Stark Choice – Coal or Nuclear
William Tucker has published a column on The American Enterprise web site titled Global Warming Dilemma – Coal or Nuclear?. It is short, succinct and correct. Check it out.
Tight markets empower suppliers
As diplomats consider possible actions to try to alter Iran’s stated desire to build a complete nuclear fuel cycle for peaceful power production, they would be well advised to take a hard look at the current oil markets. Iran exports approximately 2.5 million barrels of oil per day from its 4 million barrel per day…
President Ahmadinejad of Iran Asserts His Country's Nuclear Rights
This afternoon (September 17, 2005) President Ahmadinejad of Iran spoke emphatically to the United Nations, telling the assembled body that his country had a right to use nuclear energy. He also stated what should be obvious to any careful observer – though his country currently exports oil, it will not last much longer. The New…
Chernobyl Report provides timely lessons about disaster
Last week, while the world was very busy with a current tragedy, the United Nations released a report on a study lasting nearly 20 years about a long-ago tragedy at a place called Chernobyl. The study is rather long and full of technical detail, which makes it unlikely that the report will be read by…
Russia announces floating power plants – again
Mosnews.com has posted an article announcing that Russia’s Federal Nuclear Agency will build a low power floating nuclear plant – the first of its kind in the world. Russia to Build World’s First Floating Nuclear Power Station for $200,000.http://www.mosnews.com/money/2005/09/09/floatingnuclearplant.shtml Aside from the rather obvious error in the title with regard to the cost of the…
Energy Information Agency Katrina status reports
The U. S. Department of Energy’s Energy Information Agency is posting regular updates on the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the nation’s energy products supply and markets.
Uranium should replace natural gas for electricity
As you drive by your local gas station and watch the prices increase this weekend and next week, please keep in mind that gasoline is not the only “gas” whose price has been affected by Katrina. Coming on top of already tight supplies, natural gas is now trading for almost $12.00 per million BTU, six…
Stand by for a rough ride
As we watch Hurricane Katrina come ashore and pray for the safety of the people who were not able to evacuate, there is little doubt that oil and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico is going to be seriously affected by this massive storm. Off shore wells and the pipelines that connect them…
Coal transportation bottleneck
While on the road this week, I ran across an article in USA Today – many of our finest hotels provide a free copy of the paper edition – that illustrates the fact that recent, rather dramatic energy price increases are not limited to the visible changes at the gasoline pump. The article can be…
PBMR critic also confuses peak power with average power
At the end of a letter published in the Cape Times on August 18, 2005, Liz McDaid of Earthlife Africa stated the following: Moreover the installation of 88 000 solar water heaters on residential properties at a cost of R300 million would offset the energy generated by one PBMR (approximately 132 Mw output). I did…
PBMR critic does not understand manufacturing economics
A letter writer in the Cape Times recently attempted to show that the PBMR was a bad investment based on the fact that the project needs to build a number of units before it can reach a cost per unit that will allow it to compete in the very competitive electricity market in South Africa….
Atomic attention in the recent media
There have been serval articles about atomic energy published in the past couple of days. These articles are appearing in prominent places in my local newspapers. Here is a sample: Calvert Residents Content in Nuclear Plant Shadow from the Washington Post on Saturday, August 13, 2005 Power Hungry World Embraces Nuclear Energy from the Washington…