Nuclear

Technology development to reduce freshwater withdrawals and consumption for all types of thermoelectric power plants is emerging as a top research and development (R&D) priority. Thermoelectric plants in

Many American readers may not realize that, although the first major nuclear fission successes were achieved in the U.S., after World War II, when nations expanded their nuclear research to include power

Taking a cue from the petrochemical sector, power plants may be on the cusp of applying high-fidelity 3D models of the as-built plant environment to streamline flow-accelerated corrosion (FAC) and other

Mention the word “drone,” and most people will have a mental picture of what a drone is and does. They likely will think first of military drones carrying missiles and other weapons that could malfunction

I spent the week before this issue went to press at IHS Energy’s CERAWeek in Houston, listening and talking to many of the attendees representing 55 countries during the annual event that examines strategic

After decades of planning, Turkey may finally see the first four reactors at the Akkuyu nuclear plant completed by 2023. The country has had plans to establish nuclear power generation since 1970, but several

The administration of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in late February announced details of its first draft energy policy since the Fukushima crisis three years ago, and it suggests that nuclear power

Nuclear utilities are facing stringent cybersecurity requirements for plant digital assets that fulfill safety-related, important-to-safety, security, and emergency preparedness functions or that are

Once upon a time, obtaining a job at a nuclear power plant meant a person was set for life. If an individual did at least acceptable work and kept their nose clean, they were rewarded with a career that

Avoiding what could have been a nasty, expensive fight over costs stemming from the early retirement of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) last year, plant co-owners Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) reached a settlement with the state Office of Ratepayer Advocates on March 27 that will potentially […]

On the 35th anniversary of the most serious accident in U.S. commercial nuclear power plant operating history, it seems fitting to take a look back at the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) meltdown. One of POWER’s contributing editors—Kennedy Maize—wrote an article on the 30th anniversary that recollected his experience covering the event. It’s still […]

The changing generation mix and recent extreme weather throughout the U.S. have led the power sector to evaluate and begin making changes to address their increased dependence on natural gas and the integration of renewables, staff at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) said in the 2013 State of the Markets report. Gas Price Hikes […]

In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, South Carolina has charged the Department of Energy (DOE) with “flouting” the law when it indefinitely suspended the mixed oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication facility under construction at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken County, S.C.  The complaint stems from recent recommendations in the Obama administration’s fiscal year 2015 […]

NuScale Power LLC and Enercon Services Inc. have joined forces, announcing a strategic partnership to support deployment of NuScale’s small modular reactor (SMR) technology. Enercon got its start in 1983, supporting nuclear plant startups and operations. In 2005, the company created its New Plant Services division to focus on deployment of new nuclear plants. The […]

A federal court has denied the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) petition for the full court’s review of a November 2013 decision suspending payments into the Nuclear Waste Fund.  The decision culminates a legal dispute initiated by the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and the industry group, Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), in 2010. The […]

Source: POWER During IHS CERAWeek in Houston in early March, POWER Editor Gail Reitenbach sat down with Heiner Markhoff, president and CEO of GE Power & Water’s Water & Process Technologies, to ask him about several issues of concern to power plants.  Though the “water/energy nexus” theme has gained prominence recently, Heiner Markhoff’s comments underscored […]

March 11 marked the third anniversary of the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck the east coast of Japan. Within days of that event, with no backup power, cooling systems failed at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s (TEPCO’s) Fukushima Daiichi plant, leading to meltdowns and hydrogen explosions at Units 1, 2, and 3.  But […]

U.S. energy infrastructure is increasingly vulnerable to acute weather events and long-term changes in the climate, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) says in a new report. Options to help reduce those risks include measures to improve its durability and resiliency. The Mar. 4–released report titled “Energy Infrastructure Risks and Adaption Efforts,” cites data from the National Research […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued its annual assessment of the nation’s 100 operating commercial nuclear power plants on Mar. 6. The results—for performance through 2013—showed that 80 plants were meeting all safety and security standards, while nine more were doing well enough to warrant only slight additional oversight due to one or two items […]

At a keynote address at CERAweek 2014 in Houston, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz reiterated the Obama administration’s support for all U.S. fuel sources while pursuing a low-carbon future but rarely mentioned nuclear power. Prompted by POWERnews, Moniz later outlined the administration’s actions to address spent nuclear waste.  Following the D.C. Circuit’s ruling in November 2013 […]

Maryland-based United States Enrichment Corp. (USEC) formally filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Mar. 5. The action has been expected since last December. USEC’s finances have been hammered by persistently low prices and weak demand for low-enriched uranium (LEU), as well by difficulties with a long-delayed project to develop a new centrifuge enrichment technology in […]

In a ruling that could have reverberating implications for nuclear generators, Germany’s highest administrative law court upheld a lower court’s finding that declared unlawful the State of Hesse’s

On Feb. 24, President Obama approved a proposed agreement with Vietnam, which would allow for cooperation between the two countries concerning peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The agreement has been in the works for some time and will now undergo a 90-day Congressional review period. Secretary of State John Kerry originally signed the deal with […]

On Feb. 17, Babcock & Wilcox Co. (B&W) and TerraPower announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support the development of the traveling wave reactor (TWR). The TWR is a Generation IV commercial reactor design that uses depleted uranium as fuel. The 1,150-MW liquid sodium-cooled fast reactor is different from typical light […]

It has been a long time coming, but U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz will travel to Waynesboro, Ga., Feb. 20, to mark the issuance of approximately $6.5 billion in loan guarantees for the construction of two new nuclear reactors at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant. A conditional loan guarantee was offered for […]

Scientists at the  U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) have achieved a significant milestone in the development of fusion energy: achieving fuel gains greater than 1 for the first time ever at any facility. Ignition—when the energy released is equal to or greater than the energy required to confine the fuel—remains the […]

While other companies contemplate early retirement for some nuclear plants due to economic woes, DTE Electric Co. is working to bump up the capacity of its nuclear unit. On Feb. 10, the company received approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to increase the generating capacity of the Fermi 2 nuclear power plant by 19 […]

Some of Exelon Corp.’s 10 nuclear power plants are unprofitable and may need to close in 2014 if “a path to sustainable profits” cannot be found, company President and CEO Chris Crane said in a Feb. 6 conference call to discuss fourth quarter results. Exelon runs the nation’s largest nuclear fleet, operating 17 reactors in […]

A natural gas shortage triggered by extreme cold weather in much of the U.S. and Canada has affected supplies to power plants in drought-stricken California and forced the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) on Thursday to issue a conservation alert.  CAISO said the natural gas shortage was only affecting Southern California but appealed to customers […]

“It’s as if the government—the [Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)] and the [Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)]—is trying to regulate the nuclear energy industry out of business, just like it’s been trying to regulate fossil fuels out of business,” said Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), during the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works’ eighth NRC oversight […]