Oil giants' huge subsidies may fade under reforms
Global Times
Due to the government's control of domestic oil and natural gas prices, China's energy
companies have been suffering losses in the refinery business as they
rely heavily on imported crude oil. PetroChina reported 33.6 billion
yuan of losses in its ...http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/778956.shtml#.UYPAmhk1Y7A
Michele Kearney's Nuclear Wire - Major Energy and Environmental News and Commentary affecting the Nuclear Industry. Nuclear Activities
Friday, May 3, 2013
This Week's Top Stories from Power Engineering 5/3
| Top Stories | |||
| EIA reports extending current energy policies would reduce U.S. CO2 emissions At least two current incentives should be extended to cut emissions. Read More Share:     | ||
| New nuclear reactors at STP hit a regulatory snag Joint venture will appeal NRC's decision on two new reactors. Read More Share: | ||
| FERC approves AEP's transfer of Ohio generating assets The switch will create a new AEP unit. Read More Share: | ||
| Invenergy buys GE wind turbine with battery storage Company will buy a total of 86 turbines for project in Texas. Read More Share: | ||
In Case You Missed It
• IPL plans 650 MW combined-cycle natural gas-fired power plant
• Xcel Energy fills solar power rebate program, wants program capacity increased
• Navajo Nation approves lease for coal-fired Navajo Generating Station
• Platte River sells natural gas-fired heat exchanger repair company
• ConEd teams up with energy storage company on pilot project
• Areva expands center for nuclear fuel assembly equipment testing
• Dynegy sells dual-fired power plant for $19.5mn
• Solar PV project completed and sending power to the grid
• Georgia coal-fired power plant developer restructures
• Illinois to better monitor active and inactive nuclear reactors
• Department of Energy withholding records on Two Elk carbon capture study
• NRC finalizes Three Mile Island flood danger finding
• ISO New England says region has enough power to meet summer peak demand
• Fluor to continue nuclear O&M work for PG&E
• Turkey expected to announce nuclear plant contract winner this week
• Congress to review NRC headquarters lease
• Wind power project in Ontario breaks ground
• Overhaul at Montana hydroelectric power plant completed
• DOE in China to discuss nuclear waste
• Finavera Wind Energy finalizes $28mn sale of wind projects to Pattern Energy
• PSE&G to invest $446 million in solar across the state
• Verizon to invest in solar power, fuel cells
• GE to supply hydroelectric pump control system to India
• Vogt Power to supply HRSGs to TECO's Polk Power Station
• CB&I to help cut emissions at coal-fired units for $300mn
• Areva to help fuel US nuclear fleet
• IPL plans 650 MW combined-cycle natural gas-fired power plant
• Xcel Energy fills solar power rebate program, wants program capacity increased
• Navajo Nation approves lease for coal-fired Navajo Generating Station
• Platte River sells natural gas-fired heat exchanger repair company
• ConEd teams up with energy storage company on pilot project
• Areva expands center for nuclear fuel assembly equipment testing
• Dynegy sells dual-fired power plant for $19.5mn
• Solar PV project completed and sending power to the grid
• Georgia coal-fired power plant developer restructures
• Illinois to better monitor active and inactive nuclear reactors
• Department of Energy withholding records on Two Elk carbon capture study
• NRC finalizes Three Mile Island flood danger finding
• ISO New England says region has enough power to meet summer peak demand
• Fluor to continue nuclear O&M work for PG&E
• Turkey expected to announce nuclear plant contract winner this week
• Congress to review NRC headquarters lease
• Wind power project in Ontario breaks ground
• Overhaul at Montana hydroelectric power plant completed
• DOE in China to discuss nuclear waste
• Finavera Wind Energy finalizes $28mn sale of wind projects to Pattern Energy
• PSE&G to invest $446 million in solar across the state
• Verizon to invest in solar power, fuel cells
• GE to supply hydroelectric pump control system to India
• Vogt Power to supply HRSGs to TECO's Polk Power Station
• CB&I to help cut emissions at coal-fired units for $300mn
• Areva to help fuel US nuclear fleet
Thursday, May 2, 2013
NRC News Update 5/2
| NRC fines Kewaunee; says nuclear plant failed to hold fire drills Milwaukee Journal Sentinel The Kewaunee Power Station failed to conduct fire drills properly and falsified fire drill records, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Thursday in announcing a $70,000 proposed civil penalty against the company that operates the plant. The ... | |||||
| Foreign Ownership Could Halt Licensing Of South Texas Project Nuclear ... Wall Street Journal AUSTIN, Texas, May 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --On Tuesday, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) told judges overseeing the licensing case for two proposed South Texas Project nuclear reactors that the applicant (NINA) is subject to ... | |||||
| NRC Bars STP Units 3 & 4 COL on Foreign Control Claim POWER magazine The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) ruled that a partnership between NRG Energy and Japan's Toshiba Corp. to build two new ABWR reactors at the South Texas Project (STP) outside Bay City, Texas, through the holding company Nuclear Innovation ... | |||||
| NRC: Despite April 2012 power outage, Catawba nuclear plant is safe News Talk 94.3 WRHI Following a loss of offsite power last year at the Catawba Nuclear Station, officials at Duke Energy say a number of changes have now been made to prevent similar events in the future. This week, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and representatives ... | |||||
| NRC Issues Preliminary Notification Report, May 1 Utility Products The associated EDG for Unit 2 started and supplied power to safety related equipment. On April 8, 2013, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission sent an Augmented Inspection Team (AIT) to assess the circumstances surrounding the March 31, 2013 incident. | |||||
| NRC Proposes $70000 Civil Penalty to Kewaunee for Violating Agency ... Electric Light & Power The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has proposed a $70,000 civil penalty against Dominion Energy Kewaunee Inc., after the NRC determined fire drills were not being properly conducted and fire drill records were falsified. The plant is located in Kewaunee ... | |||||
| NRC Says Foreign Ownership Could Preclude Licensing of New South Texas ... Nuclear Street - Nuclear Power Portal (blog) South Texas Project. Source: NRC "On reviewing your application and all other relevant material, including the changes to Part 1 included in Revision 9 to your (combined license) application, the staff made its evaluation relative to foreign ownership ...
|
Why Aren't Environmental Groups Divesting from Fossil Fuels?
Why Aren't Environmental Groups Divesting from Fossil Fuels?
http://www.thenation.com/article/174149/why-arent-environmental-groups-divesting-fossil-fuels?rel=emailNation
UAE, Japan sign up for nuclear cooperation
UAE, Japan sign up for nuclear cooperation
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NP-UAE_Japan_sign_up_for_nuclear_cooperation-0205137.htmlJapan, Saudi Arabia to talk on nuclear technology export
Japan, Saudi Arabia to talk on nuclear technology export
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/2013/05/01/Japan-Saudi-Arabia-to-talk-on-nuclear-technology-export/UPI-52711367404358/
'A very fragile situation': Leaks from Japan's wrecked nuke plant raise fears
'A very fragile situation': Leaks from Japan's wrecked nuke plant raise fears
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/01/17813244-a-very-fragile-situation-leaks-from-japans-wrecked-nuke-plant-raise-fears?liteIrish challenge to UK approval of new nuclear plant in Somerset
Irish challenge to UK approval of new nuclear plant in Somerset
The UK government approved plans to build a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point last month
The
National Trust of Ireland has begun a legal challenge against the UK
government over its decision to approve a new nuclear plant in England.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22381463
Japan Gains Nuclear Deal For Project In Turkey
Japan Gains Nuclear Deal For Project In Turkey
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324266904578458740011348944.html
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324266904578458740011348944.html
Fancy New Lids for Nuclear Waste Casks, As Contents Get Hotter
Fancy New Lids for Nuclear Waste Casks, As Contents Get Hotter
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffmcmahon/2013/05/02/fancy-new-lids-for-nuclear-waste-casks-as-contents-get-hotter/
UAE, Japan sign up for nuclear cooperation
UAE, Japan sign up for nuclear cooperation (http://www.world-nuclear-
A cooperation agreement on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy signed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Japan clears the way for the transfer of nuclear materials, technology and related items between the two countries.
A cooperation agreement on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy signed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Japan clears the way for the transfer of nuclear materials, technology and related items between the two countries.
Decision to Close SONGS Nuclear Reactors Could Come by Late 2013
Decision to Close SONGS Nuclear Reactors Could Come by Late 2013
http://www.powermag.com/POWERnews/5583.html?hq_e=el&hq_m=2664595&hq_l=8&hq_v=30108e0773
Emergency evacuation plans around nuclear plants may rest on faulty assumption
Emergency evacuation plans around nuclear plants may rest on faulty assumption
http://www.fiercehomelandsecurity.com/story/emergency-evacuation-plans-around-nuclear-plants-may-rest-faulty-assumption/2013-05-01?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internalBank financing of coal drops, but still "extreme"
Bank financing of coal drops, but still "extreme"
The Rainforest Action Network (RAN) and Sierra Club have released their fourth annual coal report card, calling bank investments in coal "extreme."
The report evaluates the 10 largest U.S. banks based on their financing of coal, ranking the three largest banks -- Bank of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase -- as the top three financiers of the "worst of the worst" companies, including the operators of coal-fired power plants and mountaintop removal coal mines.
Report findings show an 11 percent decline in the use of coal-fired power generation in the past two years and an approximately $9 billion dollar drop in investments from the three largest banks from 2011 to 2012. However, the report also finds that all ten banks still maintained an estimated $20.8 billion in investments in 2012.
"As the costs of climate disruption for our communities and future generations mount, U.S. banks continue to finance tens of billions of dollars for companies that are mining and burning coal we can no longer afford to burn," said Ben Collins, research and policy campaigner for RAN's Energy and Finance program.
The report also contends that the environmental, social and financial risks involved across the entire lifecycle of coal are likely to grow even more acute over time, calling for American banks to shift financing toward clean energy and plan for a carbon-constrained future. Specific recommendations include phasing out lending to the largest producers of mountaintop removal coal, ensuring that coal financing deals commit banks and companies to emissions reductions, and rejecting proposals for new coal export terminals.http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/bank-financing-coal-drops-still-extreme/2013-05-02?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal
For more:
- see the report
http://assets.fiercemarkets.com/public/sites/energy/reports/extremeinvestments.pdf
| By Barbara Vergetis Lundin |
The Rainforest Action Network (RAN) and Sierra Club have released their fourth annual coal report card, calling bank investments in coal "extreme."
The report evaluates the 10 largest U.S. banks based on their financing of coal, ranking the three largest banks -- Bank of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase -- as the top three financiers of the "worst of the worst" companies, including the operators of coal-fired power plants and mountaintop removal coal mines.
Report findings show an 11 percent decline in the use of coal-fired power generation in the past two years and an approximately $9 billion dollar drop in investments from the three largest banks from 2011 to 2012. However, the report also finds that all ten banks still maintained an estimated $20.8 billion in investments in 2012.
"As the costs of climate disruption for our communities and future generations mount, U.S. banks continue to finance tens of billions of dollars for companies that are mining and burning coal we can no longer afford to burn," said Ben Collins, research and policy campaigner for RAN's Energy and Finance program.
The report also contends that the environmental, social and financial risks involved across the entire lifecycle of coal are likely to grow even more acute over time, calling for American banks to shift financing toward clean energy and plan for a carbon-constrained future. Specific recommendations include phasing out lending to the largest producers of mountaintop removal coal, ensuring that coal financing deals commit banks and companies to emissions reductions, and rejecting proposals for new coal export terminals.http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/bank-financing-coal-drops-still-extreme/2013-05-02?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal
For more:
- see the report
http://assets.fiercemarkets.com/public/sites/energy/reports/extremeinvestments.pdf
Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-level Radioactive Waste
Title: Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel and High-level Radioactive Waste
Source: ENVIRON International Corporation
Author: Chris Whipple, Ph.D
Date: September 10, 2010
http://cybercemetery.unt.edu/archive/brc/20120620234233/http://brc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/disposal_of_spent_nuclear_fuel_and_high_level_radioactive_waste_rev4.pdf
This material was prepared at the request of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future (“the BRC”).
Source: ENVIRON International Corporation
Author: Chris Whipple, Ph.D
Date: September 10, 2010
http://cybercemetery.unt.edu/archive/brc/20120620234233/http://brc.gov/sites/default/files/documents/disposal_of_spent_nuclear_fuel_and_high_level_radioactive_waste_rev4.pdf
This material was prepared at the request of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future (“the BRC”).
Disposal by shooting the wastes into deep space or the sun
Cost and the risk of an accident during launch has kept space disposal from being taken seriously. With the current cost of putting objects in orbit at around $10,000 per pound, and given that the U.S. inventory of spent fuel and high-level waste is of the order of 100,000 metric tons, not including the heavy shielding that would be required, the costs with present technology would be prohibitive, even if the risks of radioactive wastes crashing back to earth could be managed somehow.
But if one wanted to dispose of only the very long-lived waste, e.g., technetium-99, cesium-135, iodine-129, and the long-lived actinides, then the amounts are much more manageable, of the order of a few million kilograms for all current U.S. wastes. [...]
See also: Discovery.com: Nuclear reactors to power Mars colonies -- "Sadly" biggest hurdle for space fission may be bad press
ANS Update: Speaking out of turn at the NRC meeting
Speaking out of turn at the NRC meeting
By pbowersox on May 02, 2013 01:00 amBy Meredith Angwin A few days ago, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission held a public meeting to discuss its yearly assessment of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. The assessment results were excellent (all green). Last year’s meeting and this year’s … Continue reading →
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LDC Gas Forums Northeast 18th Annual Convention
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