Top Stories 2/4 Power Engineering

Top Stories
	NTE Energy proposes gas-fired plant in Ohio NTE Energy announced plans to build a 500-MW combined cycle power plant in Middletown, Ohio. Read More Share:
	Bay named chairman of FERC President Obama appointed Norman Bay as chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Read More Share:
	Energy department to invest $3M to locate geothermal resources The U.S. Department of Energy will invest $3 million to spur geothermal energy development using play fairway analysis. Read More Share:
	AWEA: more than 12,000-MW of wind power under construction Although wind power installations were considerably lower in 2013 than 2012, there is currently more wind power capacity under construction in the U.S. than ever in history, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Read More Share:

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Industry News
	Cameco looking to sell stake in Bruce Power Cameco (TSX: CCO, NYSE: CCJ) has agreed to sell its 31.6 percent limited partnership interest in Bruce Power L.P. to BPC Generation Infrastructure Trust for an aggregate purchase price of C$450 million ($402 million). Read More Share:
	Nuclear reactor manufacturers sued over Fukushima Daiichi disaster Around 1,400 people filed a lawsuit against Toshiba Corp., General Electric (NYSE: GE) and Hitachi over the 2011 nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. Read More Share:
	Gamesa to close Pennsylvania plant Gamesa, a wind turbine manufacturer, announced it will close its 8-year-old Pennsylvania plant, located in Cambria County . Read More Share:
	Three natural gas-fired power plants in Illinois sold Three natural gas-fired power plants in Illinois were sold to an investment fund. Read More Share:
	Wind energy to boom in Kansas Kansas is expected to see a significant increase in wind energy production during 2014, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). Read More Share:

More Headlines
• ALLETE subsidiary buys three wind farms from AES
• Nuclear power plant unit trips offline
• NRC lifts "red" safety level from Browns Ferry nuclear power plant
• Nuclear steam generator replacement project will soon start
• Power purchase agreement signed for solar PV project
• Cap-and-trade program lowers CO2 emissions cap
• Westinghouse to switch focus from SMR to AP1000 nuclear reactors
• TEPCO decommissions two nuclear reactors at Fukushima Daiichi
• GE, Chevron team on oil & gas flow meter technology
• Salem nuclear power unit restarts after manual shutdown
• Nuclear power unit at North Anna plant trips offline
• Diablo Canyon nuclear Unit 2 automatically shuts down

A Report on Combined Cycle Projects in North America

A Report on Combined Cycle Projects in North America
By Russell Ray

Combined cycle power plants are highly efficient, allowing power producers to ring much more power from the same amount of natural gas. Some of the latest combined cycle projects are featured in this report.
Read Morehttp://www.power-eng.com/articles/2014/02/a-report-on-combined-cycle-projects-in-north-america.html

Chevron, GE Oil & Gas form technology alliance

Chevron, GE Oil & Gas form technology alliance
Chevron GE Technology Alliance builds upon a current collaboration on flow analysis technology for oil and gas wells and will leverage research and development from GE’s newest Global Research Cente
Full Articlehttp://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2014/01/chevron-ge-oil-gas-form-technology-alliance.html

OPEC oil production reaches 29.94 million bpd in January

OPEC oil production reaches 29.94 million bpd in January
OPEC oil production reached an average of 29.94 million barrels per day in January, Reuters reported.
Full Articlehttp://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2014/01/opec-oil-production-reaches-29-94-million-bpd-in-january.html

Carnival of Nuclear Energy 194

Carnival of Nuclear Energy 194 By Will Davis on Feb 03, 2014 11:51 am The 194th Carnival of Nuclear Energy has been posted at Next Big Future.  You can click here to see the latest installment of a long-running tradition among the top English language pro-nuclear bloggers and writers. Each week, a new edition … Continue reading → Read in browser »

More to read: Nuclear Matinee: Inside a Nuclear Reactor Core Atomic Fission Fun with Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago The Value of Energy Diversity (Especially In A Polar Vortex) Carnival of Nuclear Energy 193 Nuclear Matinee: Economic Benefits from Seabrook Station

US NRC Blog Update: Pilgrim Nuclear Plant Heads Toward More NRC Scrutiny

U.S. NRC Blog

Pilgrim Nuclear Plant Heads Toward More NRC Scrutiny by Moderator Neil Sheehan Public Affairs Officer Region I   This likely won’t come as a surprise to those who closely follow the Pilgrim nuclear power plant, but the NRC will be bumping up its level of oversight for the Plymouth, Mass., reactor. At the conclusion of every quarter, U.S. nuclear power plant owners voluntarily provide the agency with data that determines if there will be any changes to the Performance Indicators for each facility. The indicators cover areas such as the number of unplanned shutdowns, emergency siren functionality and the effectiveness of radiological controls. Based on the update of indicator data following the third quarter of 2013, Pilgrim saw its Performance Indicator for Unplanned Scrams (shutdowns) with Complications shift from “green” to “white.” This indicator tracks unplanned scrams that require additional operator actions and that are more risk-significant than uncomplicated shutdowns. This adjustment resulted in the NRC notifying Entergy, the plant’s owner, that additional scrutiny would be applied to the site. More specifically, the facility moved from Licensee Response Column of the NRC’s Action Matrix – connoting normal oversight – to the Regulatory Response Column – signaling additional inspections by the agency. Now, with the finalization of 2013 fourth-quarter data, another indicator for Pilgrim has also gone from “green” to “white.” In this case, the Performance Indicator for Unplanned Scrams per 7,000 Hours of Operation is affected. This indicator makes that transition if a plant experiences more than three unplanned shutdowns during that period of time. This will lead to Pilgrim moving to the Degraded Cornerstone Column of the Action Matrix and result in still more inspections by the NRC. There will also be greater interaction between NRC senior managers and plant management to reach a better understanding of actions taken or planned to address the problems. Two Performance Indicators related to an increased number of unplanned plant shutdowns over the past year crossed the green/white threshold and shows the company needs to focus greater attention on understanding why this trend is occurring. For the NRC’s part, we need to apply more resources to assess Entergy’s efforts to determine the root causes and to implement corrective actions. The NRC will also conduct its own independent evaluation of the root causes. In March, the NRC will issue its Annual Assessment Letters for each plant. That letter for Pilgrim will reflect its current status and list inspections the agency will be carrying out in response to the indicator revisions. The letters will be available on the NRC web site. Moderator | February 4, 2014 at 11:44 am | Tags: NRC, nuclear power plant, PIlgrim | Categories: Operating Reactors | URL: http://wp.me/p1fS

Things Worse Than Nuclear Power renewables' carbon secret

http://www.thingsworsethannuclearpower.com/2013/03/renewables-carbon-secret.html

Power for the People: A Cryptographic and Nuclear Renaissance

 I am grateful to see the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation identify three myths that affect the global poor. I will clarify the first myth–providing additional insights. If our goal is to end global poverty there are two things that we must do, unfortunately both are not included in the Gates Letter. We must increase global energy consumption and we must increase individual liberty. I provide a technical justification for cryptography and nuclear energy as paired solutions to end global poverty. I also show how these are fundamental drivers for human progress.

http://statisticaleconomics.org/2014/01/24/power-for-the-people-a-cryptographic-and-nuclear-renaissance/

Nuclear occupational safety: the war on complacency

http://www.power-technology.com/features/featurenuclear-occupational-safety-the-war-on-complacency-4167875/

Could Texas become home to highly radioactive waste?

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/could-texas-become-home-to-highly-radioactive-wast/ndB5b/

Burning the U.K.’s Plutonium Stockpile Could Fast-Track New Reactors

GE’s nuclear waste-burning PRISM reactors get a new chance at commercialization.

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/524041/burning-the-uks-plutonium-stockpile-could-fast-track-new-reactors/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_source=newsletter-daily-all&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20140204

Stop It Already & Counterpoint

Stop It Already & Counterpoint

Paul Blustein, former Washington Post reporter and ex-Member of the Foreign Correspondence Club of Japan,
accuses some present members  of propagating misinformation -- even of "journalistic malpractice" with their coverage of the Fukushima accident.

http://www.fccj.or.jp/number-1-shimbun/item/278-stop-it-already-counterpoint.html

Utilities rethink hiring practices in face of aging workforce

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/utilities-rethink-hiring-practices-in-face-of-aging-workforce/223236/

Utilities: The 9 things to worry about most

http://www.smartgridnews.com/artman/publish/Business_Lessons_Learned/Utilities-The-9-things-to-worry-about-most-6328.html#.UvEwcbTBOAg

Pumps cause problems at two Dominion nuclear power stations

http://www.timesdispatch.com/business/economy/pumps-cause-problems-at-two-dominion-nuclear-power-stations/article_dc2c7e59-c6f1-52b3-bc61-4cd64b370572.html

Site selection under process for more nuclear power plants in Pakistan

Site selection under process for more nuclear power plants

ISLAMABAD, Feb 3 (APP): KANUPP I and KANUPP II will lay the foundation of more large size nuclear power plants and the process of site selection for future plants is going on. PAEC Director  Ghulam Rasool Athar said this while addressing a workshop arranged by PAEC for the media here, to give them orientation about basics of nuclear technology, nuclear power production in Pakistan, radioactivitiy and its effects. Ghulam Rasool said, “ The Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) will move on to produce 42,000MW electricity by the year 2050.” He said with the passage of time, indigenization was increasing. He said when KANUPP I was commissioned, Pakistan was only the 15th country in the world to commission a nuclear power plant.

“Embargoe was imposed in 1976, but Pakistan kept the plant operational through self-reliance.” Fuel and spare parts were prepared within the country.
http://www.app.com.pk/en_/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=263983

Europe lists concerns over Hinkley deal

http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-Europe-lists-concerns-over-Hinkley-deal-0302144.html

Kalpakkam Reactor to be Ready This Year

http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/Kalpakkam-Reactor-to-be-Ready-This-Year/2014/02/04/article2036874.ece#.UvEh_7TBOAg