leading source of atomic power

bne IntelliNews - China is on track to overtake France and the United States as the world's leading source of atomic power

bne IntelliNews - China is on track to overtake France and the United States as the world's leading source of atomic power

bne IntelliNews - China is on track to overtake France and the United States as the world's leading source of atomic power

US scientists use light-based quantum probe to detect nuclear threats

US scientists use light-based quantum probe to detect nuclear threats

US firms plan nuclear battery with 50-year lifespan to counter China

US firms plan nuclear battery with 50-year lifespan to counter China

Nord Stream sabotage: Germany issues arrest warrant – DW – 08/14/2024

Nord Stream sabotage: Germany issues arrest warrant – DW – 08/14/2024

Data centers want to tap existing nuclear power. Is… | Canary Media

Data centers want to tap existing nuclear power. Is… | Canary Media

Major components installed at new Chinese units : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

Major components installed at new Chinese units : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News

California’s Massive Park Fire Would be Less Severe if We Proactively Reduced Fuels

California’s Massive Park Fire Would be Less Severe if We Proactively Reduced Fuels

Microsoft Word - Pentagon Fuel Use, Climate Change and the Costs of War Revised November 2019 Crawford.docx - Pentagon Fuel Use, Climate Change and the Costs of War Revised November 2019 Crawford.pdf

Microsoft Word - Pentagon Fuel Use, Climate Change and the Costs of War Revised November 2019 Crawford.docx - Pentagon Fuel Use, Climate Change and the Costs of War Revised November 2019 Crawford.pdf

Untethered: Decentralizing Energy to Transform War | Andreessen Horowitz

Untethered: Decentralizing Energy to Transform War | Andreessen Horowitz

Nuclear apocalypse map shows best and worst US states to live in incase of armageddon - Irish Star

Nuclear apocalypse map shows best and worst US states to live in incase of armageddon - Irish Star

The Real Energy Transition Is Toward Natural Gas, Not Wind and Solar | The New York Sun

The Real Energy Transition Is Toward Natural Gas, Not Wind and Solar | The New York Sun

Scientists Created a New Solar Cell That Produces 1,000 Times More Power - The Premier Daily : The Premier Daily

Scientists Created a New Solar Cell That Produces 1,000 Times More Power - The Premier Daily : The Premier Daily

How can the U.S. ensure new nuclear builds get off to a good start? -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

How can the U.S. ensure new nuclear builds get off to a good start? -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

Ranked: Nuclear Power Capacity by Country

Ranked: Nuclear Power Capacity by Country

China’s Oil-Demand Growth Slowdown Weighs on Global Outlook, IEA Says - WSJ

China’s Oil-Demand Growth Slowdown Weighs on Global Outlook, IEA Says - WSJ

How Beijing is using the sun to fight the sand | Semafor

How Beijing is using the sun to fight the sand | Semafor

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

DOE Issues Final Request for Proposal for Paducah Infrastructure Support Services Contract -

DOE Logo Department of Energy Environmental Management Consolidated Business Center 550 Main Street, Room 7-010, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Media Contact: Toni Rutherford, toni.rutherford@emcbc.doe.gov Aug. 13, 2024 DOE Issues Final Request for Proposal for Paducah Infrastructure Support Services Contract CINCINNATI — Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued the final request for proposal (RFP) for the Paducah Infrastructure Support Services (ISS) procurement. The purpose of the final RFP is to solicit proposals from interested parties. DOE requires a contractor to provide infrastructure support services at the Paducah Site, to include but not limited to: Surveillance, maintenance, and repair, and construction/replacement of facilities; Custodial services; Grounds maintenance, snow removal, and pest control; roadway parking and lot maintenance; Fleet management; Real property management; Records management and document control; safeguards and security; Environment Safety, Health, and Quality Program; engineering; training services; Mail services; and Waste management, pollution prevention, and other activities and support to DOE. The Paducah ISS procurement will be conducted as a total small business set-aside competition. The North American Industry Classification System code for this requirement is 561210, facilities support services, and the small business size standard is $47 million. A dedicated webpage has been established for the Paducah ISS procurement. The final RFP will also be posted to SAM.gov and the FedConnect website. For more than 30 years, the Office of Environmental Management (EM) has remained focused on addressing the environmental legacy of nuclear weapons development and nuclear energy research that helped end World War II, win the Cold War and position the United States as a leader in clean nuclear energy. Collectively, EM is delivering results that are protecting the environment, supporting communities and enabling a concerted focus on safely completing the mission sooner and more efficiently. Additional information regarding the Paducah Site is available here.

Let’s Think About How to Build a More Peaceful World - CounterPunch.org

Let’s Think About How to Build a More Peaceful World - CounterPunch.org

No First Use of Nuclear Weapons: Rejecting Nuclear Annihilation - CounterPunch.org

No First Use of Nuclear Weapons: Rejecting Nuclear Annihilation - CounterPunch.org

America’s Nuclear Weapons Quagmire • Stimson Center

America’s Nuclear Weapons Quagmire • Stimson Center

Summer Talking Points: Unreliable Power

Summer Talking Points: Unreliable Power

Russian Navy trained to strike Europe with nuclear-capable missiles, FT reports, citing secret files

Russian Navy trained to strike Europe with nuclear-capable missiles, FT reports, citing secret files

AI, manufacturing spur SMR interest, but project complexity weighs on deals: NuScale | Utility Dive

AI, manufacturing spur SMR interest, but project complexity weighs on deals: NuScale | Utility Dive

Big Tech drives staggering power demand projections. Is it all hype? - E&E News by POLITICO

Big Tech drives staggering power demand projections. Is it all hype? - E&E News by POLITICO

Price tag for new nuclear power in Sweden $38 billion, commission says | Reuters

Price tag for new nuclear power in Sweden $38 billion, commission says | Reuters

US regulators approve NAC's highly shielded transport system : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News

US regulators approve NAC's highly shielded transport system : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News

IAEA unable to determine cause of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant fire | Reuters

IAEA unable to determine cause of Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant fire | Reuters

Gen Z Voters Support Climate Action and Nuclear Energy, Poll Finds - WSJ

Gen Z Voters Support Climate Action and Nuclear Energy, Poll Finds - WSJ

Eastern Europe’s purchase of US nuclear reactors is primarily about military ties, not climate change - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Eastern Europe’s purchase of US nuclear reactors is primarily about military ties, not climate change - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

Biden’s Nuclear Energy Plan Faces Drama | HuffPost Latest News

Biden’s Nuclear Energy Plan Faces Drama | HuffPost Latest News

Westinghouse in UK produces first batch of higher enriched uranium fuel | S&P Global Commodity Insights

Westinghouse in UK produces first batch of higher enriched uranium fuel | S&P Global Commodity Insights

Daily on Energy: Barrasso blasts Haaland on protests, DOE data center resources, green hydrogen problem - Washington Examiner

Daily on Energy: Barrasso blasts Haaland on protests, DOE data center resources, green hydrogen problem - Washington Examiner

AI, manufacturing spur SMR interest, but project complexity weighs on deals: NuScale | Utility Dive

AI, manufacturing spur SMR interest, but project complexity weighs on deals: NuScale | Utility Dive

Gen Z Voters Support Climate Action and Nuclear Energy, Poll Finds - WSJ

Gen Z Voters Support Climate Action and Nuclear Energy, Poll Finds - WSJ

Fire reported at Zaporizhzhia as Ukrainian troops advance toward Russia’s Kursk plant -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

Fire reported at Zaporizhzhia as Ukrainian troops advance toward Russia’s Kursk plant -- ANS / Nuclear Newswire

“Green” Hydrogen Subsidies Are 1,900x Larger Than What's Given To Nuclear

“Green” Hydrogen Subsidies Are 1,900x Larger Than What's Given To Nuclear

What is Russia's 'nuclear doctrine'?

What is Russia's 'nuclear doctrine'?

Monday, August 12, 2024

(325) Prof. John Mearsheimer : Will Russia and China Back Iran? - YouTube

(325) Prof. John Mearsheimer : Will Russia and China Back Iran? - YouTube

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant / Ukraine Blames Moscow, While Russia And IAEA Both Point To Drone Attack On Cooling Tower

Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant / Ukraine Blames Moscow, While Russia And IAEA Both Point To Drone Attack On Cooling Tower

Fire Report at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant; No Radiation Issues | Neutron Bytes

Fire Report at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant; No Radiation Issues | Neutron Bytes

IAEA Confirms "No Impact On Nuclear Safety" After Zaporizhzhia Power Plant Fire | ZeroHedge

IAEA Confirms "No Impact On Nuclear Safety" After Zaporizhzhia Power Plant Fire | ZeroHedge

Ukraine Attack on Nuclear Power Plant Breached Physical Integrity - Spokesperson

Ukraine Attack on Nuclear Power Plant Breached Physical Integrity - Spokesperson

Fire breaks out at nuclear plant after Ukrainian attack – governor (VIDEO) — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union

Fire breaks out at nuclear plant after Ukrainian attack – governor (VIDEO) — RT Russia & Former Soviet Union

In Africa, Corruption Remains a Barrier to Investment

In Africa, Corruption Remains a Barrier to Investment

Chart: Which US states have the cleanest electricity? | Canary Media

Chart: Which US states have the cleanest electricity? | Canary Media

Why tech companies are shopping for nuclear power for data centers

Why tech companies are shopping for nuclear power for data centers

Two Pillars, Not Three - The Breakthrough Journal

Two Pillars, Not Three - The Breakthrough Journal

US regulators approve NAC's highly shielded transport system : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News

US regulators approve NAC's highly shielded transport system : Regulation & Safety - World Nuclear News