Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire - Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry. Nuclear Activities
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Peres tells UN atomic watchdog to be severe with Iran
Jerusalem (AFP) Aug 25, 2010 - Israeli President Shimon Peres on Wednesday told the visiting head of the UN's atomic watchdog that his organization must respond with "severity" to Iran's nuclear ambitions and its threats against the Jewish state. Greeting Yukiya Amano on his first visit to Israel since becoming head of the International Atomic Energy Agency last December, Peres praised changes the new chief had made to th ... more
Q&A: Bill Gates The cofounder of Microsoft talks energy, philanthropy and management style. By Jason Pontin
Image by Getty Images via @daylifeQ&A: Bill Gates
The cofounder of Microsoft talks energy, philanthropy and management style.
By Jason Pontin
Hezbollah urges power-starved Lebanon to build nuclear plant
- http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jIQXVXYZOp252kFC1eiE9P06GVdA
The Lebanese government should look at constructing a nuclear facility "for the peaceful purpose of generating electricity," said Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. Not only would the plant meet Lebanon's energy needs, it may also make possible the sale of power to neighboring countries, he added. Google/Agence France-Presse
NRC has strict safety controls in place for radioactive materials
Image via WikipediaNRC spokesman defends security measures for nuclear materialsDavid McIntyre, a public affairs officer with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, criticized a recent article on an anti-terrorism drill held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, saying it leaves an incorrect impression that hazardous nuclear material stored at the school and other sites are susceptible to terrorist attacks and are only guarded by "voluntary security measures." He writes that such materials are placed under heightened security and that the public's health and safety are always protected. The Boston Globe (8/24) http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/letters/articles/2010/08/25/nrc_has_strict_safety_controls_in_place_for_radioactive_materials/
Hitachi, GE Extend Nuclear Reach
GE Hitachi to open new sales offices around the world
By the end of 2010, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy plans to add five sales offices globally, as more countries in Asia and Europe are looking to nuclear power to reduce carbon emissions. Two offices will open in Europe, and the Middle East, Asia and Latin America will each get an office. The Wall Street Journal
By the end of 2010, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy plans to add five sales offices globally, as more countries in Asia and Europe are looking to nuclear power to reduce carbon emissions. Two offices will open in Europe, and the Middle East, Asia and Latin America will each get an office. The Wall Street Journal
TVA plans shutdown of some coal-fired facilities, focus on nuclear
Image via Wikipediahttp://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/08/24/business-financial-impact-tn-tva-reducing-coal_7873964.htmlThe Tennessee Valley Authority is seeking to close some of its coal-fired plants as it concentrates on boosting nuclear-power generation. It is not immediately clear how the plan might affect workers. TVA produces 60% of its electricity from coal and about 32% from nuclear. Forbes/The Associated Press
Intel CEO: U.S. faces looming tech decline
Intel CEO: U.S. faces looming tech decline
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20014563-38.html?tag=mncol;1nIntel chief executive Paul Otellini offered a depressing set of observations about the economy and the Obama administration Monday evening, coupled with a dark commentary on the future of the technology industry if nothing changes.
Otellini's remarks during dinner at the Technology Policy Institute's Aspen Forum here amounted to a warning to the administration officials and assorted Capitol Hill aides in the audience: Unless government policies are altered, he predicted, "the next big thing will not be invented here. Jobs will not be created here."
Intel CEO Paul Otellini, who warned this week that the U.S. faces a huge tech decline.
(Credit: Intel) Not long ago, Otellini said, "our research centers were without peer. No country was more attractive for start-up capital... We seemed a generation ahead of the rest of the world in information technology. That simply is no longer the case."
The phenomenon of technology executives advancing dismal predictions and offering pointed critiques of Washington politicking isn't new, of course.
For instance: In 2005, midway through the Bush administration, Microsoft's Bill Gates told a Washington audience that curbs on immigration and guest workers would provide a boost to research institutions in China and India. A year earlier, then-Intel CEO Craig Barrett warned that the U.S. must dramatically improve its education system.
The U.S. legal environment has become so hostile to business, Otellini said, that there is likely to be "an inevitable erosion and shift of wealth, much like we're seeing today in Europe--this is the bitter truth."
Not long ago, Otellini said, "our research centers were without peer. No country was more attractive for start-up capital... We seemed a generation ahead of the rest of the world in information technology. That simply is no longer the case."
The phenomenon of technology executives advancing dismal predictions and offering pointed critiques of Washington politicking isn't new, of course.
For instance: In 2005, midway through the Bush administration, Microsoft's Bill Gates told a Washington audience that curbs on immigration and guest workers would provide a boost to research institutions in China and India. A year earlier, then-Intel CEO Craig Barrett warned that the U.S. must dramatically improve its education system.
That never happened. Nor did politicians follow Gates' advice to rethink laws that led to foreign engineers being kicked out of the country as soon as they finish their degrees.
And now, six years later with no significant reforms, it should come as no surprise that the predictions have become more dire.
Deep in a 'Do' loop
Otellini singled out the political state of affairs in Democrat-dominated Washington, saying: "I think this group does not understand what it takes to create jobs. And I think they're flummoxed by their experiment in Keynesian economics not working."
Since an unusually sharp downturn accelerated in late 2008, the Obama administration and its allies in the U.S. Congress have enacted trillions in deficit spending they say will create an economic stimulus -- but have not extended the Bush tax cuts and have pushed to levy extensive new health care and carbon regulations on businesses.
"They're in a 'Do' loop right now trying to figure out what the answer is," Otellini said.
As a result, he said, "every business in America has a list of more variables than I've ever seen in my career." If variables like capital gains taxes and the R&D tax credit are resolved correctly, jobs will stay here, but if politicians make decisions "the wrong way, people will not invest in the United States. They'll invest elsewhere."
Take factories. "I can tell you definitively that it costs $1 billion more per factory for me to build, equip, and operate a semiconductor manufacturing facility in the United States," Otellini said.
The rub: Ninety percent of that additional cost of a $4 billion factory is not labor but the cost to comply with taxes and regulations that other nations don't impose. (Cypress Semiconductor CEO T.J. Rodgers elaborated on this in an interview with CNET, saying the problem is not higher U.S. wages but anti-business laws: "The killer factor in California for a manufacturer to create, say, a thousand blue-collar jobs is a hostile government that doesn't want you there and demonstrates it in thousands of ways.")
"If our tax rate approached that of the rest of the world, corporations would have an incentive to invest here," Otellini said. But instead, it's the second highest in the industrialized world, making the United States a less attractive place to invest--and create jobs--than places in Europe and Asia that are "clamoring" for Intel's business.
The comments from Intel's chief executive echoed statements made a day earlier by Carly Fiorina, the former HP CEO turned Republican Senate candidate.
America's skilled-worker visa system is so badly broken and anti-immigration that "we have to start from scratch," Fiorina said, adding that too many government policies push jobs overseas instead of making U.S. companies competitive against international rivals.
"Our corporate tax rates are the second highest in the world," and Congress has repeatedly failed to make an R&D tax credit permanent, Fiorina told the Aspen audience. It's time to start "acknowledging the reality that com
panies go where they're welcome," she said. (The effective U.S. corporate income tax is 35 percent, far over the industrialized-nation average of 18.2 percent.)
Chris Marangi, associate portfolio manager at Gamco Investors in Rye, N.Y., said Tuesday: "Capital is agnostic. It doesn't have a religion. It doesn't have a philosophy. It goes where it finds the highest returns." The problem, Marangi said, is that many other "countries have a more friendly regulatory regime than we do."
Declan McCullagh is the chief political correspondent for CNET. You can e-mail him or follow him on Twitter as declanm. Declan previously was a reporter for Time and the Washington bureau chief for Wired and wrote the Taking Liberties section and Other People's Money column for CBS News' Web site. 
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
UAE, US ink deal on nuclear safeguards
Image via WikipediaU.S. forges nuclear-safety agreement with U.A.E.The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has agreed to work with the United Arab Emirates' Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation on areas including "safety, security and safeguards" at nuclear sites, according to a report. The deal complies with the framework of the nuclear-cooperation pact between the two countries that was forged last year. Khaleej Times (United Arab Emirates)
A nuclear ‘living laboratory’
TVA to invest up to $400M for laser-enriched fuel
The Tennessee Valley Authority decided last week to allocate up to $400 million for the purchase of nuclear fuel processed through a cost-effective method of enriching uranium called "photoexcitation." The laser-based technology could reduce the cost of processing uranium for 12% of its fuel, the company said. Meanwhile, TVA has agreed to invest up to $8 billion by 2020 to complete projects at its Watts Bar nuclear station in Tennessee and Bellefonte plant in Hollywood, Ala. Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tenn.)
The Tennessee Valley Authority decided last week to allocate up to $400 million for the purchase of nuclear fuel processed through a cost-effective method of enriching uranium called "photoexcitation." The laser-based technology could reduce the cost of processing uranium for 12% of its fuel, the company said. Meanwhile, TVA has agreed to invest up to $8 billion by 2020 to complete projects at its Watts Bar nuclear station in Tennessee and Bellefonte plant in Hollywood, Ala. Chattanooga Times Free Press (Tenn.)
Wind Power Won't Cool Down the Planet Often enough it leads to higher carbon emissions.
- Robert Bryce, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, argues that wind energy will not help reduce carbon dioxide emissions. He lists two reasons why: "First, wind blows only intermittently and variably. Second, wind-generated electricity largely displaces power produced by natural gas-fired generators, rather than that from plants burning more carbon-intensive coal." The Wall Street Journal
Nuclear energy: It's our future ... we must support it - Patriot-News Editorial Board Patriot-News Editorial Board
Nuclear plants, such as Three Mile Island, are our future.Opinion: Nuclear is the key to energy independenceThe U.S. can only become truly energy independent by embracing nuclear energy, this newspaper editorial argues. "Presently, 104 nuclear facilities are operating nationwide, producing 20 percent of our nation's electricity. But, as the Nuclear Energy Institute ... points out, it provides 70 percent of all our carbon-free electricity," the editorial says. The Patriot-News (Harrisburg, Pa.)
YUCCA MOUNTAIN: NRC staff gives Yucca overview a passing grade License application for project continues
Image via WikipediaYucca license application passes initial NRC reviewThe Yucca Mountain nuclear-waste project in Nevada passed a preliminary portion of its application on Monday. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff and consultants review focused on site descriptions, construction dates and summaries of geological and hydrological reports. "The project continues until it is officially ended and no earlier," said Nuclear Energy Institute representative John Keeley. Las Vegas Review-Journal/Stephens Washington News Bureau
The End of Management Corporate bureaucracy is becoming obsolete. Why managers should act like venture capitalists
Will management survive in the 21st century?
Management, and the layers of corporate bureaucracy that come with it, helped drive the growth of huge companies in the 20th century -- but it's looking increasingly outdated in the new millennium, writes Alan Murray. Business leaders need to learn to think less like managers and more like venture capitalists, Murray argues, in order to forge more innovative and responsive ways of running their companies. "Can the 20th-century corporation evolve into this new, 21st-century organization? ... The time has come to find out," he writes. The Wall Street Journa
lhttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704476104575439723695579664.html?mod=dist_smartbrief
Management, and the layers of corporate bureaucracy that come with it, helped drive the growth of huge companies in the 20th century -- but it's looking increasingly outdated in the new millennium, writes Alan Murray. Business leaders need to learn to think less like managers and more like venture capitalists, Murray argues, in order to forge more innovative and responsive ways of running their companies. "Can the 20th-century corporation evolve into this new, 21st-century organization? ... The time has come to find out," he writes. The Wall Street Journa
lhttp://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704476104575439723695579664.html?mod=dist_smartbrief
Babcock to work on Argentine generators
B&W gets deal to build steam generators for Argentine plant
The Canadian unit of Babcock & Wilcox secured a contract to develop four replacement steam generators for the Embalse nuclear plant in Argentina. Under the terms, B&W will design and construct critical parts and supply manufacturing technology toward the completion of the CANDU steam generators. The Record (Kitchener, Ontario)
The Canadian unit of Babcock & Wilcox secured a contract to develop four replacement steam generators for the Embalse nuclear plant in Argentina. Under the terms, B&W will design and construct critical parts and supply manufacturing technology toward the completion of the CANDU steam generators. The Record (Kitchener, Ontario)
Government Rejects Demands of Nuclear Power Utilities, FT Deutschland Says
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-24/government-rejects-demands-of-nuclear-power-utilities-ft-deutschland-says.html
Germany's government refused to give in to requests by power companies on a nuclear-tax plan and prolonging reactors' lives, a newspaper report said, citing unnamed sources. Officials prefer to establish the terms of the proposed extension and long-term safety standards instead of forging an agreement with the companies, which wouldn't be appropriate, the report added. Bloomberg
Germany's government refused to give in to requests by power companies on a nuclear-tax plan and prolonging reactors' lives, a newspaper report said, citing unnamed sources. Officials prefer to establish the terms of the proposed extension and long-term safety standards instead of forging an agreement with the companies, which wouldn't be appropriate, the report added. Bloomberg
Westinghouse works on Chinese contracts
Discussions continue for Westinghouse regarding the scope of its involvement in the next wave of AP1000 build in China.
Major contracts were signed last week covering the engineering procurement and construction of two reactors at Xianning, Hubei province but these omitted to mention the US nuclear technology company that originally developed the AP1000 design.
Technology transfer was part of the deal that Westinghouse signed with China National Nuclear Corporation in February 2007 to supply four AP1000s at two sites. This was expected to result in "long term participation" for Westinghouse in the future Chinese domestic market, stakeholder relations manager Adrian Bull told World Nuclear News. However, Chinese statements on the day of the contracts emphasised its move to the next phase in a program to develop self-sufficiency in nuclear technology.
Bull confirmed to WNN that it "continues to engage in discussion" with State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC) as well as its subsidiaries and various manufacturers that have "sought assistance" in their efforts to deploy AP1000s en-masse.
One item Westinghouse would be expected to supply to new AP1000s would be nuclear fuel. In addition, it expects its scope in future projects to include engineering services, automation as well as certain components and materials. Consultation, training and support could also come as part of new "full contracts" which should be finalized within the next few months at the same time as construction permits, said Bull.
While two AP1000s are being built at Sanmen and two more at Haiyang, preparations are under way for new pairs at Xianning (Hubei province), Pengze (Jiangxi province), and Taohuajiang (Hunan province). Beyond those, over 50 AP1000s are currently on the books with many more likely in the further future.
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/C_Westinghouse_works_on_Chinese_contracts_2408101.html
Major contracts were signed last week covering the engineering procurement and construction of two reactors at Xianning, Hubei province but these omitted to mention the US nuclear technology company that originally developed the AP1000 design.
 |
| China's AP1000s will be the biggest standardised fleet in the world |
Technology transfer was part of the deal that Westinghouse signed with China National Nuclear Corporation in February 2007 to supply four AP1000s at two sites. This was expected to result in "long term participation" for Westinghouse in the future Chinese domestic market, stakeholder relations manager Adrian Bull told World Nuclear News. However, Chinese statements on the day of the contracts emphasised its move to the next phase in a program to develop self-sufficiency in nuclear technology.
Bull confirmed to WNN that it "continues to engage in discussion" with State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC) as well as its subsidiaries and various manufacturers that have "sought assistance" in their efforts to deploy AP1000s en-masse.
One item Westinghouse would be expected to supply to new AP1000s would be nuclear fuel. In addition, it expects its scope in future projects to include engineering services, automation as well as certain components and materials. Consultation, training and support could also come as part of new "full contracts" which should be finalized within the next few months at the same time as construction permits, said Bull.
While two AP1000s are being built at Sanmen and two more at Haiyang, preparations are under way for new pairs at Xianning (Hubei province), Pengze (Jiangxi province), and Taohuajiang (Hunan province). Beyond those, over 50 AP1000s are currently on the books with many more likely in the further future.
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/C_Westinghouse_works_on_Chinese_contracts_2408101.html
Science 13 August 2010: Vol. 329. no. 5993, pp. 762 - 763 DOI: 10.1126/science.1193205 Policy Forum Nuclear Waste: Nuclear Waste: Knowledge Waste?
Eugene A. Rosa,1,2,* Seth P. Tuler,3 Baruch Fischhoff,4 Thomas Webler,3 Sharon M. Friedman,5 Richard E. Sclove,6 Kristin Shrader-Frechette,7 Mary R. English,8 Roger E. Kasperson,9 Robert L. Goble,9 Thomas M. Leschine,10 William Freudenburg,11 Caron Chess,12 Charles Perrow,13 Kai Erikson,13 James F. Short1
Nuclear power is re-emerging as a major part of the energy portfolios of a wide variety of nations. With over 50 reactors being built around the world today and over 100 more planned to come online in the next decade, many observers are proclaiming a "nuclear renaissance" (1). The success of a nuclear revival is dependent upon addressing a well-known set of challenges, for example, plant safety (even in the light of improved reactor designs), costs and liabilities, terrorism at plants and in transport, weapons proliferation, and the successful siting of the plants themselves (2, 3).
1 Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
2 Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
3 Social and Environmental Research Institute, Greenfield, MA 01301, USA.
4 Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
5 Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA.
6 The Loka Institute, Amherst, MA 01002, USA.
7 University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, USA.
8 University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
9 Clark University, Worcester, MA 01610, USA.
10 University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.
11 University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
12 Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
13 Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
Read the Full Text
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/329/5993/762
Comparison of Energy Technologies on Economics, Jobs, Land Footprints and More
Last May, Public Utilities Fortnightly published an independent analysis by Navigant Consulting that provided some great comparisons between various energy technologies. One of the comparisons is the number of jobs created on an equivalent basis.
The article goes on to provide a few other equivalent comparisons such as land footprints and construction lead times. Make sure to check out the rest of the four page piece, it’s quite good.
To analyze the economic and workforce contributions of various energy technologies, the authors began by reviewing the contribution of permanent direct local jobs per megawatt of installed electric capacity for the most common types of generation technologies…
The article goes on to provide a few other equivalent comparisons such as land footprints and construction lead times. Make sure to check out the rest of the four page piece, it’s quite good.
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