Nuclear Energy Blogger Carnival 199
ANS Nuclear Cafe is proud to host the 199th edition of the Nuclear Energy Blogger Carnival - a long standing tradition among the top English-language pro-nuclear bloggers and authors. The top news and views of the week appear in a rotating fashion each week at one of the top pro-nuclear blogs. With that, let's get to the entries from this week.
Atomic Insights - Rod Adams
Smoking Gun - Antinuclear Talking Points Coined by Coal Interests
They testified against the implied subsidy associated with nuclear fuel leasing and complained about the value credited to commercial plant operators for the plutonium produced during operation, even though that material was locked up inside used fuel rods. They were the first people to label the Price-Anderson nuclear liability limitations as a subsidy.
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Nuke Power Talk - Gail Marcus
Energy Diversity - A Discussion on Capital Hill
At Nuke Power Talk, Gail Marcus reports that she participated in a session on Capitol Hill on the subject of energy diversity, along with Dr. Pete Lyons, the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy. The meeting was cohosted by the Global America Business Institute (GABI) and the Korea Economic Institute of America (KEI). Lee Terry, a Congressman from Nebraska and Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power, opened the proceedings. He pointed out that his committee dealt with all forms of energy and he was convinced we needed them all. Dr. Lyons provided an overview of the work of his office, and Gail covered some of the unique contributions that nuclear energy makes. Gail also quoted a recent talk by Prof. Richard Lester, Chairman of the MIT Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering that also explained how nuclear energy contributes to assuring a secure and adequate energy supply to meet present and future needs.
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Yes Vermont Yankee - Meredith Angwin
Decommissioning, Governor Shumlin, and Dry Cask Storage
At Yes Vermont Yankee, Meredith Angwin defends her assertion that the Vermont state government is finally learning about nuclear energy. She discusses Entergy's decision to use SAFSTOR, Governor Shulin's odd timelines, and more.
(Meredith also nominated her own post this week at ANS Nuclear Cafe which also covers the Vermont Yankee situation - a nomination we agree with!)
Moving Forward and Living Well
At ANS Nuclear Cafe, Meredith Angwin analyzed the probable future choices for people who currently work at Vermont Yankee. Younger, nuclear-trained people should have an easy time of the transition when the plant closes. They will simply move away. For others, the transition may be much harder.
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The Hiroshima Syndrome - Les Corrice
Les Corrice covers the February 28th PBS report "Inside the slow and dangerous cleanup of the Fukushima nuclear crisis," showing it to be nothing more than the worst kind of fearmongering. The obvious intent of the special, according to Corrice, is to scare and upset viewers with exaggeration, innuendo and thinly-veiled conspiracy theories, all predicated upon fostering fear, uncertainty and doubt.
Corrice also looks at what might have happened had Naoto Kan not been inserted into the decision-making process for venting the containments at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear station. Corrice's assessment is that there may not have been hydrogen gas explosions, no evacuation and shorter recovery time.
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Forbes - Jim Conca
WIPP is Still the Best and Only Choice for Nuclear Waste
The only operating deep underground geologic nuclear waste repository had its first minor accident on Valentine's Day. The amount of radiation released into the environment was a million times less than any EPA action levels, but to hear the outcry you'd think it was Chernobyl.
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NewsOK Energy Issues - Robert Bruce Hayes
Robert Bruce Hayes has, as stated in this article, "been at the WIPP site almost every day after the event." Hayes feels that statements from someone who is there are vital; he provides perspective and in addition opens up for questions.
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Atomic Power Review - Will Davis
More Nuclear Energy for Mexico?
In a brief post, Davis observes that a recent Korean press piece on KEPCO energy exports has surprisingly revealed Mexico's revitalized plan to greatly increase the percentage of energy it generates by nuclear fission.
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Next Big Future - Brian Wang
China wants to export nuclear plants
South China Morning Post reports that Beijing-based State Nuclear
plans to start construction of the first CAP1400 demonstration reactor
in Shidaowan, Shandong province, this year and commission it in late
2018, according to Xinhua.
The schedule is about a year behind the original target as Beijing
suspended new projects for about 18 months to review the safety of all
nuclear power projects after Japan's Fukushima disaster in 2011.
The two other state-owned nuclear power plant developers, China
National Nuclear and China General Nuclear Power, have also been
looking for opportunities to expand abroad, even though they have the
world's biggest nuclear power expansion programme to complete.
After raising industry safety standards, Beijing set a target for the
country's installed nuclear generating capacity of 58GW by 2020, up
from 12.57GW now, although insiders had believed the industry was
capable of generating 70 to 80GW.
China's nuclear companies are in talks to export to Brazil, UK and
South Africa and other countries
That's it for this week's submitted entries. Thanks to all of the contributors for great content this week on a wide variety of issues.