June, 2009

The above is a short clip that is part of a longer interview about carbon free power, but it drive home a significant point. Craig Mundie, the head of a $9 billion private high tech research and development organization likes new nuclear approaches. Hat tip to Reuter's Blogs for the pointer to the...

The Wall Street Journal has published several letter responses to Bob Metcalfe's June 24, 2009 opinion piece titled The New Nuclear Revolution: Safe fission power is our future -- if regulators allow it . You can find them under the title of It's Time to Take Another Look at Nuclear Energy ....

Steve Kirsch is a successful Silicon Valley entrepreneur who has decided to dedicate his life to sharing what he has learned through independent research about important topics - including how to produce useful energy in the most economical and environmentally friendly way. I had the opportunity to talk...

I want to welcome Dr. John D. Johnson to the world of pro-nuclear bloggers. He has a nicely designed site at NuclearActive.com . Please go over and say hello. Hat tip to Dan Yurman at Idaho Samizdat , who pointed to NuclearActive with a recent Twitter post from djysrv. I have also added Virginia Energy...

I am still fascinated by the way that the World Wide Web opens up an entirely new way to understand the way the world works and thinks. Of course, my own view is limited by time and by the fact that I only speak English, but it is amazing that I can be rapidly made aware - through the use of scheduled...

Here is another pithy clip from Ted Rockwell's testimony to the Senate Republican Conference on June 22, 2009. He provides some solid engineering reasons why he agrees that modular reactors provide an interesting alternative to large ones. He is specifically addressing the B&M mPower™ in response...

A quick thought to share - I frequently talk about recycling used nuclear fuel, but I want to make sure that everyone who reads Atomic Insights understands that does not mean that I advocate the installation of massive facilities designed to tear apart used fuel rods, break them into constituent components...

During the Senate Republican Conference Hearing on building 100 new nuclear plants over the next 20 years, Senator Robert Bennett asked the witnesses if there were any additional options that should be considered for an American economy that has always been blessed with access to abundant, cheap energy...

On June 22, 2009, the Senate Republican Conference hosted a hearing on their idea of enabling the construction of 100 new nuclear power plants during the next 20 years. (Yes, I claim to be a liberal, but my view of the term includes the ability to liberally accept good ideas no matter which side of some...

A recent acquaintance provided me with a link to a tool he has created for US citizens to provide feedback to their representatives about the American Energy Act (HR 2828). Please try out the tool and let me know what you think. The tool includes a link to the Thomas.gov site where the draft legislation...

There is a fascinating editorial in the Wall Street Journal titled The New Nuclear Revolution: Safe fission power is our future -- if regulators allow it . Here is the attribution at the bottom of the article: Mr. Metcalfe is a venture capitalist with Polaris Venture Partners in Waltham, Mass. He is...

Harvey Wasserman, a perennial anti-nuclear advocate, has once again posted a polemic against new nuclear power developments . In Ohio, an industrial state in the upper midwest where 85% of the electricity is provided by burning coal and where the ranks of the unemployed continue to grow as the manufacturing...

In May, I attended a gathering of the North American Young Generations in Nuclear (NA-YGN) and had the opportunity to spend a good deal of time talking with a group of engineers from Charlotte, NC, which is quickly becoming a bustling hub of activity in fields associated with atomic energy development...

I have decided that it is time to share more information about Adams Engines™. I have a whole bunch of research materials gathering dust on my home library shelves that needs to be exposed to scrutiny and discussion. I have watched what has happened in the computer technology world when people decide...

Kirk Sorensen, a good friend of mine, brought his three daughters and lovely wife to the American Nuclear Society annual meeting. During a session focused on education and public communications, there was a scheduled talk about a program in Texas aimed at encouraging high school aged girls with excellent...

My trip to Atlanta for the ANS meeting has already been proven to be completely worthwhile - at least in my psychic accounting system. Dan Yurman ( Idaho Samizdat ), John Wheeler ( This Week In Nuclear ) and I ( The Atomic Show ) participated in a lively panel discussion - with passionate commentary...

For those who believe that conservatives are always in favor of nuclear energy while liberals are always opposed, here is a story from Canada. Steven Harper's Conservative Government, claiming that it is a "sinkhole" that has only been a drain on public finances has decided that Atomic...

Several associates and energy industry information sources pointed me to the below video clip from The Colbert Report. They thought it provided a good example of a more open electrical power business since it shows an industry chief executive with the courage to visit a popular talk show knowing he might...

At the risk of overloading you with new posts from Atomic Insights - three in one day is a bit much - I have to share one more story that kind of caught me by surprise. Apparently there is going to be a major announcement staged at Piketon, Ohio , the site of a former enrichment facility, on Thursday...

The Wall Street Journal has made a prediction that the $18.5 billion in loan guarantees first authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 will soon be awarded to the following companies - Unistar Nuclear, NRG, Scana and Southern Company. The biggest beneficiary of the decision could very well be Toshiba...

During day 2 of the American Nuclear Society annual meeting, there was a well attended session titled Living the Nuclear Renaissance. It included four speakers with detailed, day to day knowledge of the issues associated with getting a new plant through the very important step of obtaining a US Nuclear...

One of the important action items from yesterday's American Nuclear Society plenary sessions was provided by NRC Commissioner Dale Klein. During his talk, he pointed out the need for an increased focus on education and information sharing. He talked about various ways of getting information to the...

Atomic Show 134 - Five Atomic Geek Lunch has been posted. In related news, a good friend also sent me the below screen shot of iTunes on June 16, 2009. Pretty cool, don't you think? ...read more

One of the mantras often repeated by the anti-nuclear community during the nadir of the nuclear industry was that any company announcing a nuclear project would see its stock price hammered on Wall Street. That argument has actually been quite effective at slowing down corporate interest in investing...

At ANS annual meetings, the President's Reception is the traditional kickoff event with lots of good food, freely flowing beverages and opportunities to meet and greet old friends and make new ones. There are not too many places where a guy can find conversations about supercritical CO2, liquid metal...