nuclear-news

Problems of foreign ownership hamper USA’s nuclear power expansion

Nuclear expansion review halted over foreign ownership worries Chron.com, By TRACY IDELL HAMILTON,  December 14, 2011 The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has suspended its review of the foreign ownership portion of the application to expand the South Texas Project nuclear plant over concerns that the owners haven’t done enough to ensure domestic control of the plant.

Toshiba Corp., based in Japan, could obtain an 85 percent ownership stake in the two nuclear plants proposed for the site outside of Bay City, the NRC found, meaning the company could have “the power to exercise ownership, control or domination over NINA,” or Nuclear
Innovation North America.

NINA is a partnership between Toshiba and NRG Energy, which shares ownership of STP’s existing nuclear plants with CPS Energy and Austin Energy…..
The commission asked NRG for more information on its “foreign ownership Negation Action Plan,” in late summer and fall, but that information appears to be insufficient…..http://www.chron.com/business/article/Nuclear-expansion-review-halted-over-foreign-2403395.php

December 15, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | Leave a comment

USA nuclear industry – delays, shut downs, security problems

Nuclear uncertainty High Country News, Marian Lyman Kirst, 13 Dec 11, The American nuclear industry had some serious shade thrown its way in  the wake of Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi power plant disaster. Almost a year later, U.S. nuclear still can’t seem to catch a break. On Wednesday, Gregory Jaczko, the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, announced that the agency will likely face delays in renewing licenses for 14 existing nuclear reactors as well as its review of license applications for the construction of two new reactors, the first such applications in more than 30 years.

Workers at nuclear plants in Ohio and Nebraska were exposed to higher than expected radiation levels, Jaczko said, while three other plants were shut down for months because of safety concerns — the first time in more than decade that several plants have been shut down at the same time.
From The Associated Press:The Crystal River nuclear plant in Florida and Fort Calhoun in Nebraska remain shut down, while the earthquake-damaged North Anna plant in Virginia reopened last month after being shut down for three months.

Jaczko is particularly concerned about the ability of plants, old and new, to deal with natural disaster-caused blackouts like the tsunami triggered flooding that led to meltdowns in the Fukushima reactors….

December 14, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | Leave a comment

Georgia’s utility customers will pay up for delays in nuclear plant project

Since Southern Co. subsidiary Georgia Power is a regulated utility, its 2.4 million customers must pay for the project and could be on the hook for reimbursing the company for cost overruns.

The project is being built using borrowed money, so construction delays might increase financing costs and ultimately raise the pricetag for utility customers.

Federal officials have not yet given the project key approvals
necessary to start major construction work, 

Watchdog says Southern nuclear plant faces delays Bloomberg, By RAY HENRY, 7 Dec 11 The Southern Co. continues to face “significant challenges” building the country’s first brand-new nuclear plant on time and without exceeding its share of the roughly $6 billion budget, a state watchdog said in a report released Monday. Continue reading →

December 8, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | Leave a comment

For USA’s nuclear industry – could things get any worse?

Nuclear’s Annus Horribilis, AOL, Margaret Ryan, November 30, 2011 For the nuclear industry, 2011 was Biblical. Earthquakes. Tsunamis. Tornadoes. Floods. Fires. 2011 had everything but plagues of locusts.

Since 2001, nuclear critics had been worried about airplanes smashing into plants or dirty bombs. This year nature reminded everyone it can still throw a haymaker, and the reverberations from 2011’s onslaught appear set to dominate US nuclear power in 2011

March 2011 brought the 9.0 magnitude earthquake off northeastern Japan that sparked a tsunami whose waves may have exceeded 45 feet. Tokyo Electric Power Company’s oldest nuclear station, Fukushima Daiichi, apparently survived the earthquake, but its four oldest reactors didn’t survive that wall of water. Nuclear experts are still figuring out what all went wrong, and tens of thousands still haven’t returned home as Japanese authorities try to decontaminate radioactive hot spots.

In April, massive tornadoes that devastated the southeast swept near the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Browns Ferry plant.

In June, droughts sparked wildfires across the Southwest, including one that threatened the Los Alamos National Laboratory, where nuclear weapons materials are stored.

June also brought record floods across the upper Midwest. For weeks Omaha Public Power District’s Fort Calhoun nuclear plant was essentially an island.

August saw the 5.8 magnitude Virginia earthquake just 11 miles from Dominion Energy’s North Anna plant. The plant shut safely, and returned to service mid-November after extensive checks found no damage even though ground motion briefly exceeded the plant’s design.

Aging Generation Giants All these challenges resurrected questions about the robustness of America’s nuclear fleet as reactors begin to pass the 40-year mark. That was once considered the operating limit, but with safety backfits, regular material checks and planned component replacements, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission says reactors can operate for 60 years. More than half of the 104 reactors in the US have been licensed to do so…..

“most” people in the industry recognize the need to take 2011’s warnings seriously. “They don’t want to be the next Fukushima,”….. “No one wants to lose a billion dollar asset.”….

December 1, 2011 Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, USA | Leave a comment