America’s pre-rotted “new” nuclear reactor has been listed by the US NRC as having power status of zero percent for several days. Commercial operation for Watts Bar Unit 2 lasted for only four days or less. While the media lauded this antiquated structure as a new nuclear reactor going online, they haven’t bothered to notice that it’s offline. The US NRC hasn’t bothered to explain why it’s at 0% power output. To drop from 100% to 0% suggests that there was an urgent SCRAM. Watts Bar Unit 2 even had a fire at the end of August. If people are smart they will indeed scram as far away from this antiquated nuclear reactor as possible – the origin of the word according to the NRC historian. Nuclear reactors are not made to just turn off and on, either, because it adds additional stresses to materials.
Mining Awareness 26th Oct 2016 read more »
Nuclear power will come to an end in the U.S. if the industry doesn’t get more government support, according to Carlyle Group LP, one of the world’s largest investment firms. The nation’s nuclear reactors need more subsidies to keep running, such as a federal carbon tax that’ll reward them for their zero-emissions power, Bob Mancini, co-head of Carlyle Group’s power unit, said at a conference in New York. Carlyle, which has $176 billion in assets under management across funds, invests in natural gas- and coal-fired power plants and renewable energy projects.
Bloomberg 25th Oct 2016 read more »
Four environmental and public policy groups are looking to block a proposed nuclear waste depository in Texas. The groups — Beyond Nuclear, Nuclear Information and Resource Service, Public Citizen and the Sustainable Energy & Economic Development Coalition — wrote a letter to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission this week asking the board to stop reviewing a license application for the waste site in Andrews County, Texas.
The Hill 27th Oct 2016 read more »
Exelon expects to achieve “clarity” before the end of the year over the future of its nuclear plants in the states of New York and Illinois, president and CEO Chris Crane said yesterday. Crane made his comments during a conference call of the company’s third quarter results. The company’s key priority remains finding an economically sustainable path for its financially challenged nuclear power plants, he said, although the quarter had been “operationally strong” with Exelon’s nuclear plants achieving a capacity factor of 93.6%.
World Nuclear News 27th Oct 2016 read more »