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Drop in output of France’s nuclear reactors, due to delays and outages

French nuclear output drops to 52 GW on maintenance, outage, delays, S and P Global, 
 Andreas Franke , EditorJonathan Dart , 14  Jan 19 London — French nuclear output peaked at 52 GW Monday as an unplanned outage, delays to scheduled returns and planned maintenance kept availability below expectations, data from grid operator RTE and nuclear operator EDF show.

The 910-MW Blayais 2 reactor suffered an outage Sunday afternoon due to turbine failure in the non-nuclear part of the plant, EDF said. The reactor is due to return Monday at 8:00 pm local time (1900 GMT).

The 1.3-GW Penly 1 reactor is also scheduled to return Monday night following a three-month maintenance break.

The 1.3-GW Flamanville 1 unit is scheduled to return late Wednesday following a 10-year overhaul that began in April 2018 and extended for four months more than expected.

Flamanville 2 started its own 10-year-overhaul last week.

EDF has warned of a “particularly dense and complex maintenance schedule” this year, with seven reactors undergoing 10-year-overhauls.


Another two reactors are scheduled to go offline this weekend for annual maintenance.  ……–Andreas Franke, andreas.franke@spglobal.com

–Edited by Jonathan Dart, newsdesk@spglobal.com    https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/electric-power/011419-french-nuclear-output-drops-to-52-gw-on-maintenance-outage-delays

January 15, 2019 Posted by | France, politics | Leave a comment

Call on judge to make public the documents on ex-nuclear weapons plant

Activists want files on ex-nuclear weapons plant made public  https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/activists-want-files-on-ex-nuclear-weapons-plant-made-public   , Jan 11, 2019, By: The Associated Press DENVER (AP) — Activists are asking a judge to unseal documents from a 27-year-old criminal investigation into the former Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant outside Denver.

The activists said Thursday the documents could show whether the federal government did enough to clean up the site before turning part of it into a wildlife refuge and opening it to the public.

Rocky Flats made plutonium triggers for nuclear bombs until 1989, when it was shut down after a series of fires and accidental releases. After a grand jury investigation, the plant operator pleaded guilty to environmental violations and was fined $18.5 million.

The grand jury records are still sealed.

The plant site was cleaned up but remains off-limits. A buffer zone around the plant became a wildlife refuge and was opened to the public last fall.

January 15, 2019 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | Leave a comment

PG and E ex-CEO gets $2.5 million severance amid wildfire woes

PG&E ex-CEO gets $2.5 million severance amid wildfire woes

Former PG&E CEO Geisha Williams lands $2.5 million in cash for severance pay despite being in charge during lethal wildfires of 2017 and 2018

PG&E’s former chief executive officer was given a $2.5 million cash severance on the way out the door even though she was at the helm of the embattled utility during the disastrous and deadly infernos that roared through Northern California in 2017 and 2018. ……https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/01/14/pge-ex-ceo-gets-2-5-million-severance-amid-wildfire-woes-customer-bills-may-rise-after-bankruptcy/

January 15, 2019 Posted by | business and costs, USA | Leave a comment

PG and E to file for bankruptcy due to wildfire lawsuits; shares tank

PG&E to file for bankruptcy due to wildfire lawsuits; shares tank

Utility cites ‘challenges’ from California wildfires, East Bay Times,   By LEVI SUMAGAYSAY | lsumagaysay@bayareanewsgroup.com and GEORGE AVALOS | gavalos@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group January 14, 2019  Citing “extraordinary challenges” from the devastating 2017 and 2018 California wildfires, PG&E said Monday that it will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the utility that serves 16 million Californians gave the 15-day notice required by law for filing for bankruptcy, one day after it announced the departure of Chief Executive Geisha Williams. The company’s stock dropped by more than half Monday in response to the early-morning announcement……..

One estimate, from Moody’s Investor Services, puts PG&E’s wildfire liabilities at $15 billion but PG&E said it may face liabilities of $30 billion or more. In its filing Monday, PG&E said it is aware of about 50 complaints from at least 2,000 plaintiffs related to November’s Camp Fire and said it expects more. It also said it knows of about 700 complaints on behalf of at least 3,600 plaintiffs from the 2017 California wildfires. PG&E further stated that if it is found liable for the 2017 and 2018 fires, “punitive damages, fines and penalties could be significant.” ………

San Francisco-based PG&E’s shares plunged 52.4 percent to close at $8.38 on Monday. Since October 2017, when it first became clear that PG&E might be liable for some wildfires, PG&E’s shares have nose-dived by 88 percent……… https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/01/14/pge-to-file-for-bankruptcy-shares-tank/

January 15, 2019 Posted by | business and costs, USA | Leave a comment

P G and E’s plan to close Diablo Canyon nuke plant

PG&E to close Diablo Canyon nuke plant in 10 years, East Bay Times, By GEORGE AVALOS | gavalos@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group, August 15, 2016
Signaling the end of nuclear power in California, PG&E on Tuesday announced plans to close the Diablo Canyon Power Plant by 2025.The proposal to shut down the state’s last nuclear power facility represents a major leap toward meeting California’s renewable energy mandate. It would mark the end of more than a half-century of nuclear power generation in the state and could serve as a blueprint for closing other U.S. nuclear facilities…….

To replace the lost nuclear power, PG&E plans to expand energy efficiency, its use of renewable energy, and energy storage that would exceed current state mandates. California’s historic 2015 energy law requires that power companies get 50 percent of their electricity from renewable sources, such as solar or wind, by 2030. PG&E aims to produce 55 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2031. At present, about 30 percent of the utility’s electricity comes from renewable sources, said Keith Stephens, a PG&E spokesman. The state requires that utilities reach 33 percent by 2020.  …….https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2016/06/21/pge-to-close-diablo-canyon-nuke-plant-in-10-years/

January 15, 2019 Posted by | decommission reactor, USA | Leave a comment

Many sick former uranium workers still missing out on compensation

Uranium workers can face illnesses decades later. Many workers don’t know that help is available.Star Tribune, Heather Richards 307-266-0592, Heather.Richards@trib.com, Jan 14, 2019 

Four times a year, Angela Hays Carey visits Wyoming to find former uranium workers who could qualify for federal health benefits.

Every year, she finds some who didn’t know about federal compensation and health care support, or who never realized their illness was tied to exposure decades ago from their work in uranium mining, milling or transportation of ore……..

Hays Carey is the community outreach manager for Nuclear Care Partners, a group that assists former uranium and atomic workers with the red tape of federal benefits from the Energy Employee Occupational Illness Program Act and offers in-home care for former atomic workers who suffered serious illness from exposure.

Cold war mining

There are hundreds of Wyomingites who worked in uranium mining, milling and ore hauling prior to 1972, and as such, may qualify for one of the branches of coverage offered by the federal government. The benefits are tied to federal employment, but not directly. Most miners and atomic workers pre-1972 were essentially subcontractors for the federal government, she said.

The federal government has a number of compensation programs for former workers whose sickness today is tied to the Cold War arms race and the atomic bomb studies that fueled the uranium and atomic industries. A number of initiatives have attempted to secure compensation for uranium miners, millers and ore haulers following the 1972 cutoff.

There are nearly 30,000 former workers receiving benefits nationally, and more than 300 Wyomingites who have filed claims, Hays Carey said.

But every year there are more workers that Hays Carey runs into in Wyoming. She is based in Idaho, but travels to Wyoming for programs such as Wednesday’s luncheon in Casper.

Many of the workers she meets are aware of the benefits but have been denied.

That’s usually what I deal with when I come,” she said. “They didn’t file correctly; they didn’t turn in the right information. I love to look at those because it is easy to get the right information.”

Lying in wait

The health concerns tied to exposure to radiation and other toxins can be severe, but they can also lie dormant. People get older, they have health issues and they don’t always realize that the root cause could be from their past jobs, Hays Carey said.

Someone will come down with pneumonia and their lungs can’t properly fight it. That’s when the doctor may notice a more serious underlying issue……

Chronic lung issues, cancer and fibrosis are among the most common illness tied to historic uranium mining, inhaling uranium decay products or repeated exposure to gamma radiation.

There are a handful of states where the mining, milling and ore hauling workers mostly resided. Wyoming is one of those states, along with Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. To a lesser extent, mining was also happening in North Dakota and Idaho……..https://trib.com/business/energy/uranium-workers-can-face-illnesses-decades-later-many-workers-don/article_9765ea6c-cb6f-5209-8527-20e6863f1aa6.html

 

January 15, 2019 Posted by | health, Uranium, USA | 2 Comments

Hawaiian electric submits plans for seven solar-plus storage projects — RenewEconomy

Hawaii utility announces seven grid-scale solar-plus-storage projects to add approximately 262MW of solar energy and 1,048MWh of energy storage to the islands. The post Hawaiian electric submits plans for seven solar-plus storage projects appeared first on RenewEconomy.

via Hawaiian electric submits plans for seven solar-plus storage projects — RenewEconomy

January 15, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

El Paso announces 200MW of solar, 100MW of energy storage — RenewEconomy

Texas electric utility announces winning bids for its 2017 request for proposals, including a total of 200MW of utility-scale solar and 100MW of battery storage. The post El Paso announces 200MW of solar, 100MW of energy storage appeared first on RenewEconomy.

via El Paso announces 200MW of solar, 100MW of energy storage — RenewEconomy

January 15, 2019 Posted by | Uncategorized | Leave a comment

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