August, 2011

Cassandra type warnings miss the issue of safety significance In a breathless press release issued early this morning (08/29/11), Rep. Ed Markey , D- Mass., claims that U.S. nuclear reactors impacted by hurricane Irene had a far rougher time that reported in the news media.  What’s important is...

The nuclear renaissance began in the 1990s when reactors began to achieve better than 90-percent up time. The next step is to build new plants on time and within budget. – Nuclear Energy Institute The 67th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs is online now at Next Big Future . This post is the collective...

This is a mirror of the original report posted at ANS Nuclear Cafe    It relies on information from NEI and the NRC.  Set your web browser to access the ANS Nuclear Cafe throughout the weekend for updates. 1700 HRS Aug. 26, 2011 —Nuclear energy facilities are prepared to safely withstand...

It's still a long way from a COL and breaking ground for a 3,000 MW site The Blue Castle nuclear reactor project in Utah announced this week it is on schedule to submit an early site permit to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in 2013. Tom Reston, COO , said in a press statement the firm...

Guest blog post by Bruce Winchell, Attorney-at-law Editor's note: The development of new nuclear energy technologies, especially for small modular reactors, could be impacted by this change. H.R. 1249, as passed by the House, is entitled America Invents Act, and S. 23, as passed by the Senate...

Source: XKCD # # # Idaho Samizdat ~ http://djysrv.blogspot.com ...read more

Nuclear energy, like many other highly technical science and engineering fields, was led in  the post World War II era by men. In the decades that followed, many women entered the field. An indication of how much that presence has grown is that the Women in Nuclear (WIN) organization now lists 4...

The plant ran on emergency diesel generating power overnight RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Virginia Power's North Anna Power Station has restored off-site power , eliminating the need to rely on its back-up generators. The station remains in an Alert, the second lowest...

Safe shutdown achieved at Dominion’s North Anna site following 5.8 magnitude earthquake Note to readers:  Updates will be posted at ANS Nuclear Cafe   Or follow @ans_org on Twitter A 5.8 magnitude earthquake ( USGS data ) shook much of the east coast at 1:51 PM eastern time today. Dominion...

Box Scores Southern, Vogtle, and Westinghouse advance in standings Rowe 1, Nukes 0 TVA 1, Zombies 0 There was good news and bad this week in the field of nuclear energy, at least in the U.S. The good news is that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission pushed out the final safety evaluation reports not...

The utility's board of directors will spend $4-5 billion completing the 1,260 MW reactor In a unanimous vote August 18, the board of directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority  (TVA) voted to finish construction of the Bellefonte nuclear reactor located in northeast Alabama. The vote followed...

Curbing domestic oil use is a key driver The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) plans to build 16 nuclear reactors over the next 20 years spending an estimated $7 billion on each plant. The $112 billion investment, which includes capacity to become a regional exporter of electricity, will provide one-fifth...

It’s investors show unusual patience while the firm plugs for a Department of Energy $2 billion loan guarantee USEC ( NYSE:USU ) announced Aug 15 that it has entered into an amendment to its standstill agreement with Toshiba America Nuclear Energy Corporation (Toshiba), and Babcock & Wilcox Investment...

Highlights from wire services Japan Confirms Plans For New Nuclear Regulator  15 Aug ( NucNet ): The Japanese government has announced plans to create a new nuclear safety agency under the Environment Ministry. This will separate the country’s national regulator – the Nuclear and Industrial Safety...

The nuclear renaissance began in the 1990s when reactors began to achieve better than 90% up time. The next step is to build new plants on time and within budget. – NEI The 64th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs is online now at NEI Nuclear Notes . This post is the collective voice of the best pro-nuclear...

A combined construction operating license for Southern’s twin AP1000s is expected by early 2012 A major licensing milestone has been met by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for Southern's Vogtle site.  The NRC has has completed its Final Safety Evaluation Report (FSER) for the proposed...

The nuclear renaissance began in the 1990s when reactors began to achieve better than 90% uptime. The next step is to build new ones on time and within budget. - NEI The 64th Carnival of Nuclear Energy Blogs is online now at Atomic Power Review . This post is the collective voice of the best pro-nuclear...

It adopts a “look back / look forward” strategy for rate increase reviews The Associated Press reports that Georgia utility regulators on August 2 rejected a financial risk sharing deal for twin new Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear reactors at Southern's Vogtle site. Last week FCW's coverage accurately...

Japanese and U.S. counterparts face criticism albeit for different reasons Life in the post-Fukushima era for nuclear regulatory agencies in Japan and the U.S. is not  easy. In Japan the Nuclear Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) is in hot water over revelations it stacked the deck at public meetings...