• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Podcast
  • Archives

Atomic Insights

Atomic energy technology, politics, and perceptions from a nuclear energy insider who served as a US nuclear submarine engineer officer

Catching up after a busy week

February 4, 2006 By Rod Adams

There has been a lot of interesting news about atomic energy this past week, a fact that you might have missed if Atomic Insights is a major source of your news. I apologize – sometimes life interferes with blogging.

One of the things that has taken up more time than it should have has been the recording and production of the first Atomic Show podcast, which should be available within a couple of days. I have some great tools at my disposal; the problem was that I neglected to take the time to read the instructions early enough to prevent some time consuming detours. Oh well. . .

,Shane Brown, one of the earliest and most interested readers of Atomic Insights, will be serving as my very competent co-host. The show will be part of the extensive and varied line of offerings on The Podcast Network. I’ll let you know when the site is ready and the first shows are posted.

I have mentioned in the past that I have a Google News Alert set to provide me a summary of any new news articles posted in sources that Google monitors that contain the words “new nuclear reactor”. In the past week, those alerts have contained 8-12 articles each. The service was not available 5 years ago, but I would bet that it would not have produced more than a hit or two each month.

Here are some of the more interesting articles from the past week. Unfortunately, some of the articles are on sites that require registration – mostly free – or are on sites that do not keep their articles available for an extended period of time. As of the time that I am posting this, all of the articles are still available.

  • Nuclear plants best cure for high gas prices – Relying on natural gas power short-circuits Michigan. Posted in the editorial and opinion section of the Detroit News online, this column was written by Mark J. Perry, a professor of economics and finance at the Flint campus of the University of Michigan. Mr. Perry provides a clear analysis of the working of the law of supply and demand in the specific case of increasing use of natural gas for electricity generation. Highly recommended reading.
  • Nuclear industry finds interest renewable – No nuclear plants have been licensed since 1978, but utility companies nationwide are considering building at least 10 new reactors. This article by Robert Manor, posted on 2 February 2006 on the site of the Chicago Tribune, described the building momentum in the interest in building new nuclear power plants. Interestingly, the article includes the following comment that might need some consideration:

    Exelon, whose 17 reactors make it the largest nuclear-power producer in the country, says it is not enthusiastic about building a new plant anytime soon. Chairman John Rowe has said he is not interested in a new plant until the government approves a final disposal plan for spent nuclear fuel, and that is years away.

    It is worth remember the lessons of the law of supply and demand from Mr. Perry. It is quite logical for a company in a slow growing area that already owns 17 nuclear power plants to be reluctant to build more – the increased supply of electricity might cause prices to fall, hurting the profitability of the existing plants.

  • Stronger Future for Nuclear Power – Nuclear reactor builders are jostling for business as energy utilities take another look at nuclear power. This article by Paul Guinnessy, published on 4 February 2006 on Physics Today, provides a pretty decent summary of world wide nuclear developments of interest. In my humble opinion, Mr. Guinnessy is understating some of the development potential and investment interest, but I could be wrong. There have been other recent periods of near euphoria in the nuclear power industry that did not pan out.

Happy reading.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

About Rod Adams

Rod Adams is Managing Partner of Nucleation Capital, a venture fund that invests in advanced nuclear, which provides affordable access to this clean energy sector to pronuclear and impact investors. Rod, a former submarine Engineer Officer and founder of Adams Atomic Engines, Inc., which was one of the earliest advanced nuclear ventures, is an atomic energy expert with small nuclear plant operating and design experience. He has engaged in technical, strategic, political, historic and financial analysis of the nuclear industry, its technology, regulation, and policies for several decades through Atomic Insights, both as its primary blogger and as host of The Atomic Show Podcast. Please click here to subscribe to the Atomic Show RSS feed. To join Rod's pronuclear network and receive his occasional newsletter, click here.

Primary Sidebar

Categories

Join Rod’s pronuclear network

Join Rod's pronuclear network by completing this form. Let us know what your specific interests are.

Recent Comments

  • Michael Scarangella on Oil and gas opposition to consolidate interim spent fuel (CISF) storage facilities in Permian Basin
  • Rod Adams on “The Martian’s” RTG science includes jarring errors
  • Gareth on “The Martian’s” RTG science includes jarring errors
  • Rod Adams on “The Martian’s” RTG science includes jarring errors
  • Gareth on “The Martian’s” RTG science includes jarring errors

Follow Atomic Insights

The Atomic Show

Atomic Insights

Recent Posts

Oil and gas opposition to consolidate interim spent fuel (CISF) storage facilities in Permian Basin

Atomic Energy Wells

Enough with “renewables!”

Can prototype nuclear reactors be licensed in the US under current rules?

Atomic Show #303 – Bret Kugelmass, CEO Last Energy

  • Home
  • About Atomic Insights
  • Atomic Show
  • Contact
  • Links

Search Atomic Insights

Archives

Copyright © 2023 · Atomic Insights

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy