Source: WCAX.com (January 26, 2011) IBM warns lawmakers about the loss of Vt. Yankee Vermont is one of the lucky places where a mature nuclear power plant provides a significant portion of the electrical power. Unfortunately, Vermont leaders are acting a bit like a spoiled heir that has no idea how generous his ancestors have…
There is a lengthy and thought provoking article and comment thread at ProPublica titled Climate Benefits of Natural Gas May Be Overstated. It provides more data and support for a theory that I have been sharing for quite some time – much of what you hear and read about the benefits of increasing our dependence…
Before the Arab Oil Embargo in the early 1970s, Westinghouse was engaged in a project called Offshore Power Systems. The idea was that they would build large nuclear power units in a factory and float them to destinations off of the coast near major load centers. The large plants would be placed on artificial steel…
The week of January 24-28 is National Nuclear Science Week. Here is how the organizers of the celebration describe their goal for the week: National Nuclear Science Week is a national, broadly observed week-long celebration to focus local, regional and national interest on all aspects of nuclear science. Each day will provide for learning about…
A bit more than 50 years ago, Hyman G. Rickover published a book with a prescription for America’s educational system titled Education and Freedom. In that book, Rickover shared some of his thoughts about the importance of high standards, enabling students with facts, and the benefits that entire nations gain when people achieve mastery of…
I have had the opportunity this weekend to engage in two rewarding online discussion threads about the future of nuclear energy in Minnesota, a state that currently has a law on the books that is viewed as an effective moratorium on new nuclear power plants. Though Minnesota is a bit too far north for me…
This is a rant to share a communication frustration and to ask for assistance in figuring out a better way to tell what I think is an important thought about energy. Not quite 70 years ago, a small group of really bright people spent a few months stacking graphite bricks and lumps of uranium dioxide…
Jack Gamble posted this video on his Nuclear Fissionary blog on January 19, 2011. At the risk of stealing some of his traffic, I just had to share it with you. Please pass it around!
I love the wind. For many years, one of my very favorite hobbies was sailing on large boats. I was never rich enough to own my own boat. I always depended on the kindness of others to provide the equipment that I needed in order to indulge in my ever fascinating and challenging hobby. By…
What do you think? Would serious, qualified buyers be interested in new nuclear energy capacity if they could be reasonably certain of being able to close a deal at a cost of $1,500 per kilowatt of capacity and a reasonably firm schedule leading to a licensed and completed plant in five years? Would it sweeten…
One of the most precious resources we have is the talent and creativity of human minds. One of the reasons that I am not a fan of an “all of the above” approach to energy is that the time and effort invested in less fruitful ways of overcoming our current fossil fuel addiction cannot be…
It might surprise many people who are not actively involved in discussions about our energy future, but there is a persistent myth that comes up with depressing regularity regarding the carbon dioxide emissions associated with various energy sources. The myth is that nuclear power plants – which produce electricity by converting uranium fission heat into…