Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Entergy v. Vermont: Now, it gets serious

Entergy v. Vermont: Now, it gets serious
Commons
On July 18, US District Court Judge J. Garvan Murtha refused to grant a preliminary injunction to Entergy that would permit its Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon to keep operating beyond the scheduled expiration of its original 40-year ...

Japan's Tepco Turns to Chevron to Fill the Nuclear Power Gap

Japan's Tepco Turns to Chevron to Fill the Nuclear Power Gap
BNET (blog)
Japan's energy infrastructure underwent a sweeping change after a 2007 earthquake exposed its overreliance on nuclear power generation. After the 2007 earthquake, Japan turned to liquefied natural gas. That shift, which has made Japan the world's ...

Japan's Power Grid May Make It Impossible To Reach Post-Nuclear Energy Goals

Japan's Power Grid May Make It Impossible To Reach Post-Nuclear Energy Goals
Business Insider
Since the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, the government of Japan has greatly increased their goals for cutting down fossil fuel and nuclear power. Their latest goal is to generate 20% of electricity from renewables by the year 2020. ...

Atomic power to grow despite Fukushima: IAEA head

Atomic power to grow despite Fukushima: IAEA head
Tokyo (AFP) July 26, 2011 - The head of the UN atomic watchdog said Tuesday that nuclear power will keep growing in the world despite the crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi plant, which he visited Monday. Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was speaking after meeting Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan, who has advocated a phase-out of nuclear power in the quake-prone nation. ... more

HK firm invests in China nuclear plant

HK firm invests in China nuclear plant
Hong Kong (UPI) Jul 26, 2011 - Despite the fallout from Japan's March disaster at its Fukushima nuclear power complex, China seems determined to advance its agenda to develop civilian nuclear energy. Hong Kong's China Light and Power Holdings Ltd. announced that its subsidiary, CLP Nuclear Investment Company Ltd., has reached an agreement with the China Guangdong Nuclear Power Company Ltd. to invest in its Yangjiang ... more

Oregon critical of nuclear cleanup plan

Oregon critical of nuclear cleanup plan
Hanford, Wash. (UPI) Jul 26, 2011 - Oregon says plans to clean up the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in neighboring Washington leave too much radioactive waste at the former nuclear weapons site. The state of Oregon and the Hanford Advisory Board say the latest version of a $300 million federal plan to clean up plutonium and other radioactive waste dumped in the center of the facility on the Washington side of the Columbia R ... more

Whistleblowers Say Nuclear Regulatory Commission Watchdog Is Losing Its Bite

Westinghouse Electric Company’s Dr. Mario Carelli Receives 2011 Special Award From American Nuclear Society (ANS)

Japan lower house committee clears nuclear compensation bill

Japan sees potential power shortage next summer

SPECIAL REPORT-Fukushima long ranked Japan's most hazardous nuclear plant

Oak Ridge, county have opportunity to ’lead the way in nuclear power'

TVA considering changes to flood-control barriers

UPDATE: US Nuclear Industry Group Backs 5-Year Timeline For Safety Changes

Impact of High Burnup Uranium Oxide and Mixed Uranium-Plutonium Oxide Water Reactor Fuel on Spent Fuel Management

IAEA Nuclear Energy Series No. NF-T-3.8
http://www-pub.iaea.org/books/IAEABooks/8428/Impact-of-High-Burnup-Uranium-Oxide-and-Mixed-Uranium-Plutonium-Oxide-Water-Reactor-Fuel-on-Spent-Fuel-Management ;
http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/Publications/PDF/Pub1490_web.pdf

NRC Near Term Task Force report on implications of the Fukushima Dai-ichi accident for US plant operations.

http://pbadupws.nrc.gov/docs/ML1118/ML111861807.pdf

"Detailed Reports on Safety Evaluation of Indian Nuclear Power Plants Post Fukushima Accident"

India NPCIL has published interim report on Internet
"Detailed Reports on Safety Evaluation of Indian Nuclear Power Plants Post Fukushima Accident"

Press release http://www.npcil.nic.in/pdf/Press_21jul2011_01.pdf

Document http://www.npcil.nic.in/pdf/Final_Report_Four_TFs_combined_report.pdf

ONR and Environment Agency Publish GDA Issues

Westinghouse AP1000™ Reactor GDA Issues and Resolution Plans

Document suggests government estimated 1,600 workers exposed to radiation

Updates from ANS Nuclear Cafe New, strict rule on plant water intake targets nuclear

Updates from

ANS Nuclear Cafe

New, strict rule on plant water intake targets nuclear

By lscheele on Jul 27, 2011 01:00 am

By Jim Hopf A recent Reuters news article describes how New York State will require a reduction in cooling water intake for power plants and other industrial facilities, to reduce fish kills by 90 percent. The article goes on to … Continue reading →
Read in browser »

IAEA International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles

Nuclear Energy Series Online in New Format

2011-07-27 – A new user-friendly online version makes it easier to search for and download publications issued in the IAEA Nuclear Energy Series. Known as "Clickable Map", the web pages offer easy access to guides and reports on nuclear power, the nuclear fuel cycle, radioactive waste management and decommissioning, as well as basic principles in these areas. A search function allows users to browse the currently 1200 documents available on the site, both NE Series and other supporting publications. Read more...

Announcing the 3rd INPRO Dialogue Forum

2011-07-20 – The 3rd INPRO Dialogue Forum on Nuclear Energy Innovations: Common User Consideration for Small and Medium-sized Nuclear Power Reactors will be held on 10-14 October 2011 at the IAEA in Vienna. The deadline for official nominations is 5 August 2011. Read more...

IAEA Nuclear Power Newsletter - June 2011

2011-07-14 – The latest issue of the Nuclear Power Newsletter (Vol. 8, No. 2, June 2011) covers recent activities of the IAEA's Division of Nuclear Power including INPRO (p. 5-7). Read more...

Advanced Reactor Gets Closer to Reality

Advanced Reactor Gets Closer to Reality
by Kevin Bullis
Terrapower is pushing ahead with a reactor design that uses a nearly inexhaustible fuel source.
Read More »

Wind Turbines: Blight, Beauty or Basic Necessity for Combating Climate Change?

Posted: 26 Jul 2011 09:27 AM PDT

It was reported this month that almost half of wind farms onshore were refused planning in the last year.

The Promise and Perils of Natural Gas

Posted: 26 Jul 2011 10:29 AM PDT

Vast reserves of natural gas unlocked by hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” could lower energy prices and reduce emissions across the United States. In fact, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) says the U.S. now may have enough natural gas resources to power the country for 110 years at 2009 consumption levels. But is the rush to release this new domestic energy source causing environmental and health problems? energyNOW! Chief Correspondent Tyler Suiters explored all sides of Pennsylvania’s shale gas boom, speaking with concerned homeowners, doctors investigating health concerns, industry proponents, and government officials. This special episode hears from people at the center of a debate that could help decide America’s energy future.

RWE abandons world’s biggest wave energy plan - FT

http://blogs.ft.com/energy-source/2011/07/27/energy-headlines-rwe-abandons-world%e2%80%99s-biggest-wave-energy-plan/#ixzz1TJBR86WK

RWE abandons world’s biggest wave energy plan - FT

Sillamäe by Cheryl Rofer Phronesisaical

Cheryl Rofer
Phronesisaical

One of the reasons for my trip to Estonia is to check up on Sillamäe. Sillamäe brought me to Estonia for the first time in 1998.

SPECIAL REPORT-Fukushima long ranked Japan's most hazardous nuclear plant

SPECIAL REPORT-Fukushima long ranked Japan's most hazardous nuclear plant

By Chisa Fujioka and Kevin Krolicki

Tue Jul 26, 2011 5:28pm EDT

* One of 5 worst nuclear plants in world for exposure to radiation

* Tepco prioritised cost-savings over radiation standard

* Tepco says old plants like Fukushima have high radiation

* Foreign workers used to avoid exposing staff to high radiation

* Improvements made at Fukushima before disaster hit

TOKYO, July 26 (Reuters) - Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant ranked as one of the most dangerous in the world for radiation exposure years before it was destroyed by the meltdowns and explosions that followed the March 11 earthquake.

For five years to 2008, the Fukushima plant was rated the most hazardous nuclear facility in Japan for worker exposure to radiation and one of the five worst nuclear plants in the world on that basis. The next rankings, compiled as a three-year average, are due this year.

Reuters uncovered these rankings, privately tracked by Fukushima's operator Tokyo Electric Power, in a review of documents and presentations made at nuclear safety conferences over the past seven years.

In the United States -- Japan's early model in nuclear power -- Fukushima's lagging safety record would have prompted more intensive inspections by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. It would have also invited scrutiny from the U.S. Institute of Nuclear Power Operations, an independent nuclear safety organization established by the U.S. power industry after the Three Mile Island accident in 1979, experts say.

[ full story in a pdf with maps and photos ]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/26/idUSL3E7IE3Z920110726

http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/11/07/JapanNuclearRadiation.pdf

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

137 days since Fukushima meltdown, still zero casualties

137 days since Fukushima meltdown, still zero casualties
By Steve Aplin
In the early afternoon of March 11, just hours after the first reports of a nuclear emergency in Japan in the aftermath of the violent earthquake and tsunami, a reporter called me asking if there was any possibility of a meltdown. ...
Canadian Energy Issues

Indian safety response to Fukushima

from World Nuclear News by Jeremy Gordon

India has outlined its plans to bolster plant defence and preparedness to handle events of the scale of the tsunami that engulfed Fukushima Daiichi.

ATOMIC POWER REVIEW Nuclear Energy in Japan: Genkai pressure vessel embrittlement

ATOMIC POWER REVIEW

Nuclear Energy in Japan: Genkai pressure vessel embrittlement

Top U.S. Nuclear Commander Signals Modest Tack on Updating Forces from GSN Daily News by By Elaine M. Grossman

Top U.S. Nuclear Commander Signals Modest Tack on Updating Forces

from GSN Daily News by By Elaine M. Grossman

CLP Invests in Guangdong Yangjiang Nuclear Power Station - China

Shale Gas Changing the Energy Balance of Power

from OilPrice.com Daily News Update by soosi@oilprice.com (Andy Soos )

Rising U.S. natural gas production from shale formations has already played a critical role in weakening Russia's ability to wield an "energy weapon" over its European customers, and this trend will accelerate in the coming decades, according to a new Baker Institute study, "Shale Gas and U.S. National Security." The study, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, projects that Russia's natural gas market share in Western Europe will decline to as little as 13 percent by 2040, down from 27 percent in 2009.
The Baker Institute study dismisses the notion, recently debated in the U.S. media, that the shale gas
Read more...

Japan’s Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant to Get Anti-Tsunami Seawall

from OilPrice.com Daily News Update by energydigital@oilprice.com (Energy Digital)

In an attempt to protect its assets from a Fukushima-style meltdown, Chubu Electric Power Co. is constructing an 18-meter (60 foot) anti-tsunami seawall around its Hamaoka nuclear plant. The plant is reportedly near a fault line that may be vulnerable to future earthquakes and tsunamis.
The decision to build the wall came following the Japanese government’s forced shutdown of the plant in order to implement disaster mitigation measures.
Representatives from Chubu Electric say the seawall and other safety measures should protect the plant from a tsunami of the same magnitude as that which crippled the Fukushima nuclear plant.
The plant sits on the
Read more...

The Growth of the Natural Gas Industry

from OilPrice.com Daily News Update by summersd@oilprice.com (Dave Summers)

The natural gas industry in the United States has undergone significant changes in the last twenty years. As I noted last time, until 1993 the industry was beset by regulation that controlled both price and flows. With the removal of those regulations the industry was able to make considerable strides to increase market share. As it became able to do so, the problems perceived from the burning of coal in particular as a power plant fuel, led to moves to increase the amount of electricity that is produced using natural gas. By 2009 the installed capacity to generate electricity included
Read more...

Wind Energy is Expensive

from The Energy Collective - The world's best thinkers on energy & climate by willem Post

Wind turbine facilities receive subsidies equivalent to about 50% of the capital cost. Wind facilities on New England ridge lines are expensive to build, $2,500 - $2,800 per kW, and their O&M is about twice that of a wind turbine on the Great Plains, such as in Kansas, which has the additional benefit of much better winds than New England.

Should we be giving up on low-dose radiation research?

from Web Edition | Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists by David J. Brenner

1 person liked this

In the United States, just one government-sponsored funding program focuses on the health effects of low doses of ionizing radiation. That is the Energy Department's Low-Dose Program, which supports biomedical radiation research at academic institutions throughout the United States. In the most recent presidential budget for fiscal 2012, funding for this program is slated to decrease from $25 million to $14 million. Is this reasonable? Do scientists and policymakers already know enough about the health risks of low doses of ionizing radiation to make quality decisions?

Regulatory hurdles hinder biofuels market

Regulatory hurdles hinder biofuels market
Champaign IL (SPX) Jul 26, 2011 - Regulatory hurdles abound for the successful commercialization of emerging liquid biofuels, which hold the promise of enhancing U.S. energy security, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and serving as a driver for rural economic development, according to new U. of I. research. In the study, University of Illinois law professor Jay P. Kesan and Timothy A. Slating, a regulatory associate with ... more

Oilman Flores looks to nuclear, alternative fuels for energy future

Vt. nuclear plant to refuel despite uncertainty

NEI Resources & Stats

Resources & Stats

Videos & Advertising

Videos

NEI regularly posts a variety of videos to its YouTube channel, including tutorials on how nuclear plants work, viewpoints from industry leaders and financial analysts and video advertising. To watch the videos, visit the NEINetwork on YouTube.

Discipline Pays Dividends: 2011 Briefing for the Financial Community

The Nuclear Energy Institute's annual briefing for the financial community was held Feb. 10, 2011, in New York. NEI President and CEO Marvin Fertel's presentation, "Discipline Pays Dividends," described 2010 nuclear industry performance and trends; an assessment of progress toward new nuclear plant construction; and the changes in the politics of nuclear energy in Washington over the last year. Stephen Byrne, South Carolina Electric & Gas Co.'s executive vice president for generation and transmission and chief operating officer, and James H. Miller III, Southern Nuclear Operating Co.'s president and chief executive officer, also gave presentations on the status and progress of their nuclear construction projects.

Marvin Fertel at the World Energy Technologies Summit

Time magazine and the World Technology Network joined together in March to present the World Energy Technologies Summit in New York City. NEI President and CEO Marvin Fertel was one of the speakers during the day of discussions, panels and demonstrations. For a video of his remarks, see here.

Safe and Secure: Protecting Our Nuclear Energy Facilities

A six-minute, streaming video clip presents the security measures in effect at nuclear power plants, including a regimen of armed guards, patrols, detection equipment and physical barriers, as well as the design of the plant itself. In addition, company security directors and plant security officers share their expertise in keeping our nation's nuclear plants secure.

An American Success Story: The Safe Shipment of Used Nuclear Fuel

A nine-minute, streaming audio-video clip presenting the safety precautions and procedures for shipping used nuclear fuel and showing actual container tests at U.S. Department of Energy Sandia National Laboratories.

NEI’s ad campaign continues this week with a new print ad featuring Constellation Energy Nuclear Group’s Catherine Higgins, systems engineer at the Nine Mile Point plant. The ads appear in Roll Call, Politico and the mid-Atlantic regional edition of The Wall Street Journal. A new radio spot will run on WTOP AM/FM in Washington, D.C., featuring Kimberly Cook, an operations manager from Entergy’s Waterford 3. Visit NEI’s website for other ads in this series appearing in print, on radio and on the Web.

David Bradish

NEI

IAEA Chief Surveys Progress at Fukushima Accident Site

Staff Report

Story Resources

Listen to this story

At the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, operated by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano received on 25 July 2011 an extensive briefing and visited key locations at the nuclear accident site.
Eyewitnesses at Fukushima
TEPCO officials and personnel that were directly engaged in the response to the nuclear accident gave Director General Amano eyewitness accounts of the accident. TEPCO experts detailed the company's efforts to implement its "Road Map" to contain and stabilize the situation in the accident's aftermath.
Director General On-site
In the following on-site interview, Director General Amano describes his visit. Also, this video footage was recorded during his on-site survey.
High-level Meetings
While in Japan, he will meet the Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan and other senior-level officials to discuss the outcomes of the June 2011 Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety, including the initiatives to improve global nuclear safety. In his meetings, Director General Amano will emphasize the IAEA's resolve to continue to offer support to Japan in mitigating the consequences of the Fukushima accident.
Improving Nuclear Safety
The discussions with senior Government officials also provide Director General Amano a better understanding of the Japanese Government's policy for improving nuclear safety in Japan, such as introducing "stress tests" for nuclear power plants, as well as the current and planned activities to mitigate contamination in the Fukushima area.
Background
On 11 March 2011, a magnitude 9 earthquake struck the east coast of Japan, followed by a tsunami that overwhelmed the defences at the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station. All six reactors were already off-line or were successfully shutdown immediately following the earthquake. The damage caused by the tremor and flooding cut power at the station. Without electricity, cooling capacity was lost and reactor units 1, 2 and three 3 heated up due to reactor decay heating that lead to severe fuel damage and eventually hydrogen explosions, as well as radioactive releases.
From 24 May until 2 May the IAEA conducted a fact-finding mission to the accident site undertaken by international experts, whose report was delivered to the IAEA Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety from 20 to 24 June 2011.
The Conference called upon Director General Amano to develop an Action Plan for the IAEA Board of Governors and the General Conference to consider in September 2011. The Action Plan builds on the Ministerial Declaration adopted by the Conference and lessons learned to strengthen nuclear safety, emergency preparedness and response and radiation protection of people and the environment, as well as the relevant international legal framework.

Were the Japanese Engineers Who Built Fukushima Incompetent? by NNadir

Were the Japanese Engineers Who Built Fukushima Incompetent?

by NNadir

Vermont Yankee, refueling, and solving the problem of intermittent energy sources

Updates from

ANS Nuclear Cafe

Vermont Yankee, refueling, and solving the problem of intermittent energy sources

By rmichal on Jul 26, 2011 01:00 am

Vermont Yankee stays online By Meredith Angwin On July 25, Entergy announced that it is ordering fuel for the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant and will conduct the refueling in October. The state of Vermont has passed laws that supposedly … Continue reading →

ccess Authorization Regulations Lead to Arrest

Access Authorization Regulations Lead to Arrest

Moderator | July 26, 2011 at 9:40 am | Categories: General | URL: http://wp.me/p1fSSY-od

An illegal immigrant from Mexico was recently arrested after using an invalid Arizona identification card to enter the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station. Power plant security officers reported the suspicious ID to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, which promptly made an arrest.
The man, a contract worker, did not have access to the most secure areas of the plant. He was arrested on felony charges -- criminal trespass on a commercial nuclear generating station.
The incident underscores the NRC’s access authorization regulations, which are designed to make sure only the most trustworthy and reliable individuals gain access to vital safety areas of a nuclear power plant.
As with many industries and facilities, contract companies are used for projects and basic maintenance such as concrete work. In the case of the Palo Verde plant, the individual was doing work just inside an area known as the owner-controlled area (OCA), which houses no vital safety areas, information or systems. The area requires a valid ID issued by a state or government, and a legitimate reason for entering the OCA, such as previously approved work.
The worker had no access to the most secure areas of the plant with what is called the “protected area.” This area is only accessible by badged personnel, who have undergone stringent screening and background checks, or by individuals being escorted by approved plant personnel.
The site can be thought of as a series of rings representing areas with varying degrees of security checks and measures. The reactor, turbine building, and other safety related equipment, for example, are housed in the highly secured and heavily guarded inner-most ring with access controls, intrusion detection and strategically placed observation towers.
It is the responsibility of the nuclear power plants licensed by the NRC to vet individuals and approve their access to the plant -- including those working under contract through other companies. The NRC will be taking a look at the Arizona Public Service Company’s actions related to the arrest of the contract worker to make sure our regulations were followed. The good news is that the system worked to identify someone who didn’t belong and the appropriate law enforcement action was taken.

Lara Uselding

Region IV Public Affairs Officer

NRC’s Fukushima Task Force Report Warrants Examination and Careful Review From Industry Stakeholders

NISA Says Stress Tests to Restart Reactors Will Take Months

Build Baby Build – New Nuclear Plants

from The Energy Collective - The world's best thinkers on energy & climate by RodAdams

The Energy Storage Hand Gets More Interesting

Wind Energy is Expensive

from The Energy Collective - The world's best thinkers on energy & climate by willem Post

World’s Largest Tidal Farm to be Launched in Scotland

from OilPrice.com Daily News Update

Ten underwater turbines will generate 30GW a year from the seafloor in the Sound of Islay, following government approval.
A £40 million tidal array harnessing electricity from one of the UK’s most reliable and strongest tidal streams has been granted approval by the Scottish Government.
The 10MW tidal turbine project in the Sound of Islay, between the islands of Islay and Jura, will be the largest scheme of its kind in the world and will generate approximately 30GW per year, enough to power all the homes on Islay and Jura – and, crucially, their whisky distilleries.
Scotland has been described as the Saudi
Read more...

AREVA is Big in Charlotte

from AREVA North America: Next Energy Blog by AREVA North America Blog

Fox News Op-ed: ‘Nuclear Power Is Extremely Safe’

from AREVA North America: Next Energy Blog by AREVA North America Blog

In a compelling opinion piece on Fox News.com, writer Alex Epstein argues why Fukushima has demonstrated that nuclear power is in fact “extremely safe.” He also explains why there are hidden economic and environmental costs of not using nuclear energy.

Nuclear Energy and Heat, Solar Energy and Japan

from NEI Nuclear Notes by Mark Flanagan

62nd Carnival of Nuclear Energy Bloggers

from Idaho Samizdat: Nuke Notes by djysrv@gmail.com (djysrv)

The heat is on across the U.S. The nation’s 104 nuclear reactors are providing electricity to keep people cool without warming the planet.

Armenia Passes International Nuclear Safety Test

The oh so slightly revised history of nuclear safety from The Nuclear Green Revolution by Charles Barton

The oh so slightly revised history of nuclear safety

from The Nuclear Green Revolution by Charles Barton

IAEA chief visits Japan's stricken nuclear plant

from Earth News, Earth Science, Energy Technology, Environment News

Tokyo (AFP) July 25, 2011

The head of the UN atomic watchdog agency headed for Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant on Monday to survey efforts to contain the world's worst nuclear disaster in 25 years. Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was to wear a radiation protection suit on his visit to study Japan's progress under its "roadmap" to contain the accident.

Fukushima, IFRs and an MIT debate from BraveNewClimate.com by Barry Brook

Fukushima, IFRs and an MIT debate

from BraveNewClimate.com by Barry Brook

Nuclear Energy in Japan: July 25, 2011

from atomic power review by Will Davis

FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI UPDATE

Monday, July 25, 2011

America's shaky relationship with India

A nuclear deal at the heart of America's friendship with India is being pilloried by critics in the world's largest democracy

Updates from ANS Nuclear Cafe

Updates from

ANS Nuclear Cafe

62 Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs

By dyurman on Jul 24, 2011 09:23 am

The heat is on across the U.S. The nation’s 104 nuclear reactors are providing electricity to keep people cool without warming the planet. The 62nd Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs is online now at Idaho Samizdat. This post is the … Continue reading →
Read in browser »

Like 62 Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs on Facebook

Japanese support PM's call to do away with nuclear power-poll

AP Interview: IAEA chief seeks bigger crisis role

State law raises funds for nuclear safety program

Georgia Power's nuclear project could open on time

Santee Cooper finds 3rd partner for new nuclear plant

Bill Gates and Total Invest in Sadoway’s Liquid Metal Battery

Using earth-abundant elements to get beyond lithium-ion batteries

The Need for a Real Domestic Alternative Energy Policy in the USA

Curtiss-Wright to provide ICCMS for Crystal River Unit III nuclear plant

South Korea, India Sign Nuclear Power Cooperation Pact

What's the economic impact of a permanent Vermont Yankee shut-down?

Biting the Bullet, Vermont Yankee Orders Fuel

New York Times (blog) - Matthew L. Wald

Unless a court intervenes, the clock is winding down on the Vermont Yankee nuclear reactor. Its initial license expires next March, and the state of Vermont is blocking a permit that it needs to run beyond then. ...

Kewaunee nuclear plant makes safety upgrade

As nuclear wastes pile up, scrutiny of reactors intensifies

Examining the Safety of Next-generation Nuclear Reactors

Nuclear Power in the US, Market Outlook to 2020, 2011 Update - Capacity, Generation, Regulations, Power Plants, Companies

Waking Up to a Nuclear Nightmare

Erich Pica

President, Friends of the Earth

Waking Up to a Nuclear Nightmare

EDF, Areva Agree on Reactors, Fuel in Bid to Boost Relations

An email from a great blog: Atomic Power Review

atomic power review

Site update for regular readers

Posted: 24 Jul 2011 05:16 PM PDT

Site note: Your author has just finished taking a brief time off, after the release (officially, that is) that TEPCO has completed the first phase of the recovery at Fukushima Daiichi.

During this time, I was able to get a very brief vacation - but have also received and begun cataloguing SIX CASES of historical and technical information for the APRA Technical Library which were received from a former Westinghouse, and later Sylvania-Corning Nuclear employee. This material will be used in the next phase of this blog's operation, which will combine the continued updates on Fukushima Daiichi that our readers have come to expect and further material, such as seen on the blog prior to the Fukushima Daiichi accident as well as new material to give readers some background on the history of nuclear energy in this country.

Factual information on the history of nuclear energy in this country is seriously lacking in print and on the net in any accessible, easy-to-understand manner. We will fill that gap - in line with the original premise for the development of this blog. I also intend for many more educational videos to be created and posted.

I would like to thank all my regular and new readers for their readership and commentary. With this, we'll get back to the usual business... tomorrow, a complete update on NUCLEAR ENERGY IN JAPAN.

8:15 PM Eastern Sunday July 24, 2011
ATOMIC POWER REVIEW

Japan to test-drill for seabed 'burning ice': Nikkei

South Korea, India sign nuclear cooperation pact

South Korea, India sign nuclear cooperation pact
Seoul (AFP) July 25, 2011 - South Korea and India signed an agreement Monday to cooperate in nuclear power, providing a legal basis for the South's future participation in atomic plant projects in India. The agreement was signed after a summit between President Lee Myung-Bak and his Indian counterpart Pratibha Patil, Lee's office said in a statement. South Korea operates 20 nuclear plants that generate some 35 perc ... more

70% in Japan support PM's nuclear-free future: poll

70% in Japan support PM's nuclear-free future: poll
Tokyo (AFP) July 24, 2011 - Seventy percent of the Japanese public supports centre-left Prime Minister Naoto Kan's policy to make the country nuclear free in future but most people still want him to quit, a poll said Sunday. The weekend survey conducted by Kyodo News agency showed 70.3 percent support Kan's policy of ending nuclear power while 66.9 percent think the unpopular prime minister should leave office by the e ... more

Integrating Renewables: Grid Impacts – CALISO

How intermittent renewables impact CalISO

Entergy Moving Forward With Vermont Yankee Refueling:

Entergy Moving Forward With Vermont Yankee Refueling:
http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/ETR/1335015816x0x485369/c5fea82d-daad-4885-9a9e-57027a129428/VY_REFUEL.pdf

The California Energy Commission (CEC) will conduct a wide review of California’s active nuclear power plants, Diablo Canyon and San Onofre

http://www.womensenergymatters.org/nuclear/2011-07-26FlyerCECworkshop.html

"TUES., JULY 26, 2011 - 10 a.m til ?. CALIFORNIA ENERGY COMMISSION 1516 Ninth Street, First Floor, Hearing Room A SACRAMENTO, California

The California Energy Commission (CEC) will conduct a wide review of California’s active nuclear power plants, Diablo Canyon and San Onofre, in light of environmental, safety, and economic implications of the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe in Japan. CA Public Utilities Commissioners (CPUC) will participate. CEC & CPUC will review progress (or lack of it) by PG&E, SoCal Edison and SDG&E, regarding earthquake studies and other actions ordered by the legislature and California energy agencies."

Note from the Editor

Dear Readers
I am on business travel today, but will resume posting later this evening.

Thank you.

Michele Kearney

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Data Points: Solar’s Declining Cost Per Watt

Data Points: Solar’s Declining Cost Per Watt

No.1 reactor temperature falls below 100 degrees

The operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says the temperature at the bottom of the No. 1 reactor is being kept at the lowest level since a new cooling system went into operation late last month.

Tokyo Electric Power Company says the temperature fell below 100 degrees Celsius for 6 consecutive days through Sunday.

Recounting the Windscale Story

The Nuclear Green Revolution

Recounting the Windscale Story

Recounting the Windscale Story The Blog, Histories of Things to Come, includes a post titled Nuclear Leaks 8, Sellafield, aka Windscale. The Nuclear Leaks part of the post title is the give away that the blog is not exactly cheer leading for nuclear power, but there is a good deal ...

Israel: Impediment to a Nuclear-Free Middle East

from Foreign Policy Journal by Kourosh Ziabari

You may have frequently heard of the Western mainstream media’s claims that Iran is pursuing a military nuclear program aimed at developing atomic weapons. Spreading falsehood and untruth about the nature of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program has been a constant, unchanging, and recurring theme of the Western corporate media’s coverage of Iran.

More at: http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2011/07/22/israel-impediment-to-a-nuclear-free-middle-east/

Update on the Cooling Water Intake Structures Proposed Rule

Update on the Cooling Water Intake Structures Proposed Rule

WASHINGTON – In response to requests from stakeholders and to encourage additional public comment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is extending the public comment period by 30 days for the cooling water intake structures proposed rule. This change will not affect EPA’s schedule for issuing a final rule by July 27, 2012.
This proposed rule, based on Section 316 (b) of the Clean Water Act, aims to protect billions of fish and other aquatic organisms drawn each year into cooling water systems at large power plants and factories.

The original 90-day public comment period was originally set to expire on July 19, 2011. EPA will publish a notice of this 30-day extension in the Federal Register.

More information: http://water.epa.gov/lawsregs/lawsguidance/cwa/316b/index.cfm

Utility-Scale Storage: Determining the Best Investment Strategy for Utilities -- A Smart Grid Today Webinar

TCASE 9: Ocean power II – CETO

Posted on 11 April 2010 by Barry Brook

In TCASE (thinking critically about sustainable energy) #5, I analysed a currently deployed technology for harnessing wave energy – the Pelamis device. If you haven’t read TCASE 5 then please do so now, since it explains some of the basic physical properties of wave energy, the extend of the global resource, etc. In writing the following post, I’ll consider this to be assumed knowledge.
CETO, named after a Greek sea goddess, has been developed by Carnegie Wave Energy (an Australian company), and is described in detail on their website. It is based on a submerged, underwater buoy-like device, anchored to the sea floor, which pumps water to shore at high pressure (6,400 kPa). Read more about the technology here.
The list of advantages of CETO on the website are worth citing here, as they provide a useful target for analysis. Main ones are:

60% of the world live within 60km (40 miles) of a coast, removing transmission issues.

Waves are predictable days in advance making it easy to match supply and demand. (Wind is predictable hours in advance at best.)

CETO units are designed to operate in harmony with the waves rather than attempting to resist them. This means there is no need for massive steel and concrete structures to be built.

CETO wave farms will have no impact on popular surfing sites as breaking waves equate to areas of energy loss. CETO wave farms will operate in water deeper than 15 metres in areas where there are no breaking waves.

CETO is the only wave energy technology that produces fresh water directly from seawater by magnifying the pressure variations in ocean waves.

CETO contains no oils, lubricants, or offshore electrical components. CETO is built from components with a known subsea life of over 30 years.

Wave energy can be harnessed for permanent base load power and for fresh water desalination. The ratio of electrical generation to fresh water production can be quickly varied from 100% to 0% allowing for rapid variations in power demand.

CETO uses a great multiplicity of identical units each of which can be mass produced and containerised for shipping to anywhere in the world.

Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

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