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Progress Energy to continue getting nuclear advance, “dumb money”, from customers

Senators reject efforts to repeal so-called ‘nuclear tax’, Miami Herald, 7 Feb 12, Some call it a nuclear tax. Others call it a fee. Whatever the name, Florida legislators decided Monday they don’t want to take it off the electricity bills of Progress Energy and Florida Power & Light customers — even though the companies gave legislators no guarantees that they will build the nuclear plants the money is being collected to construct.

The Senate Communications, Energy and Utilities Committee voted down a proposal by Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, Monday to repeal the so-called nuclear cost recovery clause embedded in customer bills. Continue reading →

February 8, 2012 Posted by | politics, USA | Leave a comment

Safety and financial woes of USA nuclear reactors

the Public Utilities Commission last week denied a request by Pacific Gas & Electric to bill customers $85 million for its attempt to extend the license of Diablo Canyon, California’s other active nuclear plant. 

More Concerns Over San Onofre Safety, San Diego Reader, By Dave Rice  February 7, 2012  Concerns about safety and the durability of components at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station are continuing to surface as the plant approaches a full week of complete shutdown. Continue reading →

February 8, 2012 Posted by | business and costs, USA | Leave a comment

Virginia Uranium’ s lavish gifts to law-makers

Va. Uranium tops in 2011 gifts to state lawmakers, By David Sherfinski-The Washington Times, February 7, 2012 Virginia Uranium, which is pushing to mine a 119 million-pound deposit in southside Pittsyvania County, gave more than $120,000 in gifts and trips last year to state lawmakers — tops in Virginia — according to figures released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project.

Lawmakers reported receiving a total of nearly a quarter million dollars’ worth of gifts.

The top five donors were Va. Uranium ($120,336) , Dominion Power ($16,916), Jonnie R. Williams Sr ($15,233). Alexander B. McMurtrie Jr. ($12,322) and the State of Taiwan ($11,000.)

Virginia Uranium flew 15 lawmakers to examine mines on fact-finding missions in France and/or Canada. Continue reading →

February 8, 2012 Posted by | politics, Uranium, USA | Leave a comment

Renewable energy economy now paying off for Californians

The California renewables market is robust and competitive, Switchboard, Peter Miller, February 7, 2012 The market for renewable electricity is robust and competitive according to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

In a report on the state’s 33% Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) released yesterday, the CPUC provided a snapshot on the impressive progress that has been made in building the state’s clean energy economy.

According to the CPUC: The state’s three largest private utilities collectively served 17% of
their load with renewable energy in 2010. All three of the state’s largest utilities are projected to meet the requirement to provide an average of 20% renewable power from 2011 to
2013. Over 830 MW of renewable capacity came on line in 2011. Bid prices in response to the 2011 solicitation dropped 30% compared to 2009.

This growth in the renewable energy market bodes well for California’s residents and demonstrates the benefits of the state’s ambitious renewable energy policy. The RPS has led to a steady increase in reliance on renewable electricity, which means growing energy security
and price stability for California utility customers. And a competitive, orderly market means that costs are coming down, helping to keep energy clean and affordable for residents of the Golden State. http://switchboard.nrdc.org/blogs/pmiller/the_california_renewables_mark.html

February 8, 2012 Posted by | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

Decentralised solar power saving money in USA schools


70 Percent Of Energy Needs Met Via Solar Power, Earth Techling, by Kristy Hessman, February 7th, 2012 Solar panels are popping up on school campuses across the nation as financial incentives become more readily available for schools that implement renewable energy as a way to offset their energy costs. In Arizona, Constellation Energy and Buckeye Union High School District have just completed a 4.3-megawatt solar generation project. The project will provide up to 70 percent of the electricity needs for three area high schools. Buckeye Union High School and Youngker High School in Buckeye and Estrella Foothills High School in Goodyear will be the recipients of the new renewable energy. The school district has agreed to purchase and receive all of the electricity generated by the solar panels at a fixed rate from Constellation Energy under a 25-year deal.

The solar power systems include 15,468 photovoltaic panels on 29 carport rooftops and two ground-mounted installations. The project is expected to generate more than 7 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. That equals a savings of more than 3,875 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent emissions from 760 passenger vehicles annually, according to U.S. EPA data for the Arizona region.

“We’re pleased to celebrate the addition of three solar installations in our school district,” Beverly Hurley, superintendent of Buckeye Union High School District, said in a statement. “This addition will play an important role in meeting the district’s electricity needs and will serve as an educational tool for our students to learn about solar energy production.”

The installations, were developed by GV Enterprises and REgeneration Finance and built by CORE Construction. The project was coordinated with help from the Arizona Corporation Commission-approved APS Renewable Energy Incentive Program. The program offers financial incentives, covering up to 40 percent of the installation costs, to customers who add renewable energy systems to their homes or businesses. http://www.earthtechling.com/2012/02/schools-go-solar-in-arizona-of-all-places/

February 8, 2012 Posted by | decentralised, USA | Leave a comment

In amongst spent nuclear fuel rods – a weirdness, perhaps a mutant spider’s web

Could Spider-Man become a reality? Bizarre white cobweb found on nuclear waste that could have come from a ‘mutant’ spider Daily Mail, By TED THORNHILL  6th February 2012 Scientists are investigating a bizarre white cobweb found on nuclear waste – amid fears it could have been made by a ‘mutant’ spider. Continue reading →

February 7, 2012 Posted by | environment, USA | Leave a comment

Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) ‘s legal battle for transparency on nuclear costs

Nuclear Secrecy with $8 Billion on the Line, Clean Energy, Leslie Anderson Maloy, 6 Feb 2012, As Final Arguments Are Filed, Southern Co., Obama Administration Fight FOIA Request to Figure Out Danger to Taxpayers in the Event of Default in Deal More Than 12 Times the Size of Solyndra

Atlanta, Ga. (February 6, 2012) – With the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) believed to be within days of announcing the final federal approval of the controversial Vogtle nuclear project, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) has asked a court to stop more than two years of stonewalling by Southern Co. and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), which are resisting any meaningful public disclosure to taxpayers of the risks to which they are exposed in the massive commitment of $8.33 billion in conditional federal loan guarantees to Southern Company and their utility partners for two proposed new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle in Georgia. Continue reading →

February 7, 2012 Posted by | Legal, USA | Leave a comment

Nuclear Regulatory Commission orders reassessment of earthquake and flood risks

Nuclear plants told to reassess earthquake risks, Feb 05, 2012  WRCB TV, By Pam Sohn, Chattanooga Times Free Press  , The Nuclear Regulatory Commission last week told TVA and other nuclear plant operators to reassess the earthquake risks at each of their reactors.

Initial reviews by NRC and the nuclear industry indicate there are increased risks at some plants, including Sequoyah near Soddy-Daisy and 17 miles north of Chattanooga.

The news comes during the same week NRC told the Tennessee Valley Authority that the sand baskets on three dams above Sequoyah could fail during a massive flood, putting the nuclear plant and its diesel generators at risk.

The baskets were placed along the top and side edges of Cherokee, Fort Loudon, Tellico and Watts Bar dams in 2008 when TVA discovered problems with flood calculations. The data TVA used for its calculations was decades old and outdated, agency officials said.
Read more about this story from our news partners at the Chattanooga Times Free Press.  http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/16680116/nuclear-plants-told-to-reassess-earthquake-risks

February 7, 2012 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Wear and tear problem on tubes carrying radioactive water

According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, more than a third of the wall had been worn away in two tubes at Unit 2, which will require them to be plugged and taken out of service. At least 20 percent of the tube wall was worn away in 69 other tubes, and in more than 800, the thinning was at least 10 percent.

Inspectors find ‘unusual’ wear on new tubes carrying radioactive water at Calif. nuclear plant  Washington Post, By Associated Press, : February 2 LOS ANGELES — Unusual wear has been found on hundreds of tubes that carry radioactive water at Southern California’s San Onofre Unit 2 nuclear plant, raising questions about the integrity of equipment the company installed in a multimillion-dollar makeover in 2009.

The disclosure came two days after a tube leak at the plant’s other unit prompted operators to shut down the reactor as a precaution. The problems at Unit 2 were discovered during inspections of a steam generator, after the plant 45 miles north of San Diego was taken off-line for maintenance and refueling. The two huge steam generators at Unit 2, each containing 9,700 tubes, were replaced in fall 2009, and a year later in its twin plant, Unit 3, as part of a $670 million overhaul. Continue reading →

February 3, 2012 Posted by | incidents, USA | Leave a comment

Shroud of secrecy around USA’s nuclear loan guarantee program

Vogtle Loan Guarantee Update: Nuclear Power Secrecy Continues Clean Energy Footprints,  February 2nd, 2012 Sara Barczak ›After nearly two years of stonewalling by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy (SACE) continues to press ahead with our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation so that U.S. taxpayers can learn the full extent of the risks to which they are exposed in the massive commitment of $8.33 billion in conditional federal loan guarantees to Southern Company and their utility partners for two proposed new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle in Georgia.

Of particular concern: the amount of taxpayer-backed obligations for the proposed Vogtle reactors is more than a dozen times greater than the failed Solyndra loan guarantee, which has received extensive Congressional scrutiny including an audit report of the troubled Department of Energy loan guarantee program that was recently delivered to the Obama Administration. Given the higher price tag and troubled history of nuclear reactor construction, the Vogtle project poses a much greater risk to taxpayers if default occurs. Find our February press release here. Continue reading →

February 3, 2012 Posted by | secrets,lies and civil liberties, USA | Leave a comment

USA govt does not want monitoring of radiation near Savannah River Nuclear Site

U.S. Department of Energy won’t help Georgia monitor radiation near Savannah River Nuclear Site The Augusta Chronicle By Rob Pavey Feb. 2, 2012 The U.S. Department of Energy will not honor its 2010 offer to help Georgia’s Environmental Protection Division restore a program to monitor radiation levels in Georgia counties near Savannah River Site…..

The intent of the monitoring, which includes analysis of water, soil, vegetation and air, is to determine off-site effects from SRS – and to provide independent data to compare with
extensive sampling already conducted by DOE on both sides of the Savannah River.

Anti-nuclear activists who lobbied for the restoration of the Georgia program said the Department of Energy’s about-face is disturbing. “The DOE’s obstruction to environmental monitoring in Georgia is a gross example of environmental injustice,” said Bobbie Paul, the
director of Georgia Women’s Action for New Directions. “Radiation does
not acknowledge state boundaries.” In 2010, then DOE Assistant Secretary Ines Triay pledged that monitoring would be restored to Georgia with a five-year contract independent of any restrictions from SRS.
“The money was never sent and in July 2011, DOE reported they would only fund $300,000 annually, less than half of what the program received annually when the its funding was cut in 2003,” Paul said. “Now, the offer is off the table.”
Giusti said SRS has a half century of experience at monitoring programs, which will remain intact to protect health and the environment. http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/government/2012-02-02/us-department-energy-wont-help-monitor-georgia-radiation-near-savannah?v=1328205850

February 3, 2012 Posted by | environment, USA | Leave a comment

Indian Point nuclear plant was refused exemptions from fire safety regulations

NRC won’t grant exemptions to nuclear plant, Legal News Line BY BRYAN COHEN, 2 Feb 12, NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Wednesday that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has sided with his office by rejecting Indian Point’s request for more than 100 exemptions from major fire safety requirements.

Schneiderman filed a petition in March over what he says is Indian Point’s continual failure to comply with federal regulations for fire safety that were established to keep nuclear plants safe in an emergency. Continue reading →

February 3, 2012 Posted by | safety, USA | Leave a comment

Hawaii’s smart grid will show the way to efficient renewable energy

Smart Grid Program Will Help Integrate More Renewable Energy Onto Hawaii’s Grid North American Wind Power,   02 February 2012 Honeywell and Hawaiian Electric Co. (HECO) have launched a pilot program that aims to demonstrate how smart grid technology can help integrate more intermittent renewable energy – such as wind power and solar energy – onto the electric grid.

During the two-year program, the utility will connect with commercial and industrial customers to temporarily reduce the need for electricity – which the companies say is critical to maintaining gridreliability as Hawaii reduces its dependence on fossil fuels….
http://nawindpower.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.9328

February 3, 2012 Posted by | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

Radioactive drinking water risk for 11 million people

New York nuclear plant threatens drinking water for 11M people, (philstar.com)   February 01, 2012 NEW YORK –– The drinking water for more than 11.3 million people could be at risk of radioactive contamination from a leak or accident at the Indian Point Nuclear Plant, located in Buchanan, New York, said a new study released on Tuesday.

According to the report by Environment New York, the state environmental advocacy organization, the drinking water intakes for 11.3 million people in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut are within 50 miles of Indian Point — the distance the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission uses to measure risk to food and water supplies.

The report also showed that the Indian Point Nuclear Plant threatens drinking water supplies for more than twice as many people compared to any other nuclear facility in the United States.

Environment New York is urging the state to deny the plant relicensing and to move toward a future with no nuclear power and use clean, renewable energy such as wind and solar power. The Indian Point Nuclear Plant, which is 80-minute ride from New York City, has a long history of leaks and accidental releases of radioactive material. One of its nuclear reactors was recently shut down to repair a pump, which was leaking radioactive coolant.  http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=773362&publicationSubCategoryId=200

February 2, 2012 Posted by | USA, water | Leave a comment

65,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel, and still adding more: no solution in sight!

Nuclear-Waste Overhaul by U.S. Will Take Years, Panel Chief Says February 01, 2012, By Brian Wingfield Feb. 1 (Bloomberg) — The U.S. will need more than a year to create an organization that will oversee federal nuclear- waste policies, according to a co-chairman of the panel that studied the issue for President Barack Obama.

“You’re at least talking a year, maybe two years, maybe more,” to set up the entity, Lee Hamilton, a co-chairman of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, said today at a House subcommittee hearing in Washington.

Lawmakers are studying a recommendation by the commission to create a government-chartered corporation to oversee nuclear- waste management, taking over from the Energy Department. The corporation would license, build and operate storage and disposal sites, according to the Jan. 26 report..

.. More than 65,000 tons of spent nuclear fuel are stored at about 75 operating and closed U.S. reactor sites, and about 2,000 tons are added a year, according to the commission….
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-01/nuclear-waste-overhaul-by-u-s-will-take-years-panel-chief-says.html

February 2, 2012 Posted by | USA, wastes | 1 Comment

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