Japan:
¶ Reporting on the announcement of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) on the future of nuclear power in that country is quite varied as to what it means. Some media report that the country will be nuclear free by the 2030s, and others say the goal is 15% reliance by 2030. The actual bottom line appears to be that the DPJ is proposing that no new nuclear plants will be built, existing plants will be decommissioned at age 40, and no plants will be allowed to restart unless they are declared safe, including seismic study. [The Japan Daily Press] and [Economic Times]
¶ TEPCO is planning to hire experts to persuade reluctant residents and government that Kashiwazaki Kariwa, the largest nuclear plant in the world, was safe to restart. [GMA News]
World:
¶ Spain’s oldest nuclear plant will be retired in July of 2013. It will be 42 years old. [Expatica Spain]
¶ A study by a company specializing in waste management and biomass says 107 new gasification plants should be built in the UK by 2030. [Hub 4]
US:
¶ A new bill before the California Legislature would make it possible for renters and home owners to form energy groups generating up to 20 megawatts of renewable power. [JD Supra]
¶ The NRC sent mid-cycle grades on nuclear power plants. Of 103 reactors graded, 62 met all safety requirements, 34 had minor issues to resolve, 6 had what was at called a “degraded level of performance,” and 1 reactor, Browns Ferry, was at a lower, unnamed level below “degraded.” One reactor, Fort Calhoun, which has not run for over a year, did not receive a grade because it has special problems and is getting continuous NRC oversight. [Power Engineering]
… Two things worth noting: First, embattled Vermont Yankee was one of the 62 that met all NRC safety requirements. Second, the 34 reactors with minor issues include one at Crystal River and two at San Onofre, all of which are being evaluated to see whether they are broken beyond repair. [see reports of Sept 1 and August 31]
¶ The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the U.S. Forest Service, and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management have released the draft environmental documents needed for a transmission line to carry power from renewable resources in parts of the Tehachapi Mountains and Mojave Desert. The transmission capacity will be 1.1 gigawatts. [North American Windpower]
¶ The National Academies is conducting the study on the Fukushima Disaster, mandated by Congress, for the NRC. The committee formed to address the issue is expected to deliver a report in April of 2014, but has been told it may take five years for key details to be understood, as the buildings will be too unsafe to enter before that time has passed. [Platts]
¶ The NRC has directed its staff to revise the Waste Confidence Rule within 24 months. The old rule has been struck down by the courts, and the NRC will not issue new licenses until it is revised. [Power Engineering]
… The license for Indian Point Unit 2 expires in September of 2013, which makes the situation interesting. [see report of August 10]
geoharvey 