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Friends of the Earth and Sierra Club saw it coming – corruption is killing the nuclear industry

Friends of the Earth and Sierra club saw it coming

Public interest intervenors were prescient in their early assessments of the project. Friends of the Earth, which intervened before the Public Service Commission against the project in August 2008, noted SCANA’s disregard for energy efficiency and alternative forms of energy. That organization predicted that the project’s fate would be what the US Attorney’s Office affirmed in the August 18, 2021 indictment: “from the outset, the Project was characterized by cost overruns and significant delays.” Likewise, toward the end of the project in June 2017, just after Westinghouse declared bankruptcy, Friends of the Earth and the Sierra Club filed a formal complaint detailing why the project must be canceled. As money hemorrhaged, the owners made that earth-shaking decision a month later. And the mighty crash still reverberates.

With pursuit of large light-water reactors in the United States all but dead, the nuclear industry is now endlessly touting an array of “small modular reactors” and a dizzying menu of so-called “advanced reactors,” all of which exist only on paper. It’s unclear if there’s a path forward for this nuclear renaissance redux, and if there is, whether taxpayers will be put on the hook for financing some of it.

US attorney details illegal acts in construction projects, sealing the fate of the “nuclear renaissance”  https://thebulletin.org/2021/08/us-attorney-details-illegal-acts-at-construction-projects-sealing-the-fate-of-the-nuclear-renaissance/By Tom Clements | August 31, 2021

The ill-fated construction of new nuclear reactors in South Carolina—one of two such troubled Westinghouse reactor construction projects in the United States—was abruptly terminated on July 31, 2017, but the effort to determine legal accountability for the project’s colossal failure is only now hitting its stride.

The South Carolina legislature conducted hearings about the project’s collapse. But it has fallen to the United States Attorney for South Carolina to outline internal decisions that led to project abandonment—via court filings, plea agreements, and indictments. These filings are proving to be the best documentation so far of criminal behavior related to projects that were part of a much-hyped “nuclear renaissance” that began in the early-2000s but has since petered out in the United States.

On August 18, 2021, a second Westinghouse official was charged in a federal grand jury indictment filed with the court in Columbia, South Carolina. The charges outline “the scheme” to cover up key details about the problem-plagued project to construct two 1,100 megawatt (MW) Westinghouse AP1000 light-water reactors at the VC Summer site north of Columbia.

The project was initiated in May 2008 and gained final approval in February 2009.

According to the 18-page indictment, former Senior Vice President of New Plants and Major Projects Jeffrey Benjamin “had first-line responsibility for Westinghouse’s nuclear reactors worldwide.” He was charged, according to a news release, “with sixteen felony counts including conspiracy, wire fraud, securities fraud, and causing a publicly-traded company to keep a false record.” On August 30, the US attorney’s office announced that Benjamin would be arraigned on August 31.

The indictment reveals important new information about how Benjamin and Westinghouse conspired to hide crucial information about reactor completion dates from the owners, the publicly held utility SCANA, now defunct, and its junior partner, the state-owned South Carolina Public Service Authority (known as Santee Cooper). It states that the defendant made “false and misleading statements” and “knowingly devised a scheme” to continue the project based on misrepresentations via Westinghouse to the owners, state regulators, the Securities and Exchange Commission, investors, and ratepayers. Nervous SCANA officials played along with the inept cover-up efforts and passed on false and inaccurate information to regulators.

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September 4, 2021 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | Leave a comment

Hurricane Ida Forces Two Nuclear Plants in Louisiana to Shut Down or Reduce Power 


Hurricane Ida Forces Two Nuclear Plants in Louisiana to Shut Down or Reduce Power https://obrag.org/2021/09/hurricane-ida-forces-two-nuclear-plants-in-louisiana-to-shut-down-or-reduce-power/

by MICHAEL STEINBERG on SEPTEMBER 3, 2021 ·  Nuclear Shutdown News August 2021

By Michael Steinberg / Black Rain Press

Nuclear Shutdown News chronicles the decline and fall of the nuclear industry, and highlights the efforts of those working to create a nuclear free world.

On August 29, 2021, 16 years to the day when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and environs, Hurricane Ida made landfall twice as a Category 4 storm. Its 150 mph winds raced through the Crescent City, and up cancer alley, by Baton Rouge, an area replete with petrochemical facilities whose surrounding African American populations have high rates of serious health care problems in the best of times.

Almost all of the Gulf coast’s offshore refineries were forced to shut down and a million or more lost electrical power, including all of New Orleans.

Complicating this catastrophe was the loss of two nuclear plants, both upriver from New Orleans and owned by Entergy Corporation. According to an 8-30 report by S &P Global, Entergy shut down its Waterford nuke plant on 8-29 “after off-site electrical power was lost because of Hurricane Ida.”

According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the plant was disconnected from the electrical grid that day “per procedures as storm winds elevated.”

The following day, the River Bend nuclear plant, 25 miles north of New Orleans, “reduced power to 35% of capacity.” The unit reduced power at the request of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Entergy’s Mike Bowling said.

“The action was to preserve the integrity of the grid in the wake of Hurrican Ida” Bowling added.

At this point, when the lights will come on is anybody’s guess.

September 4, 2021 Posted by | climate change, USA | Leave a comment

We can reduce the nuclear danger, contacting politicians, joining Back from the Brink

 Danger of nuclear war increasing   https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/opinion/letters/2021/09/03/letter-danger-nuclear-war-increasing/5574644001/ Margaret Squires, Bloomington

Danger of nuclear war is rising. International tensions are growing, and Congress plans to spend billions to “modernize” our nuclear arsenal, including paying for weapons that will increase the chance of nuclear war–so-called “usable nukes” and vulnerable land-based missiles.

A nuclear exchange, begun by war, accident or cyber attack, would be devastating. Even a “small” nuclear war, using 3% of world nuclear arsenals, would kill over a quarter of the world’s population as clouds of debris block sunlight from food crops. War between the United States and Russia could extinguish life on Earth.

We can reduce our danger. We can contact Members of Congress and also support “Back from the Brink,” a national grassroots campaign working toward abolition of nuclear weapons and basic changes in U.S. nuclear weapons policy, such as seeking an agreement among nuclear powers to eliminate their nuclear arsenals, taking our weapons off hair-trigger alert and canceling the plan to “modernize” our nuclear arsenal.

Over 50 municipalities, four states, dozens of faith groups and many other organizations have passed resolutions endorsing this campaign. Such resolutions helped the Nuclear Freeze Movement of the 1980s to succeed. We can build strength to turn the tide of nuclear danger.

September 4, 2021 Posted by | ACTION, USA, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Illinois nuclear subsidy law – too late for Exelon’s Byron and Dresden nuclear plants

Time running out for Exelon’s Byron and Dresden nuclear plants as Illinois Senate passes major energy bill, Utiliy Dive, Sept. 2, 2021 By Scott Van Voorhis   ”’……… 

  • Senate Bill 18 provides hundreds of millions in subsidies to keep the state’s nuclear power sector open, with Exelon preparing to shut down its Byron nuclear plant Sept. 13.
  • But the legislation, which still needs to pass the House, faces 11th hour hurdles: Gov. J.B. Pritzker, D, is raising objections to a key part of the plan dealing with the large Prairie State coal-fired plant.

……….The Illinois Senate’s clean energy package provides more than $600 million in subsidies for renewable power-related initiatives, and nearly $700 million over five years for the state’s struggling nuclear power sector.

However, Illinois’ governor has raised objections to a key piece of the deal, which would require the municipally-owned Prairie State coal-fired plant, the largest carbon emitting power plant in Illinois and one of the largest in the nation, to shut down by 2045
ssed before Exelon moves ahead with its closure plans.

….. The governor’s objections raise the prospect of legislative negotiations going down to the wire, with roughly 10 days, or even less, for a final bill to get pa…….. Exelon, which owns six nuclear plants in the state, has said it plans to close its Byron plant on Sept. 13 unless the bill passes.

But the real deadline is even tighter than that, with the legislation needing to clear before Sept. 13 in order to keep the plant open, Exelon noted in a statement.

….. The governor’s objections raise the prospect of legislative negotiations going down to the wire, with roughly 10 days, or even less, for a final bill to get pa…….. Exelon, which owns six nuclear plants in the state, has said it plans to close its Byron plant on Sept. 13 unless the bill passes.

But the real deadline is even tighter than that, with the legislation needing to clear before Sept. 13 in order to keep the plant open, Exelon noted in a statement.

……. “To be clear, Byron will run out of fuel and will permanently shut down on September 13 unless legislation is enacted,” the spokesperson stated. “We have been clear that we cannot refuel Byron on September 13 or Dresden in November absent policy changes.”  ……………….. https://www.utilitydive.com/news/time-running-out-for-exelons-byron-and-dresden-nuclear-plants-as-illinois/605981/

September 4, 2021 Posted by | politics, USA | Leave a comment

Daunting costs of nuclear clean-ups


Daunting nuclear cleanup costs, Partial reactor meltdown at Three Mile Island in the US cost about $1bn  https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/letters/2021-09-02-letter-daunting-nuclear-cleanup-costs/ Peter Smulik  02 SEPTEMBER 2021- What every young South African needs to know now is how much it will cost their generation when it comes to cleaning up after nuclear power plants (“Nuclear build plan alarms energy analysts”, August 30).   Three Mile Island in the US is a case in point: after the partial reactor meltdown of March 28 1979 the cleanup started in August 1979 and only officially ended in December 1993, at a total cost of about $1bn. That was just unit 2, which developed the incident. A preliminary assessment estimated that the Three Mile Island accident caused a total of $2.4bn in property damages.

As for unit 1: in 2017 it was announced that operations would cease by 2019 due to financial pressure from cheap natural gas, unless legislators stepped in to keep it open. When it became clear that subsidy legislation would not pass any time soon Exelon decided to retire the plant, and Three Mile Island-1 was shut down by September 30 2019. Exelon says it will take nearly 60 years and a further $1.2bn to completely decommission the Dauphin County site.

Meanwhile, more than 240 organisations have demanded that these bailouts be omitted from the state budget and funds be directed to investing in carbon-free, nuclear-free clean energy.  Sixteen of the organisations are from Illinois, the most nuclear-reliant state in the US, which is considering a $700m Exelon nuclear bailout in upcoming state energy legislation.

These are facts, not pipedreams or pies in the sky. Enough said.

September 4, 2021 Posted by | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

Nuclear waste – a heavy burden on the public of New Mexico


WIPP: New panels to dispose of nuclear waste, Adrian Hedden Carlsbad Current-Argus . 3 Sept 21, Two new spaces to hold nuclear waste were planned to be built at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, and they could be slightly bigger to allow for equipment needed to handle higher radioactive waste.

The proposal for the new panels came as officials worked to replace disposal capacity they said was lost during an accidental radiological release in 2014.

In 2014, a mispackaged drum of waste in WIPP’s underground repository ruptured, releasing radiation into the air of the underground and contaminating multiple areas of the facility.

Storage space was lost in three panels where transuranic (TRU) waste – comprised of clothing materials and equipment irradiated during nuclear activities – is permanently disposed of, and officials believed the site would need two additional panels to replace the lost space……………………….

The new panels will also be separated by 300 feet of rock, compared with 200 feet for the additional panels, and abutment pillars to support the rock above and assist with ground control will be 400 feet wide compared to 200 feet in the past.

…………….. Joni Arends for Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety argued the DOE was holding multiple PMR processes at once, efforts that appeared rushed and creating a challenge for the public to keep track and provide adequate analysis.

………….. Along with the replacement panels, WIPP was also conducting a PMR for a new utility shaft which was hoped to be approved later this year after a temporary authorization (TA) to build the shaft was not renewed last year by NMED which cited rising COVID-19 infections at the site.

Meanwhile, a 10-year renewal of WIPP’s operations permit was ongoing with a decision from NMED expected to be issue next year.

“The burden on the public is becoming heavier and heavier,” Arends said. “I do need to make a comment that the burden the DOE is putting on the people of New Mexico is a heavy burden.” https://www.currentargus.com/story/news/local/2021/09/03/new-panels-wipp-bigger-hold-more-radioactive-nuclear-waste/5689186001/

September 4, 2021 Posted by | USA, wastes | Leave a comment

Advanced nuclear reactors need the government to create a market – nuclear loves socialism

……….………. Advanced reactors are in a position where they need a HALEU supply for commercialization of their technology to be possible, but there needs to be commercial market with demand for the fuel in place for the HALEU supply to get off the ground, according to nuclear engineer Matthew Corradini, a professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin. “It’s a chicken and egg situation,” he said

One solution proposed by NEI is for the federal government to create the market ………….

Nuclear reactors of the future have a fuel problem, Utility Dive

Higher levels of uranium enrichment can unlock value from smaller and simpler reactors, but they come with new hurdles that the nuclear industry says only the federal government can address. Aug. 30, 2021 By Matthew Bandyk

President Joe Biden entered office being hailed by nuclear power advocates as perhaps the most pro-nuclear-energy president ever. He followed up his campaign trail discussions of nuclear energy as a necessary source of carbon-free emissions with a budget that proposed a record-setting $1.85 billion for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Nuclear Energy

But many in the nuclear industry are concerned that the budget does not sufficiently address a problem that could prevent nuclear reactors of the future from being able to function. The impasse would stand even if technological advancements to make nuclear energy technology cheaper and easier to operate are realized. Some of the most prominent of these next-generation reactor designs can only run on a fuel for which there is no commercial supply chain currently — and building that supply chain could take years and lots of political will, according to reactor developers and nuclear fuel supply companies alike.

The nuclear industry, beset by massive cost overruns in the construction of current-generation reactors, has placed its hopes for new nuclear capacity in “advanced” or “next-generation” reactor designs, a broad category that includes everything from smaller versions of conventional light-water reactors to designs that eschew water entirely in favor of other cooling substances in the nuclear core like helium or salt. These reactors have the potential to help achieve decarbonization goals [an unlikely claim, and certainly not in time for the urgent climate need] by replacing fossil fuel plants, powering the production of clean hydrogen and firming renewable energy, among other possibilities. Several companies are developing designs and targeting deployment of their first commercial demonstration projects over the next decade.

Both the Biden and Trump administrations have supported research and development efforts toward advanced reactors, and Congress has passed legislation intended to streamline the regulatory path ahead. But the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the primary trade association for the nuclear industry, argues that if advanced reactors are to succeed, the federal government needs to do much more to create a domestic market for this fuel. “The commercialization of many advanced nuclear technologies is in jeopardy,” NEI President and CEO Maria Korsnick said in a 2020 letter to then-U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette.

The biggest policy change advocated by NEI is for the federal government to sign a contract with a nuclear fuel supplier to essentially create a new market.

Both the Biden and Trump administrations have supported research and development efforts toward advanced reactors, and Congress has passed legislation intended to streamline the regulatory path ahead. But the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), the primary trade association for the nuclear industry, argues that if advanced reactors are to succeed, the federal government needs to do much more to create a domestic market for this fuel. “The commercialization of many advanced nuclear technologies is in jeopardy,” NEI President and CEO Maria Korsnick said in a 2020 letter to then-U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette.

What is HALEU?

What most of the advanced reactor developers seeking Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approval have in common, however, is that they would not be fueled by the form of uranium used in most nuclear power plants operating around the world today. Rather, they would use a form that is more highly enriched — or, to be more specific, has been made into a more fissionable form by using technology such as centrifuges to alter the balance of protons and neutrons in the uranium……….

TerraPower, the Bill Gates-funded startup that is developing the Natrium sodium fast reactor with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy, is also banking on HALEU. While, at 345-MW, the Natrium reactor is much larger than Oklo’s, TerraPower’s design also relies on the high uranium-235 content of HALEU to allow the reactor to run efficiently, particularly when ramping up or down to follow changes in load driven by renewable energy. TerraPower declined to comment for this story. The startup and Centrus have said they plan to work together to expand HALEU production after Centrus’s DOE contract ends in 2022.

……………….. Advanced reactors are in a position where they need a HALEU supply for commercialization of their technology to be possible, but there needs to be commercial market with demand for the fuel in place for the HALEU supply to get off the ground, according to nuclear engineer Matthew Corradini, a professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin. “It’s a chicken and egg situation,” he said

One solution proposed by NEI is for the federal government to create the market ………….   https://www.utilitydive.com/news/nuclear-reactors-of-the-future-have-a-fuel-problem/604707/

September 2, 2021 Posted by | politics, technology, USA | Leave a comment

Since 9/11, US Has Spent $21 Trillion on Militarism at Home and Abroad

Since 9/11, US Has Spent $21 Trillion on Militarism at Home and Abroad  https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/09/01/911-us-has-spent-21-trillion-militarism-home-and-abroad“Our $21 trillion investment in militarism has cost far more than dollars.” JAKE JOHNSONSeptember 1, 2021

In the 20 years since the September 11 attacks, the United States government has spent more than $21 trillion at home and overseas on militaristic policies that led to the creation of a vast surveillance apparatus, worsened mass incarceration, intensified the war on immigrant communities, and caused incalculable human suffering in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Libya, Somalia, and elsewhere.

According to State of Insecurity: The Cost of Militarization Since 9/11 (pdf), a report released Wednesday by the National Priorities Project, the U.S. government’s so-called “War on Terror” has “remade the U.S. into a more militarized actor both around the world and at home” by pouring vast resources into the Pentagon, federal law enforcement, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), an agency established in response to the September 11 attacks.

Released in the wake of the final withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan after two decades of devastating war and occupation, the new report argues that the Taliban’s rapid takeover of the country “raises deep questions about our military investments to date.”

“Twenty years ago, we were promised a vision of the War on Terror that did not come to pass: that Afghanistan would not become a quagmire, or that the Iraq War would be over in ‘five weeks or five days or five months’ and cost a mere $60 billion,” the report notes. “As the country went to war and refocused domestic security spending on terrorism, few had any inkling of the far-reaching ramifications for the military, veterans, immigration, or domestic law enforcement.”

The National Priorities Project (NPP), an initiative of the Institute for Policy Studies, estimates that of the $21 trillion the U.S. invested in “foreign and domestic militarization” in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, $16 trillion went to the military, $3 trillion to veterans’ programs, $949 billion to DHS, and $732 billion to federal law enforcement.

In addition to fueling death and destruction overseas, the new report stresses that spending on overseas wars heightened domestic militarization, making police crackdowns on dissent at home even more violent.

There is evidence that the War on Terror drove transfers of military equipment to police, as surges ended and the Pentagon looked to divest from surplus equipment,” the analysis notes. “Transfers in 2010, when the military was still deeply engaged in the War on Terror, totaled $30 million. Over the next few years, the U.S. pulled forces out of Iraq, and military equipment transfers skyrocketed, peaking at $386 million in 2014. Today, transfers are still far higher than they were early in the War on Terror, totaling $152 million in 2020 and $101 million in just the first half of 2021.”

Lindsay Koshgarian, program director of NPP and lead author of the new report, said in a statement Wednesday that “our $21 trillion investment in militarism has cost far more than dollars.”

There is evidence that the War on Terror drove transfers of military equipment to police, as surges ended and the Pentagon looked to divest from surplus equipment,” the analysis notes. “Transfers in 2010, when the military was still deeply engaged in the War on Terror, totaled $30 million. Over the next few years, the U.S. pulled forces out of Iraq, and military equipment transfers skyrocketed, peaking at $386 million in 2014. Today, transfers are still far higher than they were early in the War on Terror, totaling $152 million in 2020 and $101 million in just the first half of 2021.”

Lindsay Koshgarian, program director of NPP and lead author of the new report, said in a statement Wednesday that “our $21 trillion investment in militarism has cost far more than dollars.”

  • $4.5 trillion could fully decarbonize the U.S. electric grid;
  • $2.3 trillion could create five million $15-per-hour jobs with benefits and cost-of-living adjustments for 10 years;
  • $1.7 trillion could erase student debt;
  • $449 billion could continue the extended Child Tax Credit for another 10 years;
  • $200 billion could guarantee free preschool for every 3-and-4-year old for 10 years, and raise teacher pay; and
  • $25 billion could provide Covid vaccines for the population of low-income countries.
  • The NPP report was published on same day that Brown University’s Costs of War Project released a new analysis estimating that U.S.-led post-9/11 wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere have killed at least 929,000 people—a figure deemed likely to be a “vast undercount”—and cost more than $8 trillion.”The end of the war in Afghanistan represents a chance to reinvest in our real needs,” Koshgarian said Wednesday. “Twenty years from now, we could live in a world made safer by investments in infrastructure, job creation, support for families, public health, and new energy systems, if we are willing to take a hard look at our priorities.”

September 2, 2021 Posted by | business and costs, USA, weapons and war | Leave a comment

Oblivion and 9 Other Best Dystopian Films About Nuclear War

Oblivion & 9 Other Best Dystopian Films About Nuclear War

Whether they show the build-up, detonation, or aftermath of a nuclear war, these movies portray those disasters better than others. Screen Rant BY TRICIA MAWIRE, 1 Sept 21,  Nothing is more thrilling and simultaneously terrifying like a film about nuclear war. From the build-up to the detonation and aftermath of the attack, every minute is an emotional experience using fiction to show the grim reality of such a disaster. Although not all these movies show a post-apocalyptic dystopian world, those that do paint quite a picture of what life would be like when disaster strikes.

……On The Beach (1959)………………    . With the central theme being the end of the world, there are no happy endings in this one, even for the romance storyline which has a tragic ending.   


Dr. Strangelove (1964)……….  As one of Stanley Kubrick’s best productions, the film combines humor and the doom and gloom of nuclear warfare to create a feeling of comic dread throughout its run. ……..


Testament (1983)…………. Testament is an emotionally devastating film with an accurate depiction of the fallout of a nuclear war. The factual accuracy of the impact and effects of such a disaster are haunting, leaving a heartwrenching image in the minds of all who watch the movie.

Special Bulletin (1983)………. a group of terrorists threatens to detonate a homemade nuclear device if the U.S. government doesn’t agree to hand over the triggers for their nuclear weapons. 
The Day After (1983)………  depicts ordinary people living their lives, the terrifying build-up to the disaster, and the aftermath of the nuclear attack. This approach shows the audience how easily an ordinary day can turn tragic within seconds.

Threads (1984)………..  struggles to survive the post-apocalyptic world where food has become the only thing of value and the cause of many fights……  Most dystopian movies about nuclear war have a grim tone, but Threads takes it a notch higher. It shows the horrifying reality of a nuclear war, highlighting the message that no one wins when it comes to such a tragedy. From the beginning right until the heartbreaking end, Threads is unrelentingly dreadful.

When The Wind Blows (1986)……..Despite the animated nature of the film, it captures the couple’s emotions throughout the attack in a way that’s touching and relatable……Miracle Mile (1988)………. mainly focuses on the leading moments before the attack, capturing Harry’s panic and the doubts of the unconfirmed attack he keeps warning others about….

The Divide (2011) ………. an interesting take on a post-apocalyptic world that captures the sentiment “survival of the fittest” in a brutal way. It holds the audience’s attention but is one of those creepy movies fans wouldn’t watch twice.

Oblivion (2013)……   The post-apocalyptic action flick paints a gruesome picture of a war-torn planet….  https://screenrant.com/oblivion-best-dystopian-films-about-nuclear-war/

September 2, 2021 Posted by | media, USA | Leave a comment

Uranium prices and the true financial and climate costs of the Megatons to megawatts program

the Russian price the Americans paid for fuel from bombs bears no relationship to the actual costs of producing it, not only in money, but in greenhouse CO2 pumped into the atmosphere.

Megatons to Megawatts’: Prices and true costs of nuclear energy, SEP 1, 2021 KELVIN S. RODOLFO, Rappler.com

Clearly, the uranium market is not a free one in any sense of the word, and never will be’The following is the 13th in a series of excerpts from Kelvin Rodolfo’s ongoing book project “Tilting at the Monster of Morong: Forays Against the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and Global Nuclear Energy.”
Promoters of nuclear power say it’s “cheap.” If you want to invest in it, however, look at how fickle uranium prices have been. Over time, they have varied by more than eight times!

Clearly, the uranium market is not a free one in any sense of the word, and never will be’The following is the 13th in a series of excerpts from Kelvin Rodolfo’s ongoing book project “Tilting at the Monster of Morong: Forays Against the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant and Global Nuclear Energy.”
Promoters of nuclear power say it’s “cheap.” If you want to invest in it, however, look at how fickle uranium prices have been. Over time, they have varied by more than eight times!

Besides satisfying Russia’s urgent needed for cash, selling this cheap Megatons to Megawatts fuel was a means to two ends. The first is much-extolled: to shrink the huge global stockpiles of nuclear weaponry. But has the project really made us safer?


All the world’s nuclear weapons have declined from as many as 70,300 in 1986 to about 13,890 in early-2019. The reduction happened mostly during the 1990s. But today’s weapons are much more lethal; the nuclear countries, instead of planning to disarm, are retaining large arsenals, making new weapons, and increasing their use in geopolitics.

The second, central role of Megatons to Megawatts was to keep nuclear power financially affordable, so the power industry would continue to use it. Now that the Russian leadership is better-off financially, it is less eager to trade bombs for electricity, and the jittery global realpolitik may well also direct more uranium away from fuel and back to weapons once again.

Finally, and most importantly: what did the reactor uranium made from old Soviet warheads really cost in treasure, and in greenhouse CO2? We know the market price of this new fuel, but what were the true costs of its manufacture, from its mining, milling, enrichment to weapons grade, then its dilution back down into reactor fuel?

During the mad rush to gain nuclear equality with the US, the Russians spared no expense. Their oldest weapons contained uranium that had been enriched with technologies that used about 40 to 60 times more electricity for every kilo of highly-enriched uranium than modern centrifuges do. And more energy, money, and CO2 emissions were used to dilute that warhead uranium back.

Finally, and most importantly: what did the reactor uranium made from old Soviet warheads really cost in treasure, and in greenhouse CO2? We know the market price of this new fuel, but what were the true costs of its manufacture, from its mining, milling, enrichment to weapons grade, then its dilution back down into reactor fuel?

During the mad rush to gain nuclear equality with the US, the Russians spared no expense. Their oldest weapons contained uranium that had been enriched with technologies that used about 40 to 60 times more electricity for every kilo of highly-enriched uranium than modern centrifuges do. And more energy, money, and CO2 emissions were used to dilute that warhead uranium back down to reactor grade, for which work the Russians eventually received $8 billion.In short, the Russian price the Americans paid for fuel from bombs bears no relationship to the actual costs of producing it, not only in money, but in greenhouse CO2 pumped into the atmosphere. A later Foray will evaluate the true costs in greenhouse CO2 for making nuclear fuel. On top of  whatever values we arrive at, we must recognize that significant but forever unknowable amounts were generated by Megatons to Megawatts.

Our next Foray is about the intricate entanglement between nuclear weapons and nuclear power. – Rappler.com  https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/opinion-megatons-megawatts-prices-true-costs-nuclear-energy

September 2, 2021 Posted by | business and costs, Uranium, USA, weapons and war | 1 Comment

Illinois very soon to vote on a Bill for the state to prop up the nuclear industry

Gina McCarthy, President Joe Biden’s climate adviser, has said existing nuclear plants are “absolutely essential” to hit U.S. goals to decarbonize the electric grid by 2035 and the administration has supported federal incentives for the nuclear in

Illinois could vote Tuesday on bill that aims to save nuclear plants,   By Timothy Gardner,  Aug 31 (Reuters) – The Illinois legislature is edging closer to a vote as soon as Tuesday on a bill that aims to prevent two nuclear power plants from shutting, as the owner moves to close the first plant next month unless the state acts.

The legislature could vote in a special session on a compromise of a wide-ranging energy bill, introduced Monday, or a narrow version of it that would allow nuclear plants to earn carbon mitigation credits for generating virtually emissions-free power  [not really emissions-free, considering the whole nuclear fuel chain]. Tuesday’s session is on legislative mapping, but could include the energy bill vote………..

Lawmakers were set to meet on Tuesday to consider a measure on the bill.

Exelon Corp (EXC.O) has said it will close the Byron nuclear plant in mid September and the Dresden plant in November if a state or federal program does not come to the rescue.

Gina McCarthy, President Joe Biden’s climate adviser, has said existing nuclear plants are “absolutely essential” to hit U.S. goals to decarbonize the electric grid by 2035 and the administration has supported federal incentives for the nuclear industry.

September 2, 2021 Posted by | politics, USA | 1 Comment

Illinois Senate passes bill to save nuclear plants

Illinois Senate passes bill to save nuclear plants, sends to House, By Timothy Gardner  Sept 1 (Reuters) – The Illinois Senate passed a bill early on Wednesday that aims to prevent two nuclear power plants from shutting this autumn, sending the legislation to the House where it was uncertain if the chamber would bring the legislation to a vote.

The Senate voted 39-16 to pass a wide-ranging energy bill, with two senators voting “present.” The bill contains more than $600 million in carbon mitigation credits for nuclear plants which generate virtually emissions-free electricity. [that’s as long as you ignore the full nuclear fuel chain]


U.S. nuclear plants have been struggling to compete with wind and solar farms and plants that burn low-cost natural gas. Exelon Corp has said it will close its Byron nuclear plant in mid-September and its Dresden plant in November if a state or federal program does not come to the rescue.

It was uncertain whether the House would move fast enough to pass the legislation to prevent the shutting of the first plant, located in Byron, Illinois…….. https://www.reuters.com/article/usa-nuclearpower-illinois-idUSL1N2Q31QZ—

September 2, 2021 Posted by | politics, USA | Leave a comment

Westinghouse Electric Co has paid $21bn and will co-operate with federal investigators over South Carolina nuclear fraud.

Failed nuclear contractor signs $21M deal, working with feds,  https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/failed-nuclear-contractor-signs-21m-deal-working-feds-79721520

The chief contractor at a failed multibillion-dollar project to build two nuclear reactors in South Carolina has agreed to pay more than $20 million as part of a cooperation agreement with federal authorities probing the fiasco, By MEG KINNARD Associated Press31 August 2021  COLUMBIA, S.C.

The chief contractor at a failed multibillion-dollar project to build two nuclear reactors in South Carolina has agreed to pay more than $20 million as part of a cooperation agreement with federal authorities probing the fiasco.

Under an agreement announced Monday by Acting U.S. Attorney Rhett DeHart, Westinghouse Electric Co. will contribute $5 million to a program intended to assist low-income ratepayers affected by the project’s failure. Another payment of $16.25 million will be due before July 1, 2022.

The company will also be required to cooperate with federal investigators still probing the company’s role in the 2017 debacle, which cost ratepayers and investors billions and left nearly 6,000 people jobless.

Westinghouse was the lead contractor on the construction of two new reactors at the V.C. Summer Nuclear Station in Jenkinsville, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Columbia. South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. parent company SCANA Corp. and state-owned utility company Santee Cooper spent nearly $10 billion on the project before halting construction in 2017 following Westinghouse’s bankruptcy.

The collapse of the V.C. Summer project spawned multiple lawsuits, some by ratepayers who said company executives knew the project was doomed and misled consumers and regulators as they petitioned for a series of rate hikes. Three top-level executives have already pleaded guilty in the multi-year federal fraud investigation. A fourth has been charged and is expected in federal court Tuesday.

Earlier this year, a federal judge signed off on a plan to disperse $192 million among former SCANA shareholders, a settlement that attorneys for the investors said was the largest securities class action recovery obtained in South Carolina when a judge approved it last year.

On Monday, DeHart said Westinghouse has given federal investigators more than three million pages of documents, data and correspondences and made employee witnesses available for interviews. Through its former parent company Toshiba, Westinghouse has also made more than $2 billion in settlement payments related to the project.

Since the failure, Westinghouse has removed, reassigned or retrained its senior management, elected a new board and implemented new financial controls, according to DeHart.

“Our office continues to seek justice for the victims of the V.C. Summer Project failure,” DeHart said in a news release. “Westinghouse’s cooperation is vital to our ongoing efforts to hold accountable the individuals most responsible for this debacle.” 

August 31, 2021 Posted by | Legal, secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | Leave a comment

Hurricane shuts down Louisiana nuclear power station


Ida shuts Entergy’s Waterford-3 nuclear plant because of off-site power loss,  S and P Global 31Aug 21,
Andrea Jennetta ,

1.2-GW Waterford-3 shut

992-MW River Bend-1 at 35%

Entergy shut its 1.2-GW Waterford-3 nuclear plant in Killona, Louisiana, at 6:12 pm CT Aug. 29 after off-site electrical power was lost because of Hurricane Ida, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission said on Facebook Aug. 30.

Entergy spokesperson Mike Bowling said Aug. 30 that Waterford-3 was disconnected from the grid Aug. 29 at 10:29 am CT “per procedure as storm winds escalated.”

The company’s 992-MW River Bend-1 in St. Francisville, Louisiana, was operating at 35% of capacity early Aug. 30, NRC said.

The unit reduced power at the request of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Bowling said.

The action was taken “to preserve grid integrity” in the wake of Hurricane Ida, he said.

“The situation is fluid, and power levels could change in coordination with grid operators,” Bowling added……… https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/electric-power/083021-ida-shuts-entergys-waterford-3-nuclear-plant-because-of-off-site-power-loss

August 31, 2021 Posted by | climate change, USA | Leave a comment

Hurricane Ida Shuts Down One Nuclear Plant in Louisiana.


Hurricane Ida Shuts Down One Nuclear Plant in Louisiana. Simply Info , August 29, 2021

Hurricane Ida prepares to make landfall mid day in Louisiana. The storm is predicted to be the strongest hurricane to hit the state in history as a strong cat 4. Hurricane Katrina had dropped to a category 3 by the time it made landfall yet caused extreme damage. Sustained winds reported this morning were 150 mph.

Entergy shut down Waterford nuclear plant around 10am Sunday due to the expected wind speeds. Ed Lyman at the Union of Concerned Scientists documented the flood risk at the plant when combining the predicted storm surge and rainfall. The plant may not flood in the reactor block area but it could end up surrounded by water. Entergy, the company that operates the plant mentioned they have sequestered enough staff on site to conduct needed operations and restart the plant whenever that might be possible. In Ed Lyman’s twitter posts about this issue he also cited dry cooling towers used at the site and that they require sump pumps to keep them operational. Depending on the water inundation that system could be offline until water recedes………….http://www.simplyinfo.org/?p=19672

August 30, 2021 Posted by | climate change, incidents, USA | Leave a comment

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