Archive for June, 2012
June 30, 2012
A quote for today:
“A lot of people think that Fukushima is behind us, in fact it’s ahead of us.” Jean-Christophe Niel, head of ASN, the French nuclear safety authority. [quoted in RFI]
Japan:
¶ The weekly protest at the Prime Minister’s residence has grown from 300, in April, to a huge number, yesterday. Police claim there were 17,000 people in the crowd, organizers say 150,000, and various media put the number at between 20,000 and 200,000. [Japan Daily Press]
¶ The Japanese government is presenting three plans for the future of energy production, so they can be debated publicly. [Reuters]
¶ The Anglican Church in Japan is calling for the abolition of nuclear power. [Anglican Communion News Service]
US:
¶ A rally to shut down VY is scheduled for July 1. [OpEdNews]
¶ The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is making new rules for wind, solar, and energy storage. A projection used as a basis, dating from 2010, is that 60% of new energy resources will be solar and wind by 2019. [Forbes]
¶ The US Senate confirmed Kristine Svinicki and Allison Macfarlane to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. [The Hill]
¶ Decommissioning Zion is costing upwards of $100 million more than anticipated. [Chicago Tribune]
¶ The DOE gave Southern Company a sweetheart deal to finance building two reactors at Vogtle. Critics say the deal is excessive. [Inter Press Service]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power, solar power, wind power
June 29, 2012
Japan:
¶ The chairman of TEPCO says the company needs to restart reactors at Niigata. [The Japan Times]
¶ Former Prime Minister Kan and a number of lawmakers are pushing for immediate decommissioning of 12 reactors. They also want to end use of nuclear power by 2025, while decommissioning all reactors that reach the age of 40. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ The French nuclear safety authority has issued a list of 900 upgrade requirements reactors must meet because of Fukushima. Électricité de France officials say it will cost them €10 billion ($12.5 billion). They are also looking at spending €45 billion to keep old reactors going past age 40. [Platts]
¶ There has been a large increase in renewable energy production in the UK, and a decline in demand. [Business Green]
US:
¶ Entergy is ending health care coverage of locked-out union employees at Pilgrim on Saturday night. [MarketWatch]
¶ The Connecticut Attorney General opposes the relicensing of nuclear reactors at Indian Point until a thorough investigation is made of environmental impacts. [Hartford Courant]
¶ Southern California should get through the summer without blackouts. [CBS]
¶ The NRC is investigating safety culture at Palisades because of a letter from a whistleblower. [ABC 57 News]
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June 28, 2012
Japan:
¶ TEPCO denies its report on the Fukushima Disaster is a cover-up. [Australian Broadcast Company]
¶ Individual Japanese stockholders are starting to hold corporate managements accountable. [New York Times]
… Nevertheless, all nine Japanese utilities decided to continue with nuclear power. [Asahi Shimbun]
… And in particular, TEPCO shareholders voted in favor of a return to producing nuclear power, despite protests at the shareholders meeting. [euronews]
¶ Radiation readings in a drain under Fukushima Daiichi Unit 1 are the highest yet recorded there, at 10,300 millisieverts per hour. [the Telegraph]
¶ The volume in loans for green power generation and other environmentally friendly projects in Japan has been increased by a multiple. [Utility Products]
¶ TEPCO is pulling out of a scheme to supply and run two reactors in Vietnam and ending its export of nuclear expertise. [The Japan Daily Press]
US:
¶ NRC attorneys are agreeing with environmental groups, including the New England Coalition, along with over twenty others, that the Seabrook relicense has to be delayed. [Seacoastonline.com]
¶ The NRC says a new study on the environmental impact of Indian Point on Hudson River wildlife shows older studies overestimate the actual damage by 1000 times. The data supporting the new study was supplied by Entergy, the plant’s owner. [Bloomberg]
Posted in nuclear power, solar | 1 Comment »
Tags: Fukushima, New England Coalition, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power
June 27, 2012
Japan:
¶ Two prominent seismologists are warning against restarting the reactors at Ohi. [news24]
¶ TEPCO is being accused of lying and covering up its own incompetence in its report on its internal investigation of the Fukushima Disaster. [Radio Australia]
… There have been protests at the stockholders’ meeting over the report. [Australian Network News]
¶ Shareholders have voted to allow TEPCO to be nationalized. [RTT News]
World:
¶ European Desertec, a consortium including such companies Siemens, E.ON, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, Enel, and Shell, says it will use wind and solar energy from northern Africa and southern Europe to eliminate 95% of the emissions from generating electricity by 2050. [REneweconomy]
US:
¶ The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has ruled in favor of the US NRC in its suit with the State of Vermont on the issue of the water quality permit. The state contended that since Entergy never applied for a water quality permit, as required by the law, the NRC issued the license renewal illegally. [Reuters UK]
¶ The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled unanimously that the EPA has the authority to limit carbon dioxide emissions. [ieee spectrum]
¶ One take on the news says the investigation into Chairman Jaczko faults him because he was not supportive of his colleagues, and his actions were inconsistent with policy. [Wall Street Journal]
… Another take says he committed no violations. [New York Times]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, solar power, wind power
June 26, 2012
Japan:
¶ Experts say the spent fuel pool of Unit 4 at Fukushima Daiichi is a disaster waiting to happen. [Radio Australia]
¶ TEPCO is finally admitting a slight lean in the Unit 4 building. [NHK World]
… (This has been reported without confirmation for over a year at ENENEWS, whom we thank for bringing the report to our attention.)
¶ According to NHK, a 92 hectare (227 acre) park in Tokyo is to be decontaminated because of radioactive fallout from Fukushima Daiichi. [NHK World].
… (Again, thanks to ENENEWS.)
¶ Another earthquake at Fukushima could lead to a disaster ten times worse than Chernobyl. [Australian Broadcast Corporation]
¶ The number 3 reactor at Ohi will be restarted on July 1, and is expected to be producing at full power on about July 8-11. The number 4 reactor at the same plant is expected to be started on July 17-21, and to produce full power on July 24-31. [Reuters]
¶ Protesters say the restart at Ohi was rushed, and the plant was declared safe without considering difficulties evacuation would pose, or even infrastructure, which needs upgrades. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ The government of Korea is getting proactive about construction of wind turbines. [REVE]
¶ The city of Beijing is considering a sister-city relationship with Copenhagen, partly because it may facilitate installation of 100 wind turbines. [REVE]
US:
¶ A shipment of two dry casks arrived by barge for Seabrook. They are in parts that will be assembled at the plant. Transporting them from the port to the plant requires use of two trucks, each with 100 tires on the trailer, which will move on the roads at 5 miles per hour. [Seacoastonline]
¶ The New Jersey legislature is considering a bill intended to avert collapse of the solar market in that state. New Jersey has seen a decline in the price of solar credits for owners of solar arrays earn for their investment, resulting from rapid expansion of solar production. [NJSPOTLIGHT]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, nuclear waste, photovoltaic, solar power, wind power
June 25, 2012
Japan:
¶ Japanese based Taiwanese journalist Liu Li-erh says the Fukushima disaster caused her property, 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the plant to lose half its value. She gives this message to the people of Taiwan, “Now is the time to go nuclear free.” [Taipei Times]
¶ After testing for radioactive substances, seafood caught off the coast of Fukushima has gone on sale at a reduced price to test the market. [China Daily]
… A different fishing expedition off Fukushima returned with a radioactive haul. [Radio Australia]
¶ TEPCO has installed another cover for the Unit 4 spent fuel pool. [Break Bulk]
World:
¶ British green utility Good Energy is growing at over 12% and now has over 30,000 customers. [NewsNet]
¶ Solaria, a German solar company, is planning to build an unsubsidized 60 MW solar generating station in Spain, and projects the cost at $1.25 per watt, with an opening date in 2013. [REneweconomy]
… Solaria says costs of electricity from the plant should be $68 to $75 per MWh. By comparison, the US DOE’s projected cost for power from nuclear plants is at $113.80 per MWh, excluding costs of managing nuclear waste and potential taxpayer liabilities for loan guarantees and disaster insurance. [US DOE projected costs]
US:
¶ Workers at the Pilgrim nuclear plant are now picketing the plant. A contract negotiation had failed, and the workers had been locked out by Entergy. [Nuclear Street]
¶ War games scheduled to test security at Indian Point have been delayed. The issue is that during such practice at Seabrook, a participant nearly passed out because of carbon monoxide produced by the fake ammunition. [Journal News- lohud.com]
¶ Physicians for Social Responsibility have endorsed Allison MacFarlane to chair the NRC. [IBTimes]
¶ Contrary to claims by the NRC that seismic studies were done at Limerick before it was constructed, they were not completed until two years after the first reactor was delivered. Now we know the plant sits on top of a fault. [The Mercury]
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Tags: electric power costs, Fukushima, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Pilgrim nuclear, solar power
June 24, 2012
Japan:
¶ The size of the crowd protesting restarting nuclear reactors at the prime minister’s residence was larger than previously reported in mainstream media. According to organizers, there were 45,000 people involved. There were also protests elsewhere, in Japan, in the US, and in Brazil. [The Japan Times]
World:
¶ Amid the oil and gas wells of British Columbia, Dawson Creek (pop. 11,583) provides more electricity than it needs from wind and solar power. [Leader-Post]
US:
¶ In Michigan, debate is starting over a ballot initiative to put green energy requirements into the constitution. [Battle Creek Enquirer]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, renewable power
June 23, 2012
Japan:
¶ About 20,000 people gathered at the official residence of Prime Minister Noda to protest the restart of the Ohi reactors. One of the leaders of the protest was well-known journalist Satoshi Kamata. Another was a Nobel Prize winning author Kenzaburo Oe, whose anti-nuclear petition has gathered 7,500,000 signatures. Also present was famous composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, who told listeners, “The battle has only just begun.” More protests are planned. [MSN Philippines]
US:
¶ The Sierra Club of Iowa has filed a petition with the NRC to revoke the operating license of Fort Calhoun because of its history of safety violations. [MSN]
¶ California is having to make plans for a future without the San Onofre nuclear power plant. [Los Angeles Times]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission
June 22, 2012
Japan:
¶ Efforts will begin to remove spent fuel assemblies from the Unit 4 spent fuel pool this year, instead of waiting until late 2013, as had been planned. The reason given for this appears to be public concern. [Reuters]
¶ TEPCO’s report on the Fukushima Disaster is being called sloppy, and its contents falsified, by many people, both in and out of government. [The Mainichi]
World:
¶ Transmission lines may connect solar and wind generating stations in Germany with pumped storage in Norway by 2018. [The Local]
US:
¶ The U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee approved the nomination of Allison Macfarlane to chair the NRC and re-nomination of Kristine Svinicki as a commissioner. [Power Engineering]
¶ The State of California will conduct an investigation into problems at San Onofre. [Bloomberg Businessweek]
¶ Cracks in the containment building at Crystal River are not currently getting worse, but no one knows whether the reactor will be brought back online. [Tampa Bay Times]
¶ Officials at Browns Ferry say that plant is not ready for an inspection needed to clear a reactor’s “red” safety status. [Chattanooga Times]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, solar power, wind power
June 21, 2012
Japan:
¶ After a lengthy self-investigation, TEPCO has proclaimed itself exonerated on the Fukushima Disaster. In reporting the event, this article notes that the utility “has worked vigilantly to shut out close scrutiny of the ravaged plant’s condition.” [New York Times]
¶ TEPCO does, however, admit it underestimated the risk of tsunami. [The Province]
¶ The Japanese Diet has approved a bill to produce an independent nuclear regulatory agency. [Power Engineering]
¶ Toshiba is planning the largest solar farm in Japan so far. It will be sited in Minamisoma and will cost ¥30 billion ($380 million). [Tokyo Times]
World:
¶ Nuclear plant operators must be prepared for flaws in the design basis, according to officials of the European Nuclear Security Regulators Group. This means that nuclear plants have to incorporate safety features to deal with problems that cannot be anticipated. [Platts]
¶ The French government is calling for tougher sanctions against Iran after nuclear talks in Moscow broke down. [Press TV]
US:
¶ Union workers at the Pilgrim nuclear power plant have rejected the contract offered them, extending the lock-out. [Boston Herald]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, Pilgrim nuclear, solar power
June 20, 2012
A quote for today:
“By telling the naked emperor to go get dressed, the Court has delivered an overdue rebuke to the NRC’s bad habit of pushing for the nuclear power plants while postponing the problems, as we now know the Japanese to have done at Fukushima. It’s hard to see how federal and state officials can justify putting more taxpayer or customer money at risk on new reactor projects until this situation is resolved.” Former NRC Commissioner, Peter Bradford [International Business Times]
Technology:
¶ Scientists and regulators are trying to figure out what to do about the potential for solar storms to disrupt nuclear plants, the electric grid, communications, and so on. [AOL Energy]
Japan:
¶ TEPCO’s report on the disaster has been announced by the chairman of the committee drafting it. According to CNN, it draws the stunningly obvious conclusion that TEPCO was not prepared for what happened. [CNN]
¶ Industry minister Edano has apologized for the fact that the Japanese government failed to use radiation maps supplied by the US during the disaster, with the result that evacuees were put in the path of fallout. [Business Recorder]
World:
¶ Solar panels are reducing Australia’s mains electricity consumption. [Eco-Business]
US:
¶ According to the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, current renewable technology could supply 80% of the electrical power in the United States by 2050, but government agencies grossly underestimate the apparently exponential growth in renewables. [Washington Post]
¶ A protest is planned for July 1, in which anti-nuclear activists plan to swarm the gates at Vermont Yankee. [Valley Advocate]
¶ Workers at the Pilgrim plant will vote on a new contract. [Boston Globe]
¶ A total of 174 MW of solar panels were installed in New Jersey during the first three months of 2012. [NJ Spotlight]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, solar power, Vermont Yankee
June 19, 2012
Japan:
¶ Closing down all fifty nuclear plants in Japan would result in a loss to Japanes utilities of ¥4.4 trillion ($55 billion). [The Japan Times]
¶ The Japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Administration has admitted it was negligent and is apologizing for shoddy management. [The Asahi Shimbun]
US:
¶ The Vermont Yankee nuclear plant is running at 36% of permitted power because of a problem that produced smoke in the reactor building. An Entergy spokesman said they did not know what the cause was, but they did know it had nothing to do with safety. [Keene Sentinel]
¶ The Massachusetts Attorney General is appealing the Pilgrim license renewal, saying the NRC abused its discretion in issuing the license without considering the Fukushima Disaster. [Fox News Boston]
¶ The NRC has determined that the problem at San Onofre stems from design flaws and says it is not possible to know whether one or more of the steam generators needs to be replaced. The flaws are said to have resulted from bad computer modeling. [Newser]
¶ The 24 groups and individuals, including the New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution, have joined to file a petition to stop the NRC from licensing or relicensing plants until the waste issue is resolved. [Clean Energy News]
¶ San Diego Gas & Electric has completed a 500 kV transmission line to link a solar farm in the Imperial Valley to San Diego. [Utilities Network]
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Tags: Fukushima, New England Coalition, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, solar power, Vermont Yankee
June 18, 2012
Technology:
¶ The price of solar power has fallen to the point that it is becoming competitive with fossil fuels. [The Conversation]
¶ Energy storage is becoming increasingly important as the world switches to renewable power. [The Motley Fool]
Japan:
¶ In a press conference, the Japanese trade minister said the new regulatory agency, which is set to begin operations in August, will make its own decisions on the 48 reactors that remain idle, independently of the cabinet. If this is true, then it could be that no additional reactors will be started before fall. [The Daily Yomiuri Online]
¶ In the days following the Fukushima Disaster, the Japanese government received accurate radiation maps from the US Energy Department, but chose not to use them as people evacuated. Some went into areas with high radiation. [The Asahi Shimbun]
¶ The Japanese government approved billions of dollars of subsidies for renewable power. [Eco-Business]
¶ There is a building boom for solar electric installations in Japan. [Bloomberg BusinessWeek]
¶ Those who wish to return to widespread use of nuclear power in Japan do not have a clear path ahead. [Wall Street Journal]
World:
¶ Worldwide wind generating capacity increased by 40 GW in 2011. [REVE]
¶ German utility company RWE AG has decided not to replace its German reactors with new reactors outside the country, but is thinking about cooperating with communities to build solar farms. It may enter the private consumer solar business, as well. [Wall Street Journal]
US:
¶ The US is now producing more renewable energy than nuclear. [geoharvey page]
¶ A former nuclear waste dump in Pennsylvania is being closely guarded by Homeland Security after nuclear materials there were found to include materials that should were more “complex” than expected. [Centre Daily Times]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power, solar power, wind power
June 16, 2012
Technology:
LCD makers may begin to switch to manufacturing solar cells. The result could be a price reduction to 30¢ per watt. [Article in Bloomberg]
Japan:
Prime Minister Noda says he wants to reduce Japan’s dependence on nuclear power. [Article in euronews]
Prime Minister Noda has ordered the restart of two Ohi Reactors. [Article in the New York Times]
Ruiko Muto lives a Thoreau-like life in a rural setting in Fukushima Prefecture. She is a bit of a hermit, making grass tea and acorn curry, and reading by an oil lantern. Now she is an important voice of the Fukushima protest movement. [Article in Asahi Shimbun]
World:
Geothermal energy could provide all the domestic heat and about 20% of the electricity for the United Kingdom. [Article in Electric Light and Power]
The British Energy Secretary says the U.K. is committed to its renewable power goals. [Article in iStockAnalyst]
The Natural Resources Defense Council has released a scorecard ranking G20 nations and their commitment to clean energy development. We refrain from comment on how the US does. [Article in EnergyBoom]
US:
The U.S. military wants to get 3 gigawatts of renewable generating capacity, and is willing to deal creatively to get it. [Article at AOL Energy]
Entergy has postponed an emergency drill at Pilgrim. Striking members of the plant’s union say this is an indication of Entergy’s valuing profits above safety of workers and the community. [Article in the Boston Globe]
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Tags: nuclear power, renewable power, solar power, wind power
June 15, 2012
Japan:
The government of Fukushima Prefecture asked some organizations not to test people for radiation in the aftermath of the Fukushima Disaster. Hirosaki University was one of them. [Article in the Mainichi]
The lower house of the legislature has approved a law setting up a new nuclear regulatory agency, and the upper house is expected to pass it as well. It should be in operation in September. [Article in Reuters]
World:
Nityanand Jayaraman gives the economic reasons why the nuclear renaissance is a fairy tale. [Article in The Hindu]
US:
Costs to repair San Onofre could exceed $200 million. [Article in UT San Diego]
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Tags: nuclear power
June 14, 2012
Technology:
A new catalyst may lead to artificial photosynthesis and solar manufacture of fuels. [Article in Scientific American]
A new report indicates offshore wind costs may be reduced by a third by 2020. [Article in REneweconomy]
Japan:
The new Japanese nuclear regulatory body will review the 40 year operating limit. [Article in Power Engineering]
As the last of local politicians agree to the restart, Japanese media says restarting of the Ohi reactors may begin this weekend. [Article in the Washington Post]
World:
World nuclear production of electricity fell by 4.3% in 2011. [Article at Utilities-ME]
US:
Part of Seabrook’s administrative building had to be evacuated because of an ammonia spill. [Article in the Boston Globe]
An agreement among senators of both parties backs both nominees to the NRC board. [Article in the Wall Street Journal]
Davis-Besse is running again after refueling and maintenance. [Article in the Toledo Blade]
Nine states have joined with the New England Coalition and other advocacy groups to support Vermont in its appeal of Judge Murtha’s decision. [Article in Power Engineering]
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Tags: New England Coalition, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power, solar power
June 13, 2012
Technology:
Scientists at the University of Utah believe they have found a way to protect electronic devices in highly radioactive areas. [Article in e! Science News]
Japan:
Experts warn of more pending disaster at Fukushima. [Article in the Hindu]
It will take at least five weeks to restart the Ohi reactors, which means the period of summer heat will be half over by the time they are online. [Article in the Japan Daily Press]
The sea walls at Ohi may be too short. [Article at Wall Street Journal Japan Realtime]
World:
Nuclear power is more costly than renewables. [Article from xinhuanet]
German utilities are suing the government for billions of Euros over the decision to abandon nuclear power. [Article in The Local]
US:
The senate will begin a hearing on nominations of Allison Macfarlane to chair, and Kristine Svinicki to serve on, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. [Article in the Hill News Alerts]
The Palisades nuclear plant has gone offline for a small leak in the plant’s safety injection and refueling water tank. [Report from WSJM]
An NRC report indicates seven problems need to be addressed for Seabrook to be relicensed. [Article in the Newburyport Daily News]
Citizens of two small communities in Iowa pooled their resources and are now generating more electricity from wind than they consume. [Article in R&D]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power, solar power
June 12, 2012
Japan:
Prime Minister Noda is telling the people the Oi reactors need to be restarted, and others as well. He wants the ones that can’t be restarted to be replaced with new nuclear reactors. [Article at theenergycollective]
Fifteen months after the disaster, the Wall Street Journal’s Japan Realtime is starting a column called “Fukushima Watch,” which it says is intended to better served those who are “obsessed” by the matter. [Article in the WSJ’s Japan Realtime]
World:
According to some pundits, now is the time to invest in nuclear power, because investors fled after Fukushima, driving down stock prices. They say the future of nuclear is the brightest of any form of energy. [Article in Wall Street Daily]
Worldwide investment in renewable energy was $257 billion in 2011. [Article in Fuel Fix]
The International Energy Agency is calling for $23.9 trillion in spending on clean energy by 2020, and $140 trillion by 2050. [Article in AlertNet]
Is it possible to raise enough money to meet the demand?
The Indian parliament has never debated nuclear power, and so the issue is entirely dependent on the prime minister, who is directly in control of the Department of Atomic Energy. [Article at CounterCurrents]
US:
In a 2007 interview, Allison Macfarlane said the nuclear industry could not grow without subsidies. Now she is nominated to Chair the NRC. [Article in Business Week]
Industry leaders are backing away from coal. [Article in FierceEnergy]
The National Conference of State Legislatures is filing papers in support of Vermont’s appeal of the ruling by Judge Murtha of the U.S. District Court in Brattleboro. [Article at CBSNews]
Duke Energy and Sumitomo have announced completion of a 131 MW wind farm in Kansas. [Article in REVE]
The appeals court ruling saying the government could not grant licenses until waste management has been cleared up could give the state a basis for refusing the Certificate of Public Good to Vermont Yankee. [Article in VTDigger]
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Tags: nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power, Vermont Yankee
June 11, 2012
Technology:
Alta Devices has provided details on new solar film technology allowing for flexible, highly efficient photovoltaic cells. [Article in Compound Semiconductor]
Japan:
Inpex, the largest oil and gas company in Japan, is increasing its purchases of overseas assets. [Article in Financial Times]
The Japanese government expects that 18% of Fukushima evacuees will be unable to return home for at least another ten years. [Article in the Japan Times.]
A group of 1800 people have filed a criminal complaint against 33 TEPCO executives, saying they should be held responsible for the Fukushima Disaster. [Article in the Japan Daily Press]
A panel of scientists appointed by the governor of Fukui Provence has approved restart of the Oi reactors. [Article in the Business Week]
World:
Cuban officials say they will increase the share of renewable power in their electric production from 3.8% to 16.5% within the next eight years. [Article in Fox News Latino]
GE will be investing $900 million in wind generators in Turkey, over the next three years. [Article in REVE]
US:
Workers at the Pilgrim nuclear power plant, who have been locked out during labor negotiations, say the plant is not safely run by people temporarily assigned to replace them. [Article at socialistworker.org]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, photovoltaic, renewable power, wind power
June 10, 2012
US:
A Duke Energy wind farm will soon house a 36 MW storage battery. [Article in OA Online]
Opinion:
Johnny Johnson, Prairie Island tribal council president, spoke to the press about a decision made by an appeals court on Friday. The decision instructed the NRC to review its practice of allowing in situ long-term nuclear waste storage. He said, “Today’s court decision is a strong signal to the federal government that rather than avoiding its responsibility and looking for ways to legalize long-term radioactive storage at temporary sites, the federal government needs to comply with the law to build a permanent repository and remove nuclear waste from Prairie Island.” The Federal Government needs to obey the law! Wow! The Federal Government needs to accept its responsibilities! Bravo!
The quote appears in an article in the Post-Bulletin, of Rochester, Minnesota.
Here, in New England, we have a lot of groups of people working to bring some sanity to the use of nuclear power. The New England Coalition (NEC) puts efforts into legal and legislative battles, and is among those who represent science based sanity before public boards and the NRC. The NEC has also provided legal and technical support to the states of Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New York and New Jersey, including support helping produce Friday’s court decision. Pilgrim Watch has worked tirelessly in court and before the NRC to close the Pilgrim nuclear plant. Many other groups, such as the Citizens Awareness Network, and Safe and Green, have worked to increase awareness among the public of the dangers they face for the sake of the profits of corporate owners and managers.
Johnny Johnson has eloquently reminded me once again that we are all in this together. Vermont Yankee, Pilgrim, and Indian Point take up much of my attention. Fukushima gives me bad dreams. But there are groups fighting the same fight in Minnesota, and, indeed, all over the world. Johnny Johnson has reminded me of the eternal and cosmopolitan nature of valuing responsibility and lawfulness, which our government and corporate leaders seem to have forgotten.
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Tags: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, renewable power, Vermont Yankee
June 9, 2012
Japan:
TEPCO has put a 60-ton cover on the spent fuel pool of Unit 4 at Fukushima Daiichi. [News release from TEPCO]
World:
German solar power farms supplied 10% of the electricity used in Germany in May. [Article from Federal News Radio]
A 9000 GWh per year solar farm is being planned for Tunisia to sell electricity to Europe. [Article at Tunisialive]
US:
A federal appeals court ordered the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to redo environmental analysis that allows nuclear waste to be stored at plant sites for 60 years after the plant closes. The order says that the NRC may not depend on an underground waste storage facility, like the one proposed for Yucca Mountain, because it might not happen. [Article at the Wall Street Journal]
Even if Yucca Mountain opened tomorrow, it would not solve the problem. [Article in the New York Times]
The NRC may not issue new licenses or renew old ones until the storage is worked out. [New York AG Press Release]
Rep. Edward Markey is demanding answers from the NRC about how Pilgrim’s emergency response capability can be maintained while the plant’s full-time staff is off work during a labor dispute. [Article in Power Engineering]
Opinion:
Depending on nuclear power is like depending on narcotics. [geoharvey blog page]
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Tags: nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, nuclear waste, renewable power, solar power
June 8, 2012
Technology:
A new study shows increases of probability of cancer for children who have CT scans. [Article at CNN]
Japan:
Prime Minister Noda says it is necessary to restart the two reactors at Oi, a decision expected to be confirmed by the cabinet, but opposed by the Governor of Fukui Prefecture, who has some say in the matter. [Article in the Climate Spectator]
A former Japanese ambassador said in an interview on the situation at Fukushima that the situation there is gravely dangerous. [Article at PanOrient News]
The Japanese Prime Minister will have extraordinary authority during any nuclear crisis in the future. [Article at Daily Yomiuri Online]
An executive at Tokyo Gas is predicting a 50% cut in the use of nuclear power for the future. [Article in The Japan Times]
Crews entered the rooms housing the suppression chambers of units 2 and 3 for the first time since the disaster, looking for the sources of leaks, but were unable to find any. [Article in RTT News]
World:
The International Renewable Energy Agency has released two reports, one dealing with the socio-economic impact of renewable energy, and the other dealing with employment prospects of the renewable sector.
US:
Engineers found a coolant leak at Davis-Besse as the reactor was being readied to start up after refuelling. [Article at Cleveland.com]
San Onofre will probably be offline until at least the end of summer. [Article in the Los Angeles Times]
The NRC will hold public meetings on San Onofre. [Article in the Los Angeles Times]
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Tags: Fukushima, nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power, solar power, Vermont Yankee
June 7, 2012
Technology:
Costs of renewable energy are falling. [Article in REVE]
Japan:
The japanese Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency is saying the Mihama nuclear power plant’s No. 2 reactor is safe to run beyond 40 years, if it is allowed to do so. [Article in The Japan Times]
World:
The future of nuclear power in Europe, including France and the UK, is not bright. [Article in Chinadialogue]
US:
Ray Shadis, consultant for the New England Coalition on Nuclear Pollution, explains why Vermont Yankee is vulnerable to flooding. [Article in the Commons]
Indian Point shut down because of a generator malfunction. [Article at CBS Money Watch]
The House of Representatives is giving Yucca Mountain $10 million to revive its license application. [Article in Platts]
We are seeing a large number of articles on wind projects in different states. They include a rural 12.6 MW wind farm in Iowa [Article in Power Engineering], a 212.8 MW wind farm in Michigan [Article in Bloomberg Businessweek], and a 235 MW wind farm in Oklahoma [Article in Bloomberg Businesweek].
The fire on the nuclear submarine Miami was caused by a vacuum cleaner. [Article at CNN].
Posted in nuclear power, technology, wind | Leave a Comment »
Tags: nuclear power, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, renewable power, solar power
June 2, 2012
TEPCO is considering removing some fuel rods from spent fuel pool 4 this summer.
June 2, 2012
The problem with spent fuel pool 4 is severe. Earthquake activity in northeastern Japan has been five times normal since March of 2011, and geologists are predicting more strong earthquakes will hit the area over the next few years. Some engineers have concluded that the building for reactor 4 is too damaged to stand another major earthquake, so if it is hit by one, it could fail, leaving the fuel in the spent fuel pool exposed. If the fuel is exposed, anyone who gets close will die rather quickly. Also, if it is exposed, it is likely to burn or melt down. If it burns or melts down, it will be impossible to maintain the rest of the fuel at Fukushima Daiichi, leaving it to burn or melt down as well. Such an event could lead to the entire northern (eastern) half of Honshu being evacuated, including Tokyo.
There are well-known experts who say that if they spent fuel pool for building 4 at Fukushima fails, they will look for places to live in the Southern Hemisphere. That being said, however, there is some good news, which is that there are a lot of “ifs” in the scenario, and we can hope one of them will fail.
Unfortunately, there is more bad news. TEPCO has said it will not be ready to start removing fuel before January of 2014, and the whole process might not be finished for another several years after that. This sounds unreasonable to many people, but it is not something that can be done without planning and preparation. Just as an example, if an assembly gets stuck, it cannot be put back, but pulling on it could break it open, making a possibly irretrievable mess.
Officials at TEPCO have been working on a new plan. Part of the load in the Unit 4 spent fuel pool is an unused set of assemblies, because the reactor was emptied for inspection just before being hit by the earthquake and tsunami. They plan to remove at least two of these this summer as a test. They are not as radioactive as spent fuel, so the risks are very much lowered.
We should hope they do well.
A solar power production record has been set in Germany
June 2, 2012
On Friday, May 25, and Saturday, May 26, the output of solar power installations in Germany exceeded 22 gigawatts in bright, noontime, sunshine for periods in excess of an hour. This was about 50% of the German electrical production at the time.
Electricial power from solar production in Germany does not have to be used immediately. Excess power on the grid can be used to pump water to high reservoirs, which can later be used to generate power. Germany has 7 gigawatts of generating capacity from pumped storage, with a storage capacity of 40 gigawatt hours, with plans to build a good deal more.
Germany has experienced a growth of over 50% in solar power in the last year alone. The growth of most renewable resources has been very great in the last ten years or so. Hydropower, which dominated the renewable sector in 2000 with about 65% of the output, has been surpassed by solar, biomass, and wind, and now represents only about 15% of the total. Renewable electrical production has grown from 6.4% of the supply to about 22% in that time. (These numbers are a bit hard to track, as installed capacity of most renewable resources is increasing very rapidly.)
Last year alone, the German economy added 381,600 jobs in the renewable energy sector, which now employs more people than nuclear and coal combined.
The NRC has approved a power increase for Harris
June 2, 2012
On June 1 2012, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has approved in increase in the electrical power output at the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant. According to the NRC, the increase is 1.66%, from 900 MW to 930 MW. I am not sure how that works mathematically, but perhaps they were just guessing.
The Harris plant has a single pressurized water reactor. It is run by Progress Energy and is situated about twenty miles from Raleigh, North Carolina.
Short Comment on Renewable Power
June 2, 2012
Friends and family are tired of hearing this, but I will say it once again.
When it comes to how energy is obtained and used, the people in our society act like a bunch of children, sitting at the foot of a great Christmas tree, surrounded by beautiful presents, but the only ones we seem to be interested in opening are the ones that are covered with soot, smell like petrochemicals, or glow in the dark.
Posted in nuclear power | Leave a Comment »
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