A Path from Coal to Nuclear is Being Blazed in Wyoming

Many of those who care about finding solutions to the physical distress that our climate is experiencing, as reported on this week in a landmark 1,300 page report by the IPCC‘s Sixth Assessment Working Group 1 (Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis), are not looking at Wyoming. But based upon the announcement made in…

Nucleating our carbon-managed future

Nucleating our carbon-managed future

If you’ve studied chemistry, you’ll know that the nucleation point describes the start of a change in physical state, such as from a solid to a liquid, or liquid to gas. Water starting to crystallize into ice nucleates where the first H2O molecules reorganize as a solid. We’re seeing a similar transformation of human society—forced…

Five Myths about the Lone Star Blackout

By Meredith Angwin When we hear something terrible has happened to someone we know, we are concerned for them. We are worried.  We want to help.  And let’s face it, we are also concerned that something like that might happen to US.   Our self-concern often takes the form of a list: “All the reasons…

Atomic Show #291 – Kalev Kallemets, Fermi Energia

Atomic Show #291 – Kalev Kallemets, Fermi Energia

Fermi Energia is an Estonian company whose mission is to provide its home country with an independent, clean, safe and affordable electricity production system by 2035. That system will be anchored by base supply from small modular nuclear reactors. It is a lofty mission for a small company in a country whose land mass and…

Preliminary lessons available to be learned from Feb 2021 extended cold spell

A large number of “hot takes” are appearing now that the cold wave that began arriving on Feb 11, 2021 has moved into areas where sub-freezing temperatures in Feb are normal. If the politically charged nature of the takes could be harnessed, the energy released would be able to keep quite a few homes supplied…

South Texas Project Unit 1 tripped at 0537 on Feb 15, 2021

South Texas Project Unit 1 tripped at 0537 on Feb 15, 2021

Update: South Texas Project Unit 1 started up during the afternoon of Feb 17. Vicki Rowland, lead for internal communications at STP Nuclear Operating Company, stated that the plant was connected to the grid at 2107 (9:07 pm central time). It began a steady ascent to 100% power. The NRC’s Power Reactor Status Report for…

Atomic Show #290 – Myrto Tripathi, Voices of Nuclear

Atomic Show #290 – Myrto Tripathi, Voices of Nuclear

Nuclear energy professionals are credible sources of information about a powerful technology that can help address climate change and contribute to humanity’s development. Voices of Nuclear is an international non-profit group that seeks to empower nuclear supporters, both professionals in the industry and allies outside of the industry, with tools, organization and effective messages. Myrto…

Change is in the wind: Commencing a new phase as a Venture Capitalist

Change is in the wind: Commencing a new phase as a Venture Capitalist

Atomic energy is a tool that is capable of helping address some of humanity’s most wicked challenges. Clean, abundant, reliable and affordable power makes everything we do a little easier and is becoming increasing urgent in the era of climate change. Unfortunately, atomic energy is a long way from reaching its potential or even achieving…

Atomic Show #289 – All Reactors Large and Small

Pro-nuclear advocates generally agree that there is a large and growing need for new nuclear power plants to meet energy demands with less impact on the planet and its atmosphere. There is frequent, sometimes passionate discussion about the most appropriate reactor sizes, technologies and specific uses. Atomic Show #289 is a lively discussion among some…

Atomic Show #288 – Per Peterson, CNO, Kairos Power

Atomic Show #288 – Per Peterson, CNO, Kairos Power

Kairos Power Is developing a truly new nuclear fission power technology. Their KP-FHR (Kairos Power – Fluoride Salt Cooled, High Temperature Reactor) combines the solid fuel form usually associated with gas-cooled reactors with the fluoride molten salt often associated with fluid-fuel reactors. For Atomic Show #288, my guest was Dr. Per Peterson, Kairos Power’s chief…

Kenneth Pitzer blamed AEC advisors for slow power reactor development

During the Atomic Energy Commission’s (AEC) earliest years, the General Advisory Committee was sometimes viewed as a source of discouraging, delaying advice. Made up of selected members of the scientific establishment, the group habitually sought more studies and inserted costly delays aimed at making the perfect next step instead of taking steps that were good…