Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire - Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry. Nuclear Activities
Tuesday, January 9, 2024
BRICS+ and the Arab Gulf: The Perks of Membership - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
BRICS+ and the Arab Gulf: The Perks of Membership - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace: As a matter of economic policy, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have much to gain by joining the bloc.
Colorado study recommends nuclear to replace coal plant : Energy & Environment - World Nuclear News
Colorado study recommends nuclear to replace coal plant : Energy & Environment - World Nuclear News: A study of clean energy alternatives led by the Pueblo Innovative Energy Solutions Advisory Committee found that only advanced nuclear could make the community "whole" from the losses it will suffer from the closure of the last unit at the Comanche coal-fired power plant in Pueblo, Colorado, while ensuring a just transition.
Winter storms, extreme weather and polar vortex cold to slam U.S.
Winter storms, extreme weather and polar vortex cold to slam U.S.: Polar vortex, extreme weather events set to slam U.S.
POLITICO Pro | Article | No takers for Biden’s nuclear bailout
POLITICO Pro | Article | No takers for Biden’s nuclear bailout: U.S. nuclear power plants faced headwinds last year as the Biden administration sought to prop some of them up.
EDF Energy plans to extend life of four UK nuclear power plants | Energy industry | The Guardian
EDF Energy plans to extend life of four UK nuclear power plants | Energy industry | The Guardian: French energy company to invest a further £1.3bn in its British nuclear fleet up to 2026
NuScale cuts jobs, 'refocuses on key strategic areas' : Corporate - World Nuclear News
NuScale cuts jobs, 'refocuses on key strategic areas' : Corporate - World Nuclear News: Small modular reactor developer NuScale Power Corporation has announced measures, including the loss of 154 employees, which it says will save USD50-60 million a year and "better position itself commercially, financially, and strategically".
Some Quick Thoughts on SMRs for Data Centers | Neutron Bytes
Some Quick Thoughts on SMRs for Data Centers | Neutron Bytes: Some Quick Thoughts on SMRs for Data Centers In recent months a lot of attention has been given to the concept of using small modular reactors (SMRs) to provide reliable 24 X7 conditioned power to …
Where Now for Nuclear Power? | City Journal
Where Now for Nuclear Power? | City Journal: Despite some major setbacks, the technology remains vital to the nation’s energy future—but the U.S. needs to enact major regulatory and permitting reforms.
War on Gaza: The West will stand in the dock alongside Israel at the genocide court | Middle East Eye
War on Gaza: The West will stand in the dock alongside Israel at the genocide court | Middle East Eye
Israel’s allies aren’t just turning a blind eye to Gaza’s killing fields. They have cheered on the bloodshed, provided diplomatic cover and supplied the arms
Natural Gas, WTI Oil, Brent Oil Forecasts - WTI Oil Dives 4.8% As Saudi Arabia Cuts Prices For February
Natural Gas, WTI Oil, Brent Oil Forecasts - WTI Oil Dives 4.8% As Saudi Arabia Cuts Prices For February: Saudi Arabia reduced prices of its oil for February delivery for all customers.
MIT researchers outline a path for scaling clean hydrogen production | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT researchers outline a path for scaling clean hydrogen production | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology: MIT researchers outline a path for how the Inflation Reduction Act can support clean hydrogen and avoid new emissions.
Fixing the Panama Canal - God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger
Fixing the Panama Canal - God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger: The Global Warming threat to international shipping
Eversource Energy (ES) to Take $1.6 Billion Charge on US Offshore Wind Farms - Bloomberg
Eversource Energy (ES) to Take $1.6 Billion Charge on US Offshore Wind Farms - Bloomberg: Eversource Energy is in advanced talks to unload its share in three offshore wind projects that it planned to build with Orsted A/S, and will take a fourth-quarter charge of as much as $1.6 billion.
Should we send humans to Pluto?
Should we send humans to Pluto?: Universe Today has examined the potential for sending humans to Jupiter's icy moon, Europa, the planet Venus, and Saturn's largest moon, Titan, all despite their respective harsh environments and vast distances. These conversations with planetary science experts determined that humans traveling to these worlds in the foreseeable future could be possible, despite the harsh conditions and travel time, specifically to Titan.
Extreme drought impacts have been underestimated in grasslands and shrublands globally | PNAS
Extreme drought impacts have been underestimated in grasslands and shrublands globally | PNAS: Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of short-term (~1 y) drought
events—the most common duration of drought—globally. Yet the i...
NASA, UAE Partner on Space Station That Will Orbit the Moon - Bloomberg
NASA, UAE Partner on Space Station That Will Orbit the Moon - Bloomberg: NASA is teaming up with the United Arab Emirates to support a lunar project aimed at building the first space station that will orbit the moon.
The East Coast is sinking. - The Verge
The East Coast is sinking. - The Verge: In May, we wrote that New York City is sagging by about 1–2mm per year, per a US Geological Survey study. That’s not all. The so-called subsidence rate of the whole East Coast is as high as 5mm a year, according to a study published in PNAS Nexus and cited by Ars Technica this morning. Even the very levees meant to protect people from worsening storm surges and climate change-induced sea level rise are sinking, say the researchers.
Study: From NYC to D.C. and beyond, cities on the East Coast are sinking | Virginia Tech News | Virginia Tech
Study: From NYC to D.C. and beyond, cities on the East Coast are sinking | Virginia Tech News | Virginia Tech: Population centers are seeing areas of rapid “subsidence” alongside more slowly sinking or relatively stable ground, increasing the risk to roadways, runways, building foundations, rail lines, and pipelines, according to the research.
Critical Infrastructure Is Sinking Along the US East Coast | WIRED
Critical Infrastructure Is Sinking Along the US East Coast | WIRED: Up and down the Atlantic Coast, the land is steadily sinking, or subsiding. That’s destabilizing levees, roads, and airports, just as sea levels are rising.
Satellite images reveal just how much cities on the US East Coast are sinking | Live Science
Satellite images reveal just how much cities on the US East Coast are sinking | Live Science: "Continuous unmitigated subsidence on the U.S. East Coast should cause concern."
Oil drops sharply as Saudi price cuts overshadow Middle East tensions
Oil drops sharply as Saudi price cuts overshadow Middle East tensions: Brent crude falls almost 4% to $75.70 a barrel
Liquid Tin Could Be The Key To Cheap, Plentiful Grid Storage | Hackaday
Liquid Tin Could Be The Key To Cheap, Plentiful Grid Storage | Hackaday: Once expensive and difficult to implement, renewable energy solutions like wind and solar are now often the cheapest options available for generating electricity for the grid. However, there are st…
Monday, January 8, 2024
Paying the price for PUC’s conflicts of interest
Paying the price for PUC’s conflicts of interest: No one has even asked executives to speak under oath about why they didn’t make their system safer long before the many disasters of the last seven years.
Some Quick Thoughts on SMRs for Data Centers | Neutron Bytes
Some Quick Thoughts on SMRs for Data Centers | Neutron Bytes: Some Quick Thoughts on SMRs for Data Centers In recent months a lot of attention has been given to the concept of using small modular reactors (SMRs) to provide reliable 24 X7 conditioned power to …
EIA programme submitted for Olkiluoto 1 and 2 : Corporate - World Nuclear News
EIA programme submitted for Olkiluoto 1 and 2 : Corporate - World Nuclear News: The environmental impact assessment programme for a possible operating licence extension and power uprating of units 1 and 2 at the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant has been submitted by Teollisuuden Voima Oyj to Finland's Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.
UK to launch HALEU production programme : Uranium & Fuel - World Nuclear News
UK to launch HALEU production programme : Uranium & Fuel - World Nuclear News: The UK government has announced it will invest GBP300 million (USD381 million) to launch a high-assay low-enriched uranium programme, making the UK the first country in Europe to launch such a nuclear fuel programme.
France To Build 'Beyond' Planned Six New Nuclear Plants | Barron's
France To Build 'Beyond' Planned Six New Nuclear Plants | Barron's: France is set to build eight new nuclear plants on top of six already announced, the energy minister has said, arguing more reactors are needed to hit carbon reduction targets.
After Comanche closes, group says only a nuclear plant can make Pueblo whole
After Comanche closes, group says only a nuclear plant can make Pueblo whole: A community committee says the only energy technology that can make up for lost jobs, taxes and economic activity is a next-gen nuclear
DOE in 2024: Hydrogen, LNG and climate - E&E News by POLITICO
DOE in 2024: Hydrogen, LNG and climate - E&E News by POLITICO: The new year brings a renewed push from the Biden administration to implement major energy and climate laws.
Washington Heats Up Nuclear Energy Competition With Russia, China - WSJ
Washington Heats Up Nuclear Energy Competition With Russia, China - WSJ: U.S. is putting diplomatic clout behind sales of cutting-edge reactors that have yet to show commercial success.
New Mexico regulators reject utility's effort to recoup some investments in coal and nuclear plants | AP News
New Mexico regulators reject utility's effort to recoup some investments in coal and nuclear plants | AP News: Regulators have rejected an effort by New Mexico's largest electric utility to recoup from customers millions of dollars of investments made in a coal-fired power plant in the northwestern corner of the state.
More Nuclear: Crucial for Clean Energy Future
More Nuclear: Crucial for Clean Energy Future: There's no clean future without nuclear energy, and America has an opportunity to lead the world in this nuclear energy renaissance.
Financial Smoke Signals and the Rise of… | The Breakthrough Institute
Financial Smoke Signals and the Rise of… | The Breakthrough Institute: The Breakthrough Institute is an environmental research center based in Berkeley, California. Our research focuses on identifying and promoting…
Rewinding Earth’s Climate Clock: A Deep Dive Into 66 Million Years of CO2 Data
Rewinding Earth’s Climate Clock: A Deep Dive Into 66 Million Years of CO2 Data: Carbon dioxide has not been as high as today's concentrations in 14 million years thanks to fossil fuel emissions now warming the planet. Today atmospheric carbon dioxide is at its highest level in at least several million years thanks to widespread combustion of fossil fuels by humans over the p
Giant Subsea "Starfish" To Help Push The Cost Of Floating Offshore Wind Down And Downer - CleanTechnica
Giant Subsea "Starfish" To Help Push The Cost Of Floating Offshore Wind Down And Downer - CleanTechnica: The US Department of Energy wants the cost of floating offshore wind power to drop by 70% over the next 10 years...are they dreaming or not?
New Discovery Overcomes Major Hurdle in Hydrogen Energy Economy | OilPrice.com
New Discovery Overcomes Major Hurdle in Hydrogen Energy Economy | OilPrice.com: Researchers have developed a new solid electrolyte capable of transporting hydride ions at room temperature, significantly advancing the practicality and efficiency of hydrogen-based solid-state batteries and fuel cells.
Sunday, January 7, 2024
Rooftop-solar industry blames Newsom, PG&E as Bay Area businesses struggle
Rooftop-solar industry blames Newsom, PG&E as Bay Area businesses struggle: PG&E celebrated a spike in applications for solar but left out what happened later.
Nowhere to Run - TomDispatch.com
Nowhere to Run - TomDispatch.com
Think of Donald Trump as, in his own fashion, a creature of climate change. After all, in 2015, he descended that escalator into the election race denouncing immigrants at the southern border (those "Mexican rapists") and calling for a "big, fat, beautiful wall" to be built along those very lands. As 2024 begins, his people are already preparing for a Trumpian future of vast detention camps (or, if you prefer, "concentration camps") for staggering numbers of immigrants (and god knows who else), many of whom will head for the U.S. because of the devastation that climate change is already delivering elsewhere on Earth. And it's a phenomenon that will only grow so much worse in the decades to come. After all, as the New York Times recently reported, "The number of asylum cases pending in U.S. immigration courts has surpassed one million, up from about 750,000 in 2022, and from barely 110,000 a decade ago. Another one million cases being assessed by asylum officers are also pending, more than double the number two years ago." And increasing numbers of them are climate refugees.
We are, in other words, entering a new world. Just imagine that, according to the experts on the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, over the next three decades, up to 143 million people globally could be turned into climate refugees, "uprooted by rising seas, drought, searing temperatures and other climate catastrophes." And mind you, that isn't by any means the largest number of climate refugees predicted. Try, for instance, the 1.2 billion by 2050 suggested by the Institute for Economics and Peace.
Sadly, should Donald Trump win the presidency again in 2024, he will have done so by campaigning on his own fantastic, mocking version of "climate change," which goes like this: “The world is going to be destroyed because the oceans are going to rise 1/100 of an inch within the next 300 years. It’s going to kill everybody.” Yes, indeed, only 1/100th of an inch! And to ensure that unreality, the man who has sworn from day one of his next presidency that he will "drill, drill, drill" will undoubtedly lend quite a hand to making so many of the rest of us climate refugees on this wounded planet of ours (not to speak of putting Mar-a-Lago underwater). And with that, take a moment with TomDispatch regular Rebecca Gordon to consider just what it means to be a refugee on Planet Earth in these grim years and those to come. Tom
Some Quick Thoughts on SMRs for Data Centers | Neutron Bytes
Some Quick Thoughts on SMRs for Data Centers | Neutron Bytes: Some Quick Thoughts on SMRs for Data Centers In recent months a lot of attention has been given to the concept of using small modular reactors (SMRs) to provide reliable 24 X7 conditioned power to …
Peru’s Chancay Port Puts South American Bioceanic Railway Back on Agenda
Peru’s Chancay Port Puts South American Bioceanic Railway Back on Agenda: The first phase of the modern, deepwater mega-port which China’s Cosco Shipping Ports and Peru’s Volcan Mining are building in Chancay, on Peru’s Pacific coast, is on schedule for completion in November 2024. When fully completed in 2030, the huge multipurpose port, able to handle multiple giant
Saturday, January 6, 2024
Joseph Hendrie, 98, Dies; Key Figure in the Three Mile Island Crisis - The Union Journal
Joseph Hendrie, 98, Dies; Key Figure in the Three Mile Island Crisis - The Union Journal: Joseph M. Hendrie, a prominent physicist and former leader of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission during the infamous Three Mile Island nuclear power disaster —
Helion aims to achieve fusion energy breakthrough by mid-2024, revolutionizing power sector: S&P
Helion aims to achieve fusion energy breakthrough by mid-2024, revolutionizing power sector: S&P: According to S&P Global Commodity Insights (GCI), fusion energy holds the promise of providing an essentially unlimited source of zero-carbon baseload power, derived from the same thermonuclear reaction that powers the sun, without the drawbacks associated with conventional nuclear reactors.
Fusion energy industry anticipates electric power breakthrough by summer | S&P Global Commodity Insights
Fusion energy industry anticipates electric power breakthrough by summer | S&P Global Commodity Insights: Private investment surges to $6 billion to date NRC drafting first fusion plant regulations The new year is expected to bring major progress toward the commercialization of fusion based power plants b
Joseph Hendrie, 98, Dies; Key Figure in the Three Mile Island Crisis - The New York Times
Joseph Hendrie, 98, Dies; Key Figure in the Three Mile Island Crisis - The New York Times: He was chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 1979, when America faced its worst nuclear power mishap in history.
$270 Billion in Trade Rests on Finding a Fix to the Panama Canal - Bloomberg
$270 Billion in Trade Rests on Finding a Fix to the Panama Canal - Bloomberg: A combination of climate change and infrastructure is to blame for critical shipping delays at the canal.
NuScale Lays off 40% of its Staff | Neutron Bytes
NuScale Lays off 40% of its Staff | Neutron Bytes: According to reports in the Huffington Post and the Oregonian newspaper, NuScale laid off 40% of its over 500 employees on Friday January 5th. The Huffington Post cited a recording of a virtual mee…
Nuclear power entering 'boom era' on traditional energy woes
Nuclear power entering 'boom era' on traditional energy woes: On today’s installment of Good Buy or Goodbye, nuclear energy is in focus as rising costs and geopolitical tensions put a strain on traditional energy sources. VettaFi Financial Futurist Dave Nadig joins Yahoo Finance's Julie Hyman to discuss what investors should be considering in the energy sector. Nadig predicts a “boom era” for uranium supplies as tax cuts and subsidies in various countries accommodate a shift to nuclear energy. He takes a closer look at the VanEck Uranium+Nuclear Energy ETF (NLR). “Nuclear is increasingly looking like the solution," Nadig insists, who sees various industries relying on nuclear energy, specifically in the areas that require computing power such as electric vehicles and AI systems. Nadig advises investors to avoid the Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) due to the various challenges that could leave many at a loss. Nadig views the ongoing disputes in the Middle East and South America are “not good for anybody” as the impact on production and costs become increasingly problematic. "It's going to be another year or two at least before demand catches up to the over-supply," Nadig says on slowing growth for the broader energy market and the XLE Cli
Mass Layoffs At Pioneering Nuclear Startup | HuffPost Impact
Mass Layoffs At Pioneering Nuclear Startup | HuffPost Impact: NuScale is the second major U.S. reactor company to cut jobs in recent months.
Natural Gas, WTI Oil, Brent Oil Forecasts - Oil Gains Ground Amid Rising Tensions In The Middle East
Natural Gas, WTI Oil, Brent Oil Forecasts - Oil Gains Ground Amid Rising Tensions In The Middle East: Oil traders focus on geopolitical developments ahead of the weekend.
Norway trials first-ever subsea floating offshore wind tech
Norway trials first-ever subsea floating offshore wind tech: Revolutionizing offshore wind! Subsea Collector slashes costs by 10%, redefining how floating wind farms operate.
Southwestern, Chesapeake Energy close to merger, creating $17 billion U.S. natural gas company
Southwestern, Chesapeake Energy close to merger, creating $17 billion U.S. natural gas company: The acquisition would make Chesapeake’s gas production larger than its biggest rival, EQT Corp., and expand its holdings in two key gas drilling regions: the Marcellus basin in Appalachia and the Haynesville basin in Louisiana and East Texas.
This multinational tech giant will use hydrogen fuel powered warehouse vehicles - H2 News
This multinational tech giant will use hydrogen fuel powered warehouse vehicles - H2 News: The company believes that H2 will provide a sustainable option for keeping its forklifts running. Amazon is developing a strategy for the production of hydroge
Uranium price hits new post-Fukushima high - MINING.COM
Uranium price hits new post-Fukushima high - MINING.COM: Uranium hit $91 per lb. this week, another record since triple-digit prices in 2007.
Friday, January 5, 2024
Biden Administration To Purchase More Oil For SPR | OilPrice.com
Biden Administration To Purchase More Oil For SPR | OilPrice.com: The Department of Energy’s Office of Petroleum Reserves has announced a solicitation for the purchase of up to 3 million barrels of crude oil for the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves
NuScale Lays off 40% of its Staff | Neutron Bytes
NuScale Lays off 40% of its Staff | Neutron Bytes: According to reports in the Huffington Post and the Oregonian newspaper, NuScale laid off 40% of its over 500 employees on Friday January 5th. The Huffington Post cited a recording of a virtual mee…
Gas prices average below $3 in many states | The Hill
Gas prices average below $3 in many states | The Hill: Much of the country is seeing gasoline prices drop below $3 per gallon — good news for consumers and the White House. While the national average was sitting at around $3.09 per gallon Friday, 30 states had prices averaging below $3 per gallon, according to AAA. Prices have been on a downward trend in recent…
The 5 Largest Nuclear Power Plants by Country - ASME
The 5 Largest Nuclear Power Plants by Country - ASME: South Korea, Canada, China, Ukraine, and France build their nuclear power plants bigger than anyone else.
Connection to grid requested for Poland's first plant : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News
Connection to grid requested for Poland's first plant : New Nuclear - World Nuclear News: Polish electricity grid operator Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne has determined the parameters required for connecting the country's first nuclear power plant, planned in Pomerania, to the national grid.
Canadian collaboration to explore isotope production for space exploration : Corporate - World Nuclear News
Canadian collaboration to explore isotope production for space exploration : Corporate - World Nuclear News: The Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council and nuclear innovation company Nuclear Promise X will explore the feasibility of using Canadian nuclear reactors to produce plutonium-238 for use in deep space exploration.
Nuclear icebreakers help Northern Sea Route to record year : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News
Nuclear icebreakers help Northern Sea Route to record year : Nuclear Policies - World Nuclear News: A new record for cargo transported via Russia's Northern Sea Route was set in 2023 with existing nuclear icebreakers providing more than 730 vessel support services. Work continues to progress on two more nuclear-powered icebreakers.
Empowering the Future in the United Arab Emirates | IAEA
Empowering the Future in the United Arab Emirates | IAEA: “Every country in the world wants energy security, wants to create jobs and promote sustainable prosperity, and wants to encourage its young people to build skills and plan for the future.
How PG&E Almost Became the Nation’s Largest Cooperative
How PG&E Almost Became the Nation’s Largest Cooperative: The history of electric cooperatives is one of individuals striving to improve their local communities. Perhaps the most inspiring electric cooperative
DOE formalizes billion-dollar financial aid for Diablo Canyon; payments to start in 2025 - ExchangeMonitor | Page 1
DOE formalizes billion-dollar financial aid for Diablo Canyon; payments to start in 2025 - ExchangeMonitor | Page 1: ExchangeMonitor covers nuclear weapons, waste management, nuclear cleanup, international intelligence as well as carbon capture and storage.
Thursday, January 4, 2024
Public Attitudes toward Clean Energy 2023 - Nuclear
Public Attitudes toward Clean Energy 2023 - Nuclear: The world’s largest publicly-released international study on what people think about nuclear energy.
Extracting uranium from seawater as another source of nuclear fuel - American Chemical Society
Extracting uranium from seawater as another source of nuclear fuel - American Chemical Society: Did you know that the oceans hold more uranium than can be found on land? Seawater could become another source of nuclear fuel, and researchers in ACS Central Science report a way to capture it effectively.
DOE Awards Civil Nuclear Credits to Diablo Canyon
DOE Awards Civil Nuclear Credits to Diablo Canyon: The Department of Energy (DOE) will award credits under its Civil Nuclear Credit (CNC) program to bolster the continued operation of Diablo Canyon Power
DOE docs: Carbon removal proposal bets on rare nuclear reactors - E&E News by POLITICO
DOE docs: Carbon removal proposal bets on rare nuclear reactors - E&E News by POLITICO: Previously unreported plans for a major direct air capture hub raise concerns about using troubled reactors that don’t exist in the United States.
Indian PM dedicates demonstration reprocessing plant : Waste & Recycling - World Nuclear News
Indian PM dedicates demonstration reprocessing plant : Waste & Recycling - World Nuclear News: The Demonstration Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant is a precursor to large-scale plants for the reprocessing of fast reactor fuel.
New wetland proposed near Hinkley Point C : Energy & Environment - World Nuclear News
New wetland proposed near Hinkley Point C : Energy & Environment - World Nuclear News: EDF Energy is proposing the creation of more than 800 acres (324 hectares) of saltmarsh on the River Parrett in Somerset, UK, as an alternative to the proposal for 280 underwater speakers to produce an acoustic fish deterrent at the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant.
BP and Equinor Cancel Big New York Offshore Wind Project - Barron's
BP and Equinor Cancel Big New York Offshore Wind Project - Barron's: BP and Equinor have canceled a major offshore wind contract near New York. The project, known as Empire Wind 2, was expected to be installed 15 to 30 miles off the coast of Long Island and had already received important permits.
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