I am a subscriber to a Google group of fast reactor experts and advocates who strongly believe that the Clinton Administration’s decision to eliminate funding for the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) project was an enormous political mistake that has had long term impacts on America’s national security and economic vitality. Recently, two members of the […]
New Nuclear
Nuclear fission energy is superior to other energy sources
Guest article by Charles Forsberg. The below originally appeared on April 28, 2011 in a Bulletin of Atomic Scientists roundtable discussion titled “Is nuclear energy different from other energy sources?” Charles’s contribution was titled “Mutually assured energy independence.” It was so good that I contacted Charles and obtained his permission to share his thoughts with […]
NRC lack of planning will increase delays for new reactor licenses
Update: (September 1, 2011) I have changed the title to be more assertive. There is no longer any doubt in my mind that the lack of foresight WILL result in delayed reviews of new license applications though there will be strenuous efforts to foist the blame for poor performance onto the applicants. End Update. Ever […]
Is Rowe right? Will natural gas remain cheap for 10-20 years?
John Rowe, the soon to be retired CEO of Exelon, the largest nuclear plant operator in the United States, said the following during a talk at the American Nuclear Society Utility Working Conference and Vendor Technology Expo in Hollywood, FL. The Colorado School of Mines estimates that the total potential of U.S. gas supply increased […]
Photos of Sanmen 1 pressure vessel arrival
The pressure vessel for Sanmen unit 1, which will most likely be the world’s first Westinghouse AP1000 in operation, arrived on site in late July. I thought you might like to see some photos of the component. One thing that never ceases to impress me is the fact that the pressure vessel fully contains the […]
Build baby build – new nuclear power plants
CBS News aired a short piece titled US heat wave causes new look at nuclear energy that is worth a look. Though it includes the obligatory appearance of a professional antinuclear activist – in this case, Dr. Edwin Lyman of the Union of Concerned Scientists – the story provides some encouraging clips of the massive […]
Battling nuclear means fighting for more climate change and ocean acidification
“In These Times” published an article that was slanted in favor of the groups that have organized themselves to fight against the licensing and construction of Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear power plants throughout the southeast United States. The article, titled After Fukushima, New Fears in U.S. quotes people from NC Warn, the Friends of the Earth, […]
Fighting for nuclear energy
The Atlanta Progressive News published an article titled Georgia PSC Can’t Silence Nuclear Power Debate describing how dedicated antinuclear activists disrupted a recent meeting held by the Georgia Public Service Commission. The scheduled topic of the meeting was a discussion about risk sharing in the case of potential cost overruns for Vogtle units 3 & […]
If cost and schedule is the real hinderance to new nuclear, there are available solutions
More and more articles about nuclear energy are appearing to reach the conclusion that the technology is safe enough, reliable enough, and competitive enough except for the fact that the plants take too and cost too much. Some people in the pronuclear camp have determined that the only way to solve that problem is to […]
Small Modular Reactors Could Be An American Export – But We Need to Move Faster
In the March 23, 2010 issue of the Wall Street Journal, Dr. Steven Chu published an op-ed piece titled America’s New Nuclear Option that describes the Administration’s growing interest in smaller nuclear energy systems that can be produced in factories and delivered nearly complete to sites around the country and around the world. Here is […]
B&W’s mPowerTM Reactor – Who Says America is Behind in the Nuclear Renaissance?
Sometimes, games really do change while few people are watching. That is what happened yesterday when Babcock and Wilcox announced their mPowerTM modular nuclear power plant. The big difference is not the basic technology – after all, the mPower reactor is a pressurized water reactor using the same kind of coolant, the same kind of […]
The Atomic Show #127 – New Nuclear Plant Public Meetings
On February 3, 2009, I attended a public meeting regarding the future construction of North Anna Unit 3. Several of the people who attended that meeting gathered via Skype last night to share notes. I will add some more notes to this post later today, but now it is time to get ready for my […]
