Nuclear Power

The United States is Losing the Race for Fusion Power

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America’s debate on energy policy is consumed by partisanship and short-term thinking. Whether the debate today focuses on tax credits for specific technologies or removing regulatory hurdles to allow for more energy production, policymakers are failing to plan for the long haul. Instead we should ask: what do we want our energy mix to look like in 10, 20, or 30 years? How do we address climate change, ensure energy reliability, and create high-tech industries for the next generation?

Existing energy technologies will play a part. However, the world also needs transformational change in the energy industry. Fusion energy holds this potential. By fusing together two hydrogen atoms, enormous quantities of energy can be produced. When successfully commercialized, it will be a near-optimal source of power – clean, safe, secure, and virtually inexhaustible. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 29, 2013 at 8:30 AM

Video: Findings of Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Study

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Today is the 27th anniversary of the infamous Chernobyl nuclear plant meltdown that occurred in the former Soviet republic Ukraine and humanitarian organization Green Cross International recently released the results of a study on the terrible accident’s long-term psychosocial consequences.

With any massive radiation release cancer is always a concern, but there are many other ways an event such as Chernobyl can affect local populations and the study has found roughly 10 million people suffer from permanent mental stress disorder, post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety and stigma. Keep reading →

 /  Published April 26, 2013 at 3:30 PM

Strong quake near #Iran nuclear plant kills 3 http://bit.ly/XAV9Hl

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Strong quake near #Iran nuclear plant kills 3 http://bit.ly/XAV9Hl @HDNER

 /  Published April 9, 2013 at 9:30 AM

Nations Prepare for Cyber War, Nuclear Plants Potential Targets

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Security analysts are predicting that 2013 is when nation-sponsored cyberwarfare goes mainstream – and some think such attacks will lead to actual deaths.

 /  Published January 7, 2013 at 1:30 PM

The Next Big Thing in Nuclear Power: Going Small

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The ‘economies of scale’ approach the nuclear industry pursued for decades is getting turned on its ear as small modular reactors are poised represent the next generation of nuclear power.

Most of today’s existing nuclear plants consist of large reactors that generate thousands of megawatts, but an onerous licensing process, difficulties financing multi-billion dollar construction projects and unresolved waste issues have led the industry in a different direction. Keep reading →

 /  Published December 17, 2012 at 8:30 AM

UK Energy Plan: A Model for a Low-carbon Future?

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Can government stimulate investment in renewable energy generation by guaranteeing an electricity price for developers of sources such as wind and nuclear?

The UK government thinks it can, and recently introduced a long-awaited bill that would set a “strike price” for power generated by low-carbon producers, and recover the costs from consumers via electricity suppliers. Keep reading →

 /  Published December 10, 2012 at 8:30 AM

US Power Prices Will Continue to Increase

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Power prices are too low. That’s what utility executives believe. They need prices to increase for their generators to return healthy earnings. Otherwise, they will have to retire plants and exit the market.

Dominion Resources decided not to wait. They recently announced plans to retire their Wisconsin-based Kewaunee Nuclear Power Station 21 years early. Dominion concluded they would not be able to achieve any earnings for their 556-megawatt unit, they might even lose money and they could not find anyone to buy it. They had no choice but to shutter and decommission Kewaunee. Keep reading →

 /  Published November 6, 2012 at 8:30 AM

Nuclear Power Debate Heats Up in NYCs Backyard: Relicensing Controversy Intensifies

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The battle lines have been drawn for years, but the fight over nuclear power’s risks and benefits reached a new stage in New York this week where issues including public safety, reliability, the environment and ratepayer costs are being disputed.

The Indian Point nuclear power plant run by Entergy generates over 2,000 MW approximately 30 miles north of New York City. Supplying roughly 25% of New York City’s and Westchester County’s electricity, the plant’s operating licenses are due to expire within the next few years and the federal hearings are drawing Indian Point’s proponents and critics into stark relief. Keep reading →

 /  Published October 16, 2012 at 2:30 PM

Key Uranium Deals May Point Towards Greater Demand and Higher Prices in 2013

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During the month of August, the Australian uranium mining company Paladin Energy released some news that sent a much-welcome shock wave through the industry: Not only had it entered into an agreement to supply about 14 million pounds of uranium to a major utility, but it would be receiving $200 million as a pre-payment-even though the actual delivery of uranium would not begin until the year 2019.

The confidence in the marketplace reflected by the Paladin deal represents major news for an industry whose product is thought by several analysts to be significantly undervalued. In the wake of the Paladin announcement, for example, both Credit Suisse and RBC agreed that uranium prices could potentially rise as high as $80 to $90 per pound in a healthy market-up from $48 per pound as of mid-September 2012. Keep reading →

 /  Published September 26, 2012 at 11:30 AM

What Obama and Romney Don’t Say About Energy

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Fossil fuels and renewable energy have become touchy topics in this election, with challenger Mitt Romney painting President Barack Obama as too hard on the first and too fanciful about the second – and Obama saying Romney is out of touch with energy’s future.

But two other significant resources, nuclear power and energy efficiency, are evoking scant debate. Keep reading →

 /  Published September 13, 2012 at 11:30 AM
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