ANS Nuclear Cafe

The ANS Nuclear Cafe is a blog owned and edited by the American Nuclear Society. Information contained on the ANS Nuclear Cafe has been provided by numerous sources. Therefore, the American Nuclear Society assumes no responsibility or liability for the accuracy of information contained herein. DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in posted articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Nuclear Society. The views expressed here are those of the individual authors. ANS takes no ownership of their views. The American Nuclear Society assumes no responsibility or liability for any use or operation of any methods, products, instructions, or ideas contained on this site.


SMRs Get Further Push with Western Initiative for Nuclear

July 11, 2013, 2:00PMANS Nuclear CafeWill Davis

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NuScale SMR on trailer; courtesy NuScale Power

In the wake of the Department of Energy's first funding award to Generation mPower for construction of small modular reactor (SMR) plants at the Clinch River Site earlier this year, other groups have begun to form to bolster the position of other SMR technologies-namely, the Westinghouse SMR, the Holtec SMR-160, and the NuScale Power SMR.

Nuclear Power: Fading Away or Powering Up?

July 10, 2013, 6:00AMANS Nuclear Cafe

Richard K. Lester, head of the Department of Nuclear Science and Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was interviewed on National Public Radio's "Here & Now" program on Monday, July 8.  In this 15-minute segment, Lester gives his views on what's happening in nuclear energy now in the United States and worldwide. Are we at the end of nuclear power? Or at the beginning?

Don't blame NRC uncertainty for San Onofre retirement

July 2, 2013, 6:00AMANS Nuclear CafeRod Adams

The 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.

ANS Honors and Awards

June 26, 2013, 6:00AMANS Nuclear Cafe

Many honors and awards were presented at the 2013 American Nuclear Society Annual Meeting opening plenary session. Congratulations to four new ANS Fellows and several new honors and awards recipients, and thank you for your contributions to nuclear science and technology. Photos and citations:

Open Letter to Those Attending Global Power Shift and to the Climate Movement at Large

June 24, 2013, 1:58PMANS Nuclear CafeRobert Margolis

With this first Global Power Shift convention, the Climate Movement has mastered the logistical, organizational, and political skills developed in the various local movements to bring together climate activists in an important global forum. Please accept my congratulations on this special occasion. It is also a time for reflection on how far the Climate Movement has come as well as the paths forward.