I did not understand the enthusiasm with which some of my nuclear energy colleagues greeted the selection and appointment of Ernest Moniz as the new Secretary of Energy. He is a natural gas advocate who professes undue conservatism about the potential value of nuclear energy. Read and compare the MIT reports produced under his direction, [...] The post Moniz hires the president of the Union of Concerned ...read more

There is no doubt that the Russian natural gas supply industry is a major interest group that expects to be a big winner in Germany’s Energiewende (energy transformation). The only news here is the concise clarity with which this Deutsche Bank analyst cheers his nation’s growing dependence on a supplier with a questionable record in [...] The post German analyst prefers Russian gas over ...read more

Power companies in Japan now know the regulations they are required to meet in order to restart nuclear reactors idled as a result of the 2011 Fukushima accident. The first units could potentially come back online before the end of this year. ...read more

19 Jun (NucNet): Higher concentrations of the radioactive isotopes tritium and strontium-90 have been found in the groundwater below units 1 to 4 of the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant, operator Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) has confirmed ...read more

Political turmoil could impact the tender process for the planned construction of two new reactors at the Czech Republic's Temelin plant. The winning bid was due to be decided in September. ...read more

Opening Reviews? Mixed, with a tilt to the positive. Manohla Dargis in the New York Times grabbed a little harder than I did at the drubbing of Dr. Helen Calidicott got in the picture and said it showed the movie’s one-sided view of nuclear energy. This comic divide — the strident old lady environmentalist with the apparent bad dye job (Ms. Caldicott ...read more

Joe Romm, the lead thinker at Climate Progress, has once again exposed the fact that he is not terribly serious about fighting climate change. In fact, he is so casual about the effort that he wants everyone to dismiss nuclear energy out of hand as being too expensive to matter, without even thinking about trying [...] The post Defy Joe Romm’s advice and watch Pandora’s Promise appeared ...read more

19 Jun (NucNet): Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) today approved safety guidelines for nuclear power plants that reflect the lessons learned from the March 2011 Fukushima-Daiichi accident, the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum (JAIF) has confirmed ...read more

Dr. James Conca has published another important post about the aftermath of Fukushima and the efforts of the people opposed to the use of nuclear energy to spread fear, uncertainty and doubt about imaginary health effects of low dose radiation. The article is titled Fukushima 2.25 — The Humanitarian Crisis; it is a “must read” [...] The post Empowering victims of the Fukushima Frenzy ...read more

Ever since last week's announcement of the closure of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station , we've been seeing a spate of stories in the press questioning whether or not nuclear energy has a future as part of the nation's energy mix. Here at NEI, the answer is a resounding yes, and part of the confidence springs from the fact that we've ...read more

A lease agreement has been signed for land on which the pilot heavy metal-cooled SVBR-100 reactor will be built in Dimitrovgrad in Russia's Ulyanovsk region. ...read more

The reactor pressure vessel for unit 3 of Russia's Rostov nuclear power plant is in the process of installation. The component has been put in place ready for circulation pipes to be connected. ...read more

Work has begun on two collaborative research programs to develop new forging and casting techniques for nuclear components, while UK manufacturers are invited to apply for funding to help them compete in the nuclear industry. ...read more

18 Jun (NucNet): With wind and solar power still contributing only three to four percent of total electricity generation in Austria, the country is still a long way from self-sufficiency without nuclear energy, Austrian Nuclear Society president Helmuth ...read more

18 Jun (NucNet): A Russian-led consortium bidding to construct two new nuclear reactor units at the Temelín nuclear plant in the Czech Republic has established a new company which would be responsible for preparing and carrying out the project. ...read more