Friday, May 10, 2013

Power Engineering News Update 5/10

Top Stories

Report: Utility leaders concerned about grid reliability, carbon legislation
Leaders express concern about gas prices, environmental issues.
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At Kewaunee nuclear power plant, the beginning of the end
Dominion shuts down plant after 38 years of operation.
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First Solar to lay off 150 North American employees
Company plans to save $30 million with job cuts.
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New AWEA leadership urges strategy, unity of U.S. wind industry
New chair sets goal of 8,000 MW of new wind capacity every year.
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In Case You Missed It
• NextEra picks GE wind turbines for Michigan wind farm
• Mitsubishi controls used in new Chinese nuclear power plants
• Duke seeks funds for Levy County nuclear project
• Video update on Vogtle nuclear construction
• Wind energy project in Mexico sold to Iberdrola
• CalISO warns of summer electricity reliability concerns
• Academic: World trending toward nuclear power
• Deal signed to potentially sell planned natural gas-fired power plant
• Fuel Tech receives orders for emissions controls in China
• Abengoa to build waste-to-energy power plant in Arizona
• GE to service almost 820 wind turbines in four states
• Siemens signs wind O&M contract extension
• Suzlon bringing wind turbines to N. American market
• Northern Power Systems unveils new low-wind speed turbines
• Five companies planning wind power projects in North Dakota
• Coal-fire Mohave Generating Station decommissioning to finish this week
• Ohio Power Siting Board approves new natural gas-fired power plant
• Dominion Virginia Power seeks rate increase for projected higher fuel costs
• Rosatom reportedly seeking partnership with EDF
• Picasolar wins NSTAR MIT Clean Energy Prize
• Demand response to help curb usage during peak periods
• Black Hills Corp. to sell 40 MW natural gas-fired unit
• TransAlta working to restore Keephills coal-fired unit to service
• Construction continues on solar power project on military bases
• Nun, protestors found guilty of uranium plot break-in
• Workers at Susquehanna nuclear plant Unit 1 begin turbine modifications

Unit 1 at Susquehanna Nuclear Power Plant Begins Outage for Planned Turbine Modifications

http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6805614&access=EH

Platts Survey: High Capital Costs and Maintaining Public Confidence Cited as Greatest Challenges Facing European Nuclear Power Markets

http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?resourceid=6805517&access=EH

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Terrorism and Radiation: Understanding the Real Threat To Our Cities

Jon Basil Utley | May. 7, 2013 | http://reason.com/archives/2013/05/07/terrorism-and-radiation-understanding-th/print

The Boston Marathon attack has drawn new attention to the risk of radiation poisoning from a dirty bomb detonated in a heavily-populated urban area. Bostonians were inconvenienced by the shutting down of their city for a day; imagine if it had been a dirty bomb and a quarter million people had been ordered to evacuate their homes and offices, because of false fears about the amount of radiation which is actually dangerous.

California's New Energy Crisis Centers On Nuclear Energy

California's New Energy Crisis Centers On Nuclear Energy Forbes The future of that plant, called the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, is looking dimmer. Some are saying that is a good thing — that nuclear energy is inherently dangerous and that the state should focus more on generating wind and solar power ...http://www.forbes.com/sites/kensilverstein/2013/05/09/californias-new-energy-crisis-centers-on-nuclear-energy/

After Chelyabinsk: European experts assess asteroid options

After Chelyabinsk: European experts assess asteroid options
Paris (ESA) May 10, 2013 - In February, a speeding asteroid slammed into our atmosphere and exploded high over Russia's Ural region, injuring hundreds and causing millions of euros of damage. What should we do if we have a similar - or even bigger - strike in the future? Of the more than 600 000 known asteroids in our Solar System, almost 10 000 are classified as near-Earth objects, or NEOs, because their orbits bri ... morehttp://www.spacedaily.com/reports/After_Chelyabinsk_European_experts_assess_asteroid_options_999.html

Latest stumbles for US Nuclear Power Industry

Latest stumbles for US Nuclear Power Industry
Liberty Vindicator
Not only is the U.S. nuclear power industry mothballing plans for planned reactors in North Carolina and Texas, it also is now pulling the plug (or threatening to do so) on existing reactors in California. All of that and the passage of anti-industry ...http://www.thevindicator.com/news/article_22436caa-b8af-11e2-8351-0019bb2963f4.html

Europe's still going nuclear: Platts

Europe's still going nuclear: Platts
MarketWatch (blog)
Europe is likely to be home to more nuclear power plants in the future, even though high costs and public criticism will remain significant roadblocks for the industry, according to a Platts survey released Thursday. Political risk, long construction ...http://blogs.marketwatch.com/energy-ticker/2013/05/09/europes-still-going-nuclear-platts/

Natural gas glut crimps nuclear power

Natural gas glut crimps nuclear power
Christian Science Monitor
A nuclear plant in Wisconsin closed Tuesday, after nearly four decades of power generation. Earlier this year, owners of a plant in Florida opted for retirement over rehabilitation. The fate of the San Onofre nuclear plant in California hangs in the ...http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2013/0508/Natural-gas-glut-crimps-nuclear-power

Global Energy News Roundup: May 9

The Forum on Energy weekly news roundup brings together a mix of global energy stories from around the web. It is published every Thursday morning on Forum on Energy and is available on Twitter via @forumonenergy.

http://forumonenergy.com/2013/05/09/global-energy-news-roundup-may-9/

NRC Blog: When "Nuclear" is the Star of Stage and Screen

When “Nuclear” is the Star of Stage and Screen

1 Comment Posted by Moderator on May 8, 2013

Scott Burnell

Public Affairs Officer

Anything radioactive makes for good drama – or so many television and movie scriptwriters believe. “China Syndrome” in 1979 and “Silkwood” in 1983 are just two movie

examples of movies with nuclear themes – reactors in one and materials in another. But how accurate are Hollywood’s depictions of radioactive substances?
Often they’re off the mark by a lot.
But there are times when writers and producers check with us on whether a script or scene is close enough to reality for Hollywood’s purposes. This year we’ve gotten questions about the sequence of a reactor meltdown and its aftermath. We walked through the scenario in generalities, careful not to reveal security details or other protected information. We feel it’s in our best interest to have whatever accuracy is possible in a Hollywood production.
That being said, entertainment is not a documentary and often facts don’t get in the way of a good tale.
For instance, the 2005 season of the pressure-packed “24” had a “black box” that could remotely operate all U.S. nuclear power plants via the Internet. It made for thrilling TV, but this is what we said about that plot point: There is no such black box or suitcase for controlling nuclear power plants. Control systems at the plants are not accessible via the Internet.
“NCIS: Los Angeles” also aired an episode titled “Empty Quiver,” during which bad guys hijack a Department of Energy Secure Transport. One of our NRC experts saw the show and had first-hand knowledge of these vehicles. This is what he said about it: “The only similarity between what was shown on TV and reality is that in both cases the transport vehicles each had 18 wheels!”
In another example, the 2006 season of “West Wing” featured the government response to a nuclear power plant accident that in many – but not all ways – was fairly accurate. This is what the NRC said at the time: The NRC understands the writers’ literary license in assigning roles and responsibilities to various characters in the show, but the NRC would be the federal coordinating agency in any event involving a nuclear power plant.
So what’s the bottom line? When the plot synopsis reads “nuclear,” feel free to enjoy it, but don’t confuse fiction with fact.

Connecticut electric ratepayers will save $1 a month under nuclear waste settlement agreement

http://www.theday.com/article/20130508/NWS12/130509664/1019&town=

State's $75M Share In Nuclear Waste Settlement Heads To Ratepayers

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-connecticut-yankee-settlement-20130508,0,2849288.story

Atoms for peace: Now what?

http://www.kansascity.com/2013/05/09/4226635/atoms-for-peace-now-what.html

Hanford Nuclear Waste Cleanup Plant May Be Too Dangerous

Hanford Nuclear Waste Cleanup Plant May Be Too Dangerous
Scientific American
The most toxic and voluminous nuclear waste in the U.S.—208 million liters —sits in decaying underground tanks at the Hanford Site (a nuclear reservation) in southeastern Washington State. It accumulated there from the middle of World War II, when ...http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=hanford-nuclear-cleanup-problems

Hanford Nuclear Cleanup May Be Too Dangerous, Future Of Storage Plant ...

Huffington Post - ‎

The most toxic and voluminous nuclear waste in the U.S.—208 million liters —sits in decaying underground tanks at the Hanford Site (a nuclear reservation) in southeastern Washington State. It accumulated there from the middle of World War II, when the ...https://news.google.com/news/story?ncl=http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id%3Dhanford-nuclear-cleanup-problems&hl=en&geo=us

Budget cuts put Hanford deadlines at risk

Bellingham Herald - ‎11 hours ago‎

Budget cuts and other issues have put about 10 legally binding deadlines at Hanford at risk of not being met, Department of Energy officials said Wednesday during a public budget meeting. Those deadlines include work on such key projects as cleaning out ...http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2013/05/08/3001673/budget-cuts-put-hanford-deadlines.html