Research Reactor License Renewal ChallengesANS Nuclear CafeJuly 23, 2014, 4:57PM|Rod AdamsThe process for renewing research and test reactor (RTR) licenses in the United States has been subject to lengthy delays and periodic backlogs since the early 1980s. Despite the apparent time invested in improvement efforts, the process does not seem to be getting better very fast. The difficulty, schedule uncertainty, and cost of renewing research reactor licenses adds to the burden of owning and operating research reactors. The scale of the challenge may contribute to regrettable institutional decisions that maintaining operable facilities is not worth the trouble.Go to ArticleTags:educationlicensingrod adamsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Nuclear professionals: Establish standing now to improve operational radiation limitsANS Nuclear CafeJuly 15, 2014, 5:57PM|Rod AdamsOn August 3, 2014, the window will close on a rare opportunity to use the political process to strongly support the use of science to establish radiation protection regulations. Though it is not terribly difficult for existing light water reactors and fuel cycle facilities to meet the existing limits from 40 CFR 190 regarding doses to the general public and annual release rate limits for specific isotopes, there is no scientific basis for the current limits. If they are maintained, it would hinder the deployment of many potentially valuable technologies that could help humanity achieve a growing level of prosperity while achieving substantial reductions in air pollution and persistent greenhouse gases like CO2.Go to ArticleTags:radiationrod adamsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
What Did We Learn From Three Mile Island?ANS Nuclear CafeMarch 25, 2014, 6:00AM|Rod AdamsThirty-five years ago this week, a nuclear reactor located on an island in the Susquehanna River near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, suffered a partial core melt.Go to ArticleTags:lessons learnednuclear historynuclear opponentsrod adamsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Is St. Lucie next on the antinuclear movement target list?ANS Nuclear CafeFebruary 27, 2014, 7:00AM|Rod AdamsThe most informative paragraph in a lengthy article titled Cooling tubes at FPL St. Lucie nuke plant show significant wear published in the Saturday, February 22, 2014, edition of the Tampa Bay Times is buried after the 33rd paragraph:Go to ArticleTags:rod adamsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
How can we stop premature nuclear plant closures?ANS Nuclear CafeFebruary 11, 2014, 7:00AM|Rod AdamsDuring an earnings call on February 6, 2014, Exelon Corporation indicated that it may decide to shut down two or more of its nuclear reactors because of poor economic return. Exelon spokespeople have been warning about the effects of negative electricity prices for several years.Go to ArticleTags:economic benefits of nuclearrod adamsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
The Value of Energy Diversity (Especially In A Polar Vortex)ANS Nuclear CafeJanuary 28, 2014, 7:00AM|Rod AdamsSince the natural gas price collapse that started in summer 2008, many observers have become accustomed to using the adjective "cheap" when talking about natural gas. Like the word "clean," another adjective often applied to methane, "cheap" is a relative term. It is also a term whose applicability depends on time and location. As I wrote in a recent post on Atomic Insights, gas is only really cheap if nobody needs it. When demand increases due to some kind of perfectly natural phenomenon-like a winter with near normal temperatures-demand can exceed deliverability by a large margin.Go to ArticleTags:economic benefits of nuclearrod adamsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Excitement about U-235 as coal competitor–circa 1939 & 1940ANS Nuclear CafeNovember 26, 2013, 4:58PM|Rod AdamsConventional wisdom says that the general public was introduced to atomic energy by the explosions at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. According to that version of history, the introduction instilled a strong dose of fear that remains to be overcome.Go to ArticleTags:germanynuclear historynuclear pioneersrod adamsuraniumShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
European renewable energy subsidies under fire from major power generatorsANS Nuclear CafeOctober 15, 2013, 3:57PM|Rod AdamsThe 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 ArticleTags:renewable energyrod adamsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
How painful will the coming spike in natural gas prices be?ANS Nuclear CafeOctober 1, 2013, 10:00AM|Rod AdamsThere is a good reason for American nuclear energy professionals to learn more about the dynamics of the natural gas market. We have been told numerous times that cheap natural gas is making our technology less and less viable in the competitive market place. Natural gas (also known as methane) is a terrific product, but it has been promoted as being capable of supplying a much larger portion of our overall energy demand. That promotional effort is putting us all at risk of a severe hangover when the low price bubble bursts.Go to ArticleTags:economic benefits of nuclearnatural gasrod adamsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Anniversary - 80 years ago, Leo Szilard envisioned neutron chain reaction ANS Nuclear CafeSeptember 17, 2013, 3:05PM|Rod AdamsOn September 12, 1933, slightly more than 80 years ago, Leo Szilard was the first person to imagine a reasonable mechanism for releasing the vast quantities of energy known to be stored in atomic nuclei. As it turned out, his concept worked the first time it was tried on December 2, 1942.Go to ArticleTags:leo szilardnuclear historynuclear pioneersrod adamsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Robert O. Anderson - banking heir, oil wildcatter, big oil exec, financier of antinuclear movementANS Nuclear CafeAugust 6, 2013, 6:00AM|Rod AdamsIn 1970, Robert O. Anderson gave David Brower $200,000 as seed money to form the virulent antinuclear group that calls itself Friends of the Earth. I learned that important piece of information while reading a book by F. William Engdahl titled A Century of War: Anglo-American Oil Politics and the New World Order. Here is the passage that opened my eyes:Go to ArticleTags:environmental benefits of nuclearnuclear opponentsrod adamsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Don't blame NRC uncertainty for San Onofre retirementANS Nuclear CafeJuly 2, 2013, 6:00AM|Rod AdamsThe San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station never threatened public health and safety. Unit 2 could have been restarted as soon as its scheduled outage was completed in February 2012. Unit 3 could have been restarted by mid-March 2012. The total cost of the repairs, including purchased replacement power, should have been less than $50 million and been covered by the manufacturer's warranty.Go to ArticleTags:lessons learnednuclear regulatory commissionrod adamssan onofre nuclear generating stationShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Challenging scientific organizations to adhere to scientific methodsANS Nuclear CafeNovember 6, 2012, 12:18AM|Rod Adams RockwellFor more than two years, I have been privileged to be included in correspondence about a battle for truth led by Ted Rockwell, one of the pioneers of nuclear energy and radiation protection. He continues to seek support of nuclear energy and radiation professionals in an effort to encourage the New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS) to do something that is apparently difficult for any large organization to do-apologize and take effective action to correct a continuing mistake.Go to ArticleTags:chernobylnew york academy of sciencesnuclear opponentsradiationradiation health effectsrod adamsted rockwellShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Uranium 233 is a valuable resource, no matter what Robert Alvarez believesANS Nuclear CafeOctober 2, 2012, 6:00AM|Rod AdamsRobert Alvarez has issued another misleading report about energy dense fuel materials, titled Managing the Uranium-233 Stockpile of the United States.Go to ArticleTags:department of energyfuel cyclenuclear energynuclear fuel cyclenuclear opponentsrod adamsthoriumthorium-232u.s. department of energyuranium-233Share:LinkedInTwitterFacebook
Nuclear power at seaANS Nuclear CafeDecember 7, 2010, 7:00AM|Rod AdamsOn Sunday, December 5, 2010, the Financial Times reported on a story (subscription required) that has been available in nuclear-energy focused corners of the Web for about three weeks: A consortium worthy of serious attention has begun a study of the viability of nuclear propulsion for oil tankers. The three-member consortium includes Lloyd's Register, BMT Nigel Gee, and Hyperion Power Generation. Enterprises Shipping and Trading, a Greek company that manages a large fleet of modern, double hull tankers, is funding the study.Go to ArticleTags:ns savannahpropulsionrod adamsShare:LinkedInTwitterFacebook