On March 1, 2007, the Technology and Culture Forum at MIT and MIT Student Pugwash hosted a three member panel to discuss The Future of Nuclear Energy. The panel members included Andy Kadak: Professor of the Practice of Nuclear Engineering, MIT Allison Macfarlane: Associate Professor of Environment Science and Policy at George Mason University and…
I found the below photo of FP&L’s Turkey Point power station that gives a good representation of the size of the cooling canals compared to the entire installation. The light colored area in the very upper right corner of the photo contains two nuclear reactors and all of their associated secondary equipment, two oil fired…
In a recent post, I mentioned my idea that Jimmy Carter’s anti-nuclear energy policy was a deliberate strategy provided by his handlers and I mentioned my memory of the emphasis placed on his nuclear credentials during the campaign. I did some more digging this morning and came up with some pretty good supporting material for…
Frank Zarb was the pragmatic energy advisor to President Ford during the period between the Arab Oil embargo and the Iranian hostage crisis. It was a period when plenty of people were thinking hard about how to reduce America’s vulnerability to petroleum supply disruptions caused by uncontrollable events in unstable areas of the world. On…
I have a very soft spot in my heart for FP&L – my dad worked for the company for 35 years as an electrical engineer. I have great memories of company picnics, company Christmas parties, and visiting him in his office while I was in high school and college trying to decide what I would…
The Sunday Herald (out of Scotland) published an op-ed piece titled Carbon capture and storage is the way ahead that we refuse to take that claims that the UK government is off track in its recently issued energy white paper titled Meeting the Energy Challenge. According to the commentary, nuclear power will take too long…
Shane and Rod discuss Indian nuclear power, the importance of unit conversions, and Shane’s farewell. Shane and I discuss a delayed reactor project in India, the importance of unit conversions and the reasons why it is not easy to change a system of measurements. We also divert into other interesting topics including the Global Nuclear…
My, how times are changing! According to an article published by MarketWatch on May 21, 2007 titled States maneuver to lure new nuclear power plants a number of US states including Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina and Georgia are offering financial incentives to companies that build new nuclear power plants. The states have the revolutionary notion…
The Scottish National Party (SNP) leader, Alex Salmond, has made it clear that his party does not support the idea of building any new nuclear power stations in Scotland. British Energy has stated that this position, along with some physical and economic considerations, makes it unlikely that there will be any new projects initiated as…
One of the reasons that I have chosen to use the word “atomic” vice the word “nuclear” on my blogs, web sites, and in my company’s name is to evoke memories of an era when people were optimistic about energy from “the atom”. There was a time when nearly everyone agreed that atomic fission was…
I love honest people. Engaging in straightforward discussions and even arguments is one of my favorite pastimes. This morning, I opened up my copy of Chesapeake Energy’s annual report and read the following clear statement of objectives: Some of the great public debates of the next 10 years will focus on how we should meet…
An article titled Activists: Wait for new technology NUCLEAR RECYCLING caught my attention this morning. The gist of the story is that press-only meeting was hosted by the Nuclear Energy Information Service, a well established group with a history of anti-nuclear industry activity. The press was gathered to hear the views of two selected speakers…