European Parliament Backs Binding Targets for Climate, Energy, Shuns Commission’s Proposal

http://www.powermag.com/european-parliament-backs-binding-targets-for-climate-energy-shuns-commissions-proposal-2/?hq_e=el&hq_m=2827076&hq_l=4&hq_v=30108e0773

EPA Mulls Revising Nuclear Plant Radiation Standards

http://www.powermag.com/epa-mulls-revising-nuclear-plant-radiation-standards/?hq_e=el&hq_m=2827076&hq_l=2&hq_v=30108e0773

NRC Commissioners Grilled on Nuclear Rules, Security, and Efficiency

http://www.powermag.com/nrc-commissioners-grilled-on-nuclear-rules-security-and-efficiency/?hq_e=el&hq_m=2827076&hq_l=3&hq_v=30108e0773

US NRC Blog Update: An Inspector's Perspective On the Control Rod Drive Mechanism Housingh Flaws at Palisades

U.S. NRC Blog

An Inspector’s Perspective On the Control Rod Drive Mechanism Housing Flaws At Palisades by Moderator Elba Sanchez Santiago Materials Engineering Inspector NRC Region III   Elba Sanchez Santiago is a Materials Engineering Inspector in the NRC's Region III. There has been a lot of interest lately in the flaws that were recently found in the control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) housings at the Palisades nuclear plant, near South Haven, Mich. I want to share my direct experience with the NRC’s thorough and independent evaluation of this issue. First, some background. The control rod drive mechanism moves control rods inside the reactor to control the level of nuclear chain reaction. The housing is a metal tube around the control rod drive mechanism, which is connected to the control rod and prevents leakage of reactor water into containment. According to a commitment made in 2012, the plant conducted inspections of 45 CRDM housings in this reactor and found flaws in 17 of them. Palisades committed to these inspections after the discovery of a crack in one of the housings resulted in a plant shutdown in 2012. Because of my expertise as a materials engineering inspector, I was dispatched to Palisades after it shut down in 2012. I was to evaluate the plant’s response to the discovery of the through-wall crack. As a member of a special inspection team that further evaluated this issue, I reviewed the plant’s testing of eight additional CRDM housings and their corrective actions. Even though no other cracks were found, the plant committed to further evaluate the condition of the housings during the 2014 refueling outage. I came to Palisades before the current outage started to evaluate the site’s inspection methodology, work procedures, tooling and personnel qualifications. When the examinations started, I observed some of the actual testing and evaluated the results. To date, there is no evidence of leakage resulting from the flaws. I will remain onsite providing oversight over the plant’s actions until the issue is resolved. Since the issue first came to light in 2012, I have been working with a team of other inspectors and specialists in Region III and the headquarters office in Rockville, Md., to make sure we ask the necessary questions to understand the plant’s methodology and assessments, and independently verify the conclusions. Our in-depth independent reviews will continue until the plant completes the necessary repairs and takes proper actions to make sure the CRDM housing flaws do not lead to a significant safety concern. The results of our inspections will be documented in a publicly available inspection report. Moderator | February 6, 2014 at 4:16 pm | Tags: NRC, nuclear power plant, Palisades | Categories: Operating Reactors | URL: http://wp.me/p1fSSY-1jh

Support Fedferal Loan Guaranty Petition for Vogtle

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/support-federal-loan-guarantee-for-zero-carbon

​http://energyrealityproject.com

http://www.facebook.com/groups/energyreality​

Cuts in Nuclear Energy Mean Higher Electricity Costs, More Carbon Emissions

http://www.nei.org/News-Media/News/News-Archives/Cuts-in-Nuclear-Energy-Mean-Higher-Electricity-Cos

Message Bottled in an Email

Amid the dunes of a tiny island in the North Atlantic, a scientist found a sandblasted bottle with a note in it.
Message Bottled in an Email
A long-lost legacy of ocean research resurfaces
http://www.whoi.edu/oceanus/feature/bumpus

The true cost of disaster insurance makes nuclear power uncompetitive

The European Commission is assessing how it should augment its nuclear disaster insurance. Ingmar Schumacher calls for full transparency of insurance costs in the cost-benefit evaluation of the nuclear industry.

http://www.theecologist.org/blogs_and_comments/commentators/2265605/the_true_cost_of_disaster_insurance_makes_nuclear_power_uncompetitive.html

India needs nuclear power till renewables fill gap: Abdullah

http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/india-needs-nuclear-power-till-renewables-fill-gap-abdullah_909462.html

The storm before the calm

The storm before the calm
Paris (ESA) Feb 06, 2014 - In just a week the crew of Concordia research station will be left to survive on one of the remotest places on Earth for nine months. Together, the crew of 13 must operate the base, live and run scientific experiments on their own in the heart of Antarctica on a high plateau under extreme environmental conditions. In the run-up to their isolation, things are hectic on the base as it operat ... morehttp://www.terradaily.com/reports/The_storm_before_the_calm_999.html

Duke Energy under fire for coal ash spill

http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/duke-energy-under-fire-coal-ash-spill/2014-02-06?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

For more:
- see this report
http://assets.fiercemarkets.com/public/sites/energy/reports/danriverreport.pdf

Related Articles:
Despite decision, coal ash regs still up in the air
Coal ash controversy
Mandatory groundwater monitoring demanded for Ameren coal plants
Coal Residuals Reuse Act gets mixed reviews

US to build regional hubs to fight climate change

US to build regional hubs to fight climate change
Washington (AFP) Feb 05, 2014 - The United States government announced a new system of regional hubs to tackle the effects of climate change on Wednesday as the country's southwest battle a historic drought. The hubs "will address increasing risks such as fires, invasive pests, devastating floods, and crippling droughts on a regional basis," said a statement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The idea is "to trans ... morehttp://www.terradaily.com/reports/US_to_build_regional_hubs_to_fight_climate_change_999.html

US to advise Iraq on securing oil infrastructure

US to advise Iraq on securing oil infrastructure
Baghdad (AFP) Feb 05, 2014 - The United States is to provide Iraq with technical support to help it secure its oil export infrastructure, which accounts for the lion's share of government revenues,officials said Wednesday. The cooperation comes with Baghdad looking to dramatically ramp up crude sales to fund much-needed reconstruction of its conflict-battered economy, but facing repeated attacks on its pipeline infrastr ... morehttp://www.energy-daily.com/reports/US_to_advise_Iraq_on_securing_oil_infrastructure_999.html

Approach helps identify new biofuel sources that don't require farmland

Approach helps identify new biofuel sources that don't require farmland
Washington DC (SPX) Feb 06, 2014 - While the debate over using crops for fuel continues, scientists are now reporting a new, fast approach to develop biofuel in a way that doesn't require removing valuable farmland from the food production chain. Their work examining the fuel-producing potential of Streptomyces, a soil bacterium known for making antibiotics, appears in ACS' The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters. The met ... morehttp://www.biofueldaily.com/reports/Approach_helps_identify_new_biofuel_sources_that_dont_require_farmland_999.html

ANS Update 2/6 South Korea Nuclear Power: Are the Dark Times Over?

South Korea Nuclear Power: Are the Dark Times Over? By Will Davis on Feb 06, 2014 10:57 am By Will Davis Over the past four years, the South Korean nuclear power program has suffered a set of very public setbacks which cast doubt on the entire program’s integrity, to the point where even the attention of the South … Continue reading → Read in browser »

More to read: Carnival of Nuclear Energy 194 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

The price of electric power has also spiked today in the northeast/mid Atlantic regions.

I just noticed that the Henry Hub price for Natural Gas has spiked up to $7.45/MMBtu today. I just thought I would keep everyone informed that might not check that piece of information too regularly. That price is basically double what the average price was over all of 2013.

http://www.wtrg.com/daily/oilandgasspot.html

NRC wants more info on Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant safety upgrades

http://www.power-eng.com/articles/2014/02/nrc-wants-more-info-on-vermont-yankee-nuclear-power-plant-safety-upgrades.html

GTM: Distributed energy storage to add 720 MW by 2020

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/gtm-distributed-energy-storage-to-add-720-mw-by-2020/224440/

New electric capacity for 2013: Winners, losers and surprises

http://www.utilitydive.com/news/new-electric-capacity-for-2013-winners-losers-and-surprises/223997/

Upgrade your registration at ELECTRIC POWER...gain more access

ELECTRIC POWER Conference + Exhibition APRIL 1 - 3, 2014 | NEW ORLEANS | ERNEST N. MORIAL CONVENTION CENTER

Upgrade Your Registration To Access Exclusive Conference Content At ELECTRIC POWER

We look forward to seeing you in April in New Orleans, LA for the ELECTRIC POWER 2014 Exhibition! With your visitor pass, you will have access to the Keynote Session, Environmental Mega Session, Executive Roundtable, EP Theater, and hundreds of industry suppliers showcasing their newest technologies and solutions to help you run a cleaner, more fuel-efficient plant. Did you know? You can upgrade to a full conference registration and have the opportunity to attend conference sessions led by top executives, plant managers and engineers from the largest power generation companies around the world? The ELECTRIC POWER conference sessions are created by generating companies, for generating companies and address current issues, discuss trends affecting the industry, and provide an opportunity for candid conversations on the current temperature and future of power generation. ELECTRIC POWER’s comprehensive professional conference covers the full spectrum: Track 1 – The Future of coal generation Track 2 – Gas Turbine, Reciprocating Engine, Combined Cycle Power Plants Track 3 – Nuclear Track 4 – Renewable Energy Track 5 – Plant Operations and Maintenance Track 6 – Emergency Response Track 7 – Environmental Strategy and Compliance Technologies I Track 8 – Environmental Strategy and Compliance Technologies II Track 9 – Trends and Strategies Track 10 – Combined Heat & Power/Cogeneration Upgrade today and secure your conference seat! NEW solutions. NEW ideas. NEW connections. NEW ORLEANS.