Closing Duane Arnold puts Iowa at a disadvantageANS Nuclear CafePower & OperationsJanuary 7, 2021, 12:00PM|Nuclear News StaffOsterbergAn op-ed published in The Gazette, a Cedar Rapids, Iowa–based newspaper, laments the early closure of the Duane Arnold nuclear power plant in 2020. Author David Osterberg, a former Iowa state legislator, contrasts what happened in Iowa with Illinois and three other states, whose governments "decided that heading off climate damage and the loss of good union jobs was worth keeping nuclear plants there alive." The economic calculation in Duane Arnold's case treated its electricity the same as that from coal or natural gas plants. However, Osterberg states that “when it comes to global warming and local air pollution, they aren’t the same.”Osterberg believes that Iowa could have done something similar to Illinois, because an Illinois bill enacted in 2016 "was supported by nearly the entire environmental community, including groups that opposed nuclear power on principle." He added that keeping Duane Arnold could have acted as a bridge, with its electricity gradually replaced with new electricity generated from solar and wind over the five years that were remaining on Duane Arnold's license when it was shuttered."The challenge of climate change demands new ways of thinking if Iowa is to be part of the solution," Osterberg says. “With nuclear energy now off the table [in Iowa], a stronger commitment to clean, renewable power is essential.”Tags:duane arnoldenergy policyenergy subsidiesrenewable energyShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Statement from ANS Executive Director/CEO Craig Piercy on introduction of the American Nuclear Infrastructure Act of 2020On behalf of America’s nuclear technology professionals, we applaud the introduction of the bipartisan American Nuclear Infrastructure Act of 2020 (ANIA). Go to Article
NextEra sets Duane Arnold D&D at $1 billionDuane Arnold is to shut down in October. Photo: Wikimedia Commons/AsNukeNextEra Energy is estimating that it will cost just over $1 billion to decommission its Duane Arnold Energy Center over a period of 60 years, including spent fuel management and site restoration costs, according to a post-shutdown decommissioning activities report (PSDAR) and a decommissioning cost estimate the company submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in April. The NRC, with publication in the June 19 Federal Register, is requesting comments on the Duane Arnold PSDAR until October 19.Go to Article
President Signs Pro-Nuclear LegislationTwo bipartisan pieces of legislation modernizing America's nuclear future have recently become law. It's still a long way from pushing nuclear builds the way we need to address a host of environmental issues, but it is a good start.Go to Article
Nuclear Energy on the Edge Clinton Power Station, courtesy Exelon NuclearYesterday, June 2, 2016, may have marked a watershed moment in the present day history of nuclear power plants in the United States, when two nuclear plants were selected by their owner for shutdown far in advance of their license expiration dates for economic reasons. The fast-moving pace of plants being shut down under similar economic circumstances (unbalanced energy markets that favor other forms of energy to the detriment of nuclear) signals a broken system that must be changed, now.Go to Article
ANS Winter Meeting 2015: Nuclear Energy and GHG Emissions Taishan EPR under construction; courtesy CGN•Written on location at the ANS Winter Meeting by Will DavisGo to Article
Europe: A Textbook Case of How NOT to Go About Emissions Reductions Rod Adams posted a good article on this site about the situation in Europe with respect to CO2 emissions reductions and the electricity market in general. Here, I'll share my own, additional perspectives.Go to Article
European renewable energy subsidies under fire from major power generatorsThe leaders of electric power companies owning half of Europe's generating capacity have joined together to inform the European Union that its policies are leading to a dangerously unstable power grid. According to GDF Suez CEO Gerard Mestrallet,Go to Article
Talking about nuclear energy at Hunt's barbershopThere are many benefits to living in Lynchburg, Virginia. Not only is it a scenically beautiful place with a diverse and growing economy that has continued its steady progress, even during the Great Recession, but it is also a place full of people who appreciate the value of nuclear energy technology.Go to Article
4th Annual Texas Atomic Film FestivalThe 4th annual Texas Atomic Film Festival (TAFF) is being held April 26 to May 3, 2012. The festival attracts short films (3 to 5 minutes) produced by students in nuclear engineering courses at the University of Texas at Austin. A public screening of the films, which focus on nuclear and energy related topics, is being held on April 26 at 12:30 pm at the UT Student Activities Center auditorium.Go to Article
Solyndra, and its possible impacts on nuclearI'm sure everyone has heard all about the Solyndra "scandal" by now. There have been too many news stories to count on this subject (no need to provide links). So, instead of delving into the details, or giving a blow by blow account of all the events and the hearings in Congress, I will focus on the impacts this whole affair may have on government support for nuclear, and for clean energy in general.Go to Article