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I teach a class every other spring at Iowa State University. A major in nuclear engineering is no longer an option, however the university has created a minor, where I give nuclear energy context to students who are studying mostly in a different discipline. I call the first month "Disaster Month" and spend a week on each of the major commercial accidents in our industry-Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima.
The 302nd edition of the Nuclear Energy Blog Carnival has posted at The Hiroshima Syndrome.
"It does so much for the everyday citizen that they just don't know. Generating 20% of all the power in the United States, zero carbon emissions, and the jobs and economic activity it creates, it's one of the best kept secrets in the country." - Sean McGarvey, President of North America's Building Trades Unions
Note: In the two previous installments (Part I and Part II), we took a look at a fascinating set of reports covering the perceived advance of nuclear power reactor technology in the earliest days of the "First Nuclear Era." This third installment completes the series, and discusses the final group study for an early nuclear power plant.
Today's Friday Matinee: Bill Gates explains why "we need to pursue many different paths" to carbon-free energy, including the "very promising path" of nuclear. Grab your popcorn and enjoy the video.
Despite progress in Scandinavia on nuclear waste disposal, and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's conclusion that Yucca Mountain in Nevada would meet all the (impeccable) technical requirements, a large fraction of the public continues to believe that the lack of resolution of the nuclear waste problem is due to technical, as opposed to purely political, factors. That is, that "we really don't know what to do with the waste", and there is still no acceptable technical solution.
Engineers are the scaffolding of society; designing, implementing, and maintaining the structures, machines, and processes that support our world. Without their efforts we would be without access to almost all of the essential math, science, and technical systems we require to function and move forward. Today's future nuclear engineers will be instrumental in developing solutions necessary to meet the changing economic and energy needs of the United States.
2008-2009 American Nuclear Society President William Burchill is interviewed on the benefits of nuclear: "Nuclear Energy is a very big part of the solution for all of us." #Nuclear4Climate
TVA's Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant under construction (Photo from TVA brochure, Will Davis collection)
Reports of escalating costs for some nuclear plants under construction around the world, while the costs for other plants have not, have led to a call for an examination of the historic trends of nuclear plant construction project costs. This new interest has led to at least one significant new paper. This retrospective introduces the topic to those unfamiliar with it, and shows lessons learned that the industry now incorporates in building nuclear plants.
Just over three years ago, we learned of Dominion's decision to shut down and decommission the Kewaunee nuclear power plant. It had a strong operating history and a recently renewed license for more than 20 more years of operation, but the low and still dropping price of natural gas was presenting a growing economic challenge for this single-unit plant. Looking at the market data from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, the total annual revenue available to a generator at the Kewaunee node in the grid dropped by nearly 40 percent¹. With the closing of the LaCrosse boiling water reactor 26 years earlier, this left the Point Beach nuclear power plant's two units (620 MWe each) as the only operating power reactors in Wisconsin and saw nuclear energy's share of the electricity mix drop to roughly 15 percent. There was little evidence of any political engagement to keep this plant open, despite the important economic impact of Kewaunee on its region and the (still) ongoing challenges with employment in Wisconsin.
The Supreme Court's stay on implementation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan (CPP) came just a day after the American Nuclear Society introduced a new toolkit to help states realize the menu of policy options available to maintain their current nuclear power fleets and support new nuclear development.
Something that all engineers have in common is the desire to tackle real-world challenges. For many nuclear engineers the challenges may be related to the power grid, new reactors, simulations, policy, military, or safeguards, just to name a few. Yet, embedded in nuclear science and engineering is another challenge that's particularly unique because there's a good chance someone you know has directly benefited from it-a branch of nuclear medicine called medical isotopes.
This week's ANS Nuclear Cafe Friday Matinee features an update from South Carolina Electric & Gas on "A Year of Progress for V. C. Summer Units 2 and 3." These two AP1000 units are being built near an existing nuclear unit, and not too far from the former (now decommissioned) site of "The Southeast's First Nuclear Power Plant," the Carolinas-Virginia Tube Reactor.
One of the primary worries of nonproliferation proponents is that the spread of dual-use nuclear technologies-in particular uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing capabilities-will allow nuclear energy programs to transition into nuclear weapons programs. Countries seeking to establish a nuclear energy program must decide whether they wish to import fuel or to acquire or develop the domestic technology for producing it. Although such technology isn't strictly prohibited under international law, few countries possess it, since it is seen as a red flag that a state is moving toward a nuclear weapons program.
The 298th edition of the Nuclear Energy Blog Carnival has posted at Yes Vermont Yankee.
NASA's December 2015 report: Curiosity on Mars. Brought to you with the help from nuclear technology! Enjoy!
Wisconsin may be lifting its decades-old nuclear power ban, a move that would allow the construction of new nuclear facilities to provide clean energy throughout the state. The end of the 1983 moratorium heralds the beginning of new era; indicating a reason for optimism that lawmakers throughout the United States may soon make similar changes.
The moratorium that changed Wisconsin Power
The world was in upheaval in 1983, particularly within the nuclear sector. The accident at Three Mile Island in the late 1970s set loose a tsunami of public fear against nuclear power, despite the majority of these concerns being largely unfounded and based on biased opinion. Across the country, politicians rushed to jump on the bandwagon of nuclear power bans, without researching the ultimate cost both to taxpayers and the environment in terms of rising energy bills and the reality of using dirty, coal-fired power to replace clean nuclear power production.
Under Governor Anthony Earl, Wisconsin legislators voted in 1983 to ban the construction of any new nuclear plants until the federal government met its responsibility of creating a repository for storing nuclear waste. The bill also demanded that legislators be assured that nuclear power would be less expensive than other forms of energy before the moratorium was lifted. As the federal government was unable to meet its obligations concerning the spent fuel repository, the bill has effectively become a ban on the construction of any new nuclear power plants anywhere in the state.
Scott Walker: A vision for clean energy
Although there have been movements to lift the nuclear ban prior to 2016, none of them have been successful. This year, Governor Scott Walker took initiative to lift the moratorium and support Assembly Bill 384, legislation that would allow Wisconsin to once again invest in the construction of new nuclear power facilities.
The bill has received bipartisan support as well as the backing from a number of special interest groups, many of which are usually found on opposite sides of the energy issue. Clearly, this move has broad-reaching implications for the future of Wisconsin-and the nation's-overall energy mix.
The past few years have seen several setbacks for the success of nuclear in the state. Dominion Power, owners of the fourth nuclear power plant in Wisconsin, the Kewaunee Power Station, elected to shut it down in 2012. According to Dominion's chairman and chief executive officer, "the decision was based purely on economics. Dominion was not able to move forward with our plan to grow our nuclear fleet in the Midwest to take advantage of economies of scale." Low natural gas prices claimed nuclear as a victim in this case, but the new bill has reinvigorated interest in its many benefits.
Several reasons to support the success of this bill are immediately apparent. First, the energy crisis has grown to mammoth proportions-there is simply no way to sate our nation's energy appetite while simultaneously endeavoring to implement the Clean Power Plan and shutter coal plants. Second, nuclear energy is nearly carbon free and, when carefully managed, very safe. Nuclear is needed if the United States is to continue making further strides in reducing its overall CO2 emissions and eliminating other atmospheric pollutants associated with dirty fossil fuels.
Wisconsin's manufacturing sector needs nuclear
Wisconsin's business and manufacturing sector has come forth to support lifting the ban on nuclear in the state. Lucas Vebber, director of environmental and energy policy for Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, endorsed the new legislation, saying, "Wisconsin needs to have a serious conversation about the future of electricity generation and unless we repeal the moratorium, nuclear energy cannot be a part of the conversation."
Unlike solar and wind, nuclear is a secure, reliable source of baseload electricity. Wisconsin's substantial manufacturing base creates jobs and income for thousands of residents throughout the state and is a foundational aspect of the state's overall economy. By employing nuclear energy, the manufacturing sector will have access to large-scale and round-the-clock power that doesn't negatively impact the environment.
Nuclear gains support in Wisconsin and nationwide
Currently, the two Point Beach reactors operated by NextEra Energy Inc. supply the state with 15.5 percent of its total energy and 72 percent of its zero-emissions energy. Coal and natural gas continue to reign supreme, both in Wisconsin and across the United States, but other states are also showing signs of leaning toward nuclear for the future of their energy mix. As burning fossil fuels grows more expensive and environmentally unjustifiable, the nuclear sector has reason to expect more legislative victories down the line.
Beth Piper is a science author from Chicago, Ill. Ms. Piper has a strong interest in nuclear power as a clean energy source.
Today's Matinee... learn about what goes on at a reactor facility to keep the environment safe and ensure all operations are at top level. Click to watch this short video from Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
In the 1960s, the United States Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) carried out a fairly large number of investigations into the use of nuclear energy for purposes other than just the production of electricity. One of the major interests was the use of nuclear energy for desalination of seawater (producing fresh water for people and for crops)-and the studies into this area eventually led to an idea, which may find new interest today.
The 296th edition of the Nuclear Energy Blog Carnival has posted at Neutron Bytes.