tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46460722182618643862024-03-12T02:25:00.140-04:00EFMR Monitoring GroupThe EFMR Monitoring Group is a non-profit, non-partisan organization which monitors radiation levels surrounding Peach Bottom Atomic Power Station, Susquehanna Steam Electric Station and Three Mile Island Nuclear Station.Tom Owadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13007131136632896727noreply@blogger.comBlogger2651125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-49207041292953319002024-03-12T02:24:00.000-04:002024-03-12T02:24:01.281-04:00NRC Proposes FY 2025 Budget to Congress<div><span style="font-family: georgia;">No: 24-013 February 20, 2024</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">CONTACT: <a data-cke-saved-href="mailto:OPA.Resource@nrc.gov" href="mailto:OPA.Resource@nrc.gov">David McIntyre</a>, 301-415-8200</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">NRC Proposes to Amend Licensing, Inspection, and Annual Fees for Fiscal Year 2024</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong></strong><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking public comment on proposed changes to</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">the licensing, inspection, special projects, and annual fees it will charge applicants and licensees</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">for fiscal year 2024.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The proposed fee rule, published today in the Federal Register, is based on the FY 2024</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Congressional Budget Justification as a full-year appropriation has not yet been enacted. The</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">final rule will be based on the NRC’s actual appropriation, and the agency will update the final</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">fee schedule as appropriate. The NRC’s proposed FY 2024 budget is approximately $1.01</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">billion. The agency would use $27.1 million in carryover funds, making the total budget</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">authority used in the FY 2024 proposed fee rule $979.2 million, an increase of $52.1 million</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">from FY 2023.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Under the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, the NRC is required to</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">recover approximately 100 percent of its total budget authority in FY 2024, except funds for</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">specific excluded activities.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">After accounting for the exclusions from the fee recovery requirement and net billing</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">adjustments, the NRC must recover approximately $825.7 million in fees in FY 2024. Of this</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">amount, the NRC estimates that $205.5 million will be recovered through service fees under 10</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">CFR Part 170 and $620.2 million through annual fees under 10 CFR Part 171.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Compared to FY 2023, the proposed annual fees would decrease for the operating power</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">reactors fee class. This fee does not exceed the cap established by NEIMA. The proposed annual</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">fees would increase for fuel facilities, spent fuel storage/reactor decommissioning activities, non-</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">power production or utilization facilities, transportation activities for the U.S. Department of</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Energy, the non-DOE uranium recovery licensee, the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Act Program, and all materials users fee categories.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The proposed fee rule includes several other changes affecting licensees and applicants.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The NRC proposes to increase the hourly rate for services from $300 to $321 for FY 2024, and</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">license application fees would be adjusted accordingly. In addition, the proposed rule would</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">amend NRC’s payment methods to align with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s “No-Cash</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">No-Check” policy, to remove paper forms of payment and provide that payments be made</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">electronically using the methods accepted at www.pay.gov.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The proposed rule includes detailed instructions on how to submit written comments.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Comments will be accepted through March 21.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="media-element file-default" data-delta="1" data-fid="1038" data-media-element="1"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/24-013_0.pdf" href="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/24-013_0.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=329521"><span style="font-family: georgia;">24-013.pdf</span></a></span></div>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-24054446490913747972024-03-03T10:38:00.000-05:002024-03-03T10:38:00.903-05:00Mother Jones on utility fraud<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://www.floodlightnews.org/post/utility-fraud-and-corruption-are-threatening-the-clean-energy-transition">https://www.floodlightnews.org/post/utility-fraud-and-corruption-are-threatening-the-clean-energy-transition</a></span></p><p><strong><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Utility fraud and corruption are threatening the clean energy transition</span></strong></p><article><div><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0e0896_8f9aac89faef4ba69661a0e0ddee5f51~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1480,h_846,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/0e0896_8f9aac89faef4ba69661a0e0ddee5f51~mv2.jpg" data-load-done="" data-pin-media="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0e0896_8f9aac89faef4ba69661a0e0ddee5f51~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1792,h_1024,al_c,q_85/0e0896_8f9aac89faef4ba69661a0e0ddee5f51~mv2.jpg" data-pin-url="https://www.floodlightnews.org/post/utility-fraud-and-corruption-are-threatening-the-clean-energy-transition" fetchpriority="high" src="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0e0896_8f9aac89faef4ba69661a0e0ddee5f51~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_1480,h_846,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_auto/0e0896_8f9aac89faef4ba69661a0e0ddee5f51~mv2.jpg" style="height: 343px; width: 600px;" /></div><div id="viewer-mdjx588"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“The scariest part of this wave of utility scandals is what we don’t know: How many utilities have committed crimes that prosecutors haven’t noticed?” (Image: Generated by Open AI’s Dall E)<br /></span><br /></span></div><div id="viewer-ovpud149"><span style="font-family: georgia;">By <a data-cke-saved-href="https://floodlightnews.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3c4c21ba8370fa030745b4a01&id=bb77aa0f7f&e=d5a0c2a7fc" data-hook="WebLink" href="https://floodlightnews.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3c4c21ba8370fa030745b4a01&id=bb77aa0f7f&e=d5a0c2a7fc" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Mario Ariza</a> and <a data-cke-saved-href="https://floodlightnews.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3c4c21ba8370fa030745b4a01&id=b224949b92&e=d5a0c2a7fc" data-hook="WebLink" href="https://floodlightnews.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=3c4c21ba8370fa030745b4a01&id=b224949b92&e=d5a0c2a7fc" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Kristi E. Swartz</a> for Floodlight. Also published in Mother Jones<br /></span></div><div id="viewer-w27hl1956"><span style="font-family: georgia;">At a press conference last month, flanked by sheriffs and attorneys, Ohio Attorney General David Yost announced the indictments of two utility executives who allegedly tried to “hijack” state electricity policy for their own corrupt ends by paying $4.3 million in bribes to Sam Randazzo, then chair of the state Public Utilities Commission. The two men stand accused of trying to bilk taxpayers out of $1.2 billion on behalf of their former employer, FirstEnergy.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div id="viewer-3ebtk1607"><span style="font-family: georgia;">This was just the latest in an ongoing criminal probe of utility corruption that reached deep into the Ohio statehouse. Randazzo had been indicted previously by the Department of Justice, accused of working secretly with executives for more than a decade to secure favorable regulations for FirstEnergy—which pleaded guilty to federal fraud charges in 2021 for its role in the scandal. Last year, three lobbyists, along with former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, pleaded guilty to or were convicted of federal racketeering charges. (Faced with the prospect of years in prison, one of the lobbyists took his own life.) Another utility operating in Ohio, American Electric Power, is under investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission. “Power is inherently seductive and corrosive,” noted a somber Yost, after laying out the latest alleged plot.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div id="viewer-i1prk1308"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Ohio scandals are no fluke. They are part of a generational resurgence of fraud and corruption in the utility sector, according to a Floodlight analysis of 30 years of corporate prosecutions and federal lawsuits. And they come at a time when trillions of dollars and the health of the planet are at stake as some power companies embrace—while others seek to block—the transition from fossil fuels to wind, solar, and battery storage.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/03/utility-fraud-corruption-clean-energy-transition/" data-hook="buttonViewer" href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2024/03/utility-fraud-corruption-clean-energy-transition/" role="button" tabindex="0" target="_top"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Read here</span></a></div></article>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-67379926746604743202024-03-02T13:02:00.003-05:002024-03-02T13:04:35.924-05:00Energy Harbor Fleet- Closing of Transaction between Vistra Operations Company LLC and Energy Harbor Nuclear Corporation (Email)<div><span style="font-family: georgia;">This is to inform the NRC that the activities necessary for closing the transaction between Vistra Operations Company LLC “VistraOps”) and Energy Harbor Nuclear Corp. (“EHNC”) have been completed. The proposed transaction will close on March 1, 2024. We will notify you via telephone once we have completed the closing. We request that the NRC issue the conforming license amendments for Beaver Valley 1 & 2, Davis-Besse, and Perry effective March 1, 2024. Let me know if you have any questions. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">SUBJECT: Energy Harbor Fleet- Closing of Transaction between Vistra Operations Company LLC and Energy Harbor Nuclear Corporation (Email)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Accession No ML24061A100</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">ADAMS Hyperlink: <a data-cke-saved-href="https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML4061A100" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber%3DML4061A100&source=gmail&ust=1709485760182000&usg=AOvVaw0MPJaNM_KIy4Fo5VBPz-eb" href="https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML4061A100" target="_blank">https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.<wbr></wbr>gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?<wbr></wbr>AccessionNumber=ML4061A100</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Using <a data-cke-saved-href="https://adams.nrc.gov/wba/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://adams.nrc.gov/wba/&source=gmail&ust=1709485760182000&usg=AOvVaw1Twja1YlMVP5RurCbMCtOC" href="https://adams.nrc.gov/wba/" target="_blank">Web-based ADAMS</a>, select “Advanced Search”</span></div><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Under “Property,” select “Accession Number”</span></div><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Under “Value,” enter the Accession Number</span></div><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Click Search</span></div>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-82814413990779139962024-03-02T12:58:00.001-05:002024-03-02T12:58:03.051-05:00Legal battle looms over Indian Point water disposal<div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://peekskillherald.com/13016/environment/legal-battle-looms-over-indian-point-water-disposal/" href="https://peekskillherald.com/13016/environment/legal-battle-looms-over-indian-point-water-disposal/" target="_blank">https://peekskillherald.com/13016/environment/legal-battle-looms-over-indian-point-water-disposal/</a><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">Legal battle looms over Indian Point water disposal</span></strong></div><p><a data-cke-saved-href="https://peekskillherald.com/13016/environment/legal-battle-looms-over-indian-point-water-disposal/#photo" data-photo-id="13023" data-story-id="13016" href="https://peekskillherald.com/13016/environment/legal-battle-looms-over-indian-point-water-disposal/#photo"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="Legal+battle+looms+over+Indian+Point+water+disposal" data-cke-saved-src="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Holtec-lede-March-1200x856.jpeg" height="286" src="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Holtec-lede-March-1200x856.jpeg" style="height: 571px; width: 800px;" width="400" /></span></a></p><p><a data-cke-saved-href="https://peekskillherald.com/staff_name/jim-striebich/" href="https://peekskillherald.com/staff_name/jim-striebich/"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Jim Striebich</span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="Byline photo of Jim Roberts" data-cke-saved-src="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Jim-Roberts-e1690571135748-60x70.jpg" src="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Jim-Roberts-e1690571135748-60x70.jpg" /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">By <a data-cke-saved-href="https://peekskillherald.com/staff_name/jim-roberts/" href="https://peekskillherald.com/staff_name/jim-roberts/">Jim Roberts</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">March 1, 2024</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Getting the 240 acres of land at Indian Point restored and redeveloped is a goal for everyone involved. The loss of $33 million in annual tax revenue and 1,000 jobs is devastating for the local community.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Holtec International, the company charged with completing the complex task of safely storing the spent uranium fuel rods, removing all the buildings and disposing of any waste materials, showed a timeline for the overall project at the last public meeting of the Indian Point Decommissioning Oversight Board held on Dec. 6.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">What began as a target date of 2033 has now been pushed back to 2041 by Holtec, a delay they claim is caused by a state law passed last year that bans disposing 1.3 million gallons of treated wastewater with traces of radioactive tritium into the Hudson River.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">At that December meeting, heated discussions about Holtec’s projected delay took center stage. The representative for Riverkeeper, Richard Webster, and state assemblywoman Dana Levenberg both expressed their frustration and anger that Holtec had not prepared an alternate plan to dispose of the water. A follow-up meeting of the board scheduled for Feb. 29 was canceled and the next meeting will now be held on April 25, when an update on how the water will be dealt with is anticipated.</span></p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-13018" id="attachment_13018"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dec-6-meeting-600x255.png" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" height="255" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" src="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dec-6-meeting-600x255.png" srcset="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dec-6-meeting-600x255.png 600w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dec-6-meeting-1200x509.png 1200w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dec-6-meeting-768x326.png 768w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dec-6-meeting-300x127.png 300w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dec-6-meeting-640x272.png 640w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/dec-6-meeting.png 1265w" width="600" /></span><figcaption id="caption-attachment-13018"><span style="font-family: georgia;">At the Dec. 6 meeting of the Decommissiong Oversight Board, Holtec was questioned about why they didn’t have an alternative plan for water disposal if they couldn’t discharge into Hudson.</span></figcaption></figure><p><strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">Holtec plans to take the fight to court</span></strong></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">General work continues to clean up the site. But Holtec says that because they can’t release the water into the river, their plan to dismantle buildings including the reactor vessels, has been put on hold.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Now a representative for the company says that Holtec plans to pursue approval to dump the water by challenging the law.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“You can assume at some point there will probably be litigation over that,” Patrick O’Brien, a spokesman for Holtec, told The Herald this week.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">At the December meeting, Holtec discussed two alternatives they explored for disposing the water but ruled them out. One came from a vendor who proposed but then withdrew an idea of using a chemical process to remove tritium from the wastewater. The other option would have grown a crop of plants with the water and then removed it. O’Brien said the company is also exploring the cost to truck the water off-site.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Holtec is also pursuing a state permit to release the water into the Hudson River. For its 40 years of operation Indian Point’s wastewater was released into the river and monitored before being banned last year.</span></p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-13020" id="attachment_13020"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/site-photo-600x573.png" decoding="async" height="573" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" src="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/site-photo-600x573.png" srcset="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/site-photo-600x573.png 600w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/site-photo-768x733.png 768w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/site-photo-300x286.png 300w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/site-photo-503x480.png 503w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/site-photo.png 836w" width="600" /></span><figcaption id="caption-attachment-13020"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In an image from Holtec’s presentation at the Dec. meeting, they showed an aerial view of the site on 240 acres in Buchanan. The spent fuel casks are at the top of the photo.</span></figcaption></figure><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">According to a spokesperson for the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), the agency continues to work closely with federal regulators, Holtec, local officials, and the State’s Decommissioning Oversight Board to ensure the site is cleaned up in a safe, thorough, and prompt manner.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">If a completed application were submitted for the permit, a draft permit would be released for public review and comment.</span></p><p><strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">Holtec must comply with state law, critics say</span></strong></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong> </strong>At the December oversight board meeting, critics of Holtec, featuring heated comments by board members Richard Webster of Riverkeeper and state assemblywoman Dana Levenberg, insisted that the company must abide by the new state law.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Ultimately, it is Holtec’s responsibility to come up with alternatives to discharging the water, and it is surprising that they failed to have alternative plans ready to go given that there has been a lot of vocal opposition to dumping for nearly a year,” Assemblywoman Levenberg told The Herald.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Alternatives have been discussed at Decommissioning Oversight Board meetings and among members. At present, I think we should be looking at on-site storage. We have heard at DOB meetings that there are tanks that can store wastewater for many years without leaking, and at the next meeting we are supposed to be hearing from an expert, Arnie Gundersen, who will discuss methods for ensuring the safety of long-term on-site storage for the surrounding community.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Victoria Leung, the staff attorney for Riverkeeper, echoed the call for onsite storage of the water.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Riverkeeper’s position, and this has been our position before discharge of the water into the Hudson became illegal, is that wastewater should be stored onsite for a minimum of one half-life. That will give us enough time to figure out what to do with the water after that period and also allow time for technology to evolve,” Leung said.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Holtec is hoping they can decommission this site for less than what’s in the trust fund so they can take home whatever is left over. At other sites they have mentioned that with inflation they’ve had to wait and leave the money in the fund to draw interest a little bit longer and draw it down later when the financial situation is more favorable.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Governor Kathy Hochul signed the legislation last August, which is intended to protect the economic vitality of the Hudson River Region by restricting discharges of any radiological substance into the Hudson River in connection with the decommissioning of a nuclear power plant.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“The Hudson River is one of New York’s landmark natural treasures, and it’s critical we stand together to protect it for generations to come,” Governor Hochul said. “My administration remains committed to protecting the economic vitality of the region and working closely with local communities who have advocated so passionately for this cause.”</span></p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-13057" id="attachment_13057"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Hudson-River-from-Abby-vantage-point-600x351.jpeg" decoding="async" height="351" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" src="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Hudson-River-from-Abby-vantage-point-600x351.jpeg" srcset="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Hudson-River-from-Abby-vantage-point-600x351.jpeg 600w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Hudson-River-from-Abby-vantage-point-1200x702.jpeg 1200w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Hudson-River-from-Abby-vantage-point-768x449.jpeg 768w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Hudson-River-from-Abby-vantage-point-1536x899.jpeg 1536w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Hudson-River-from-Abby-vantage-point-300x176.jpeg 300w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Hudson-River-from-Abby-vantage-point-640x375.jpeg 640w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Hudson-River-from-Abby-vantage-point.jpeg 2001w" width="600" /></span><figcaption id="caption-attachment-13057"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Hudson River is one of the nation’s landmark natural treasures said Governor Kathy Hochul. (Photo by Jim Striebich)</span></figcaption></figure><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“The law aims to safeguard communities in New York’s Hudson Valley region. The Administration will continue to work closely with federal regulators, Holtec, local officials and the State’s Decommissioning Oversight Board to identify feasible and acceptable alternatives of wastewater disposal so that decommissioning Indian Point can continue, jobs can be preserved, and the site can be cleaned up in a safe, thorough, and prompt manner,” the governor said.</span></p><p><strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">Role of the NRC in overseeing nuclear operations</span></strong></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) oversees the monitoring of materials to ensure that operators stay within federal limits before the release of any treated water.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Neil Sheehan, a spokesperson for the NRC, acknowledged that Holtec filed a notice of the delay in decommissioning Indian Point and said the agency does not rule on issues of state vs federal control.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Typically, if the plant owner decides they want to challenge a state law that on its face appears to preempt federal law, they could bring a challenge,” Sheehan said.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“For now it’s a moot issue because the company has decided they’re not going to do anything with the water for now. They sent us a notification recently that said they’re delaying their decommissioning of Indian Point by eight years and part of that is they want to determine what their strategy is for dealing with the water.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sheehan explained how water is typically disposed. “We don’t dictate to the company how they plan to dispose of the water. At Vermont Yankee all the water there is shipped off-site,” he said.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“There aren’t many instances where the decision has been made to store the water onsite. In most cases they are discharging it the way they did during the operational life of the plant, which is typically to the nearest body of water. They put it into a tank, they mix it up, they sample it, and then there is a tremendous amount of dilution that takes place before it goes to the river and then it dissolves further in the river,” Sheehan said.</span></p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-13019" id="attachment_13019"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" data-cke-saved-src="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/delays-water-600x343.png" decoding="async" height="343" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" src="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/delays-water-600x343.png" srcset="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/delays-water-600x343.png 600w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/delays-water-1200x687.png 1200w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/delays-water-768x440.png 768w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/delays-water-300x172.png 300w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/delays-water-640x366.png 640w, https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/delays-water.png 1345w" width="600" /></span><figcaption id="caption-attachment-13019"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Another slide from Holtec’s presentation at the Dec. meeting shows what buildings will remain on the site. Buildings with yellow tag represent an electrical power issue. Buildings with a green identifier indicate they will contain liquid waste (LW) and rose tagged buildings will remain to support eventual liquid waste (LW) release.</span></figcaption></figure><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">O’Brien maintains that Holtec would base a potential court challenge on the evidence of the safety of current disposal practices. Environmental advocates point to their evidence that they say disproves that claim.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“It’s somewhat frustrating because it’s a known in the industry that the science behind it has shown that it’s safe with environmental monitoring done at all the sites, said Holtec spokesperson O’Brien.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Unfortunately it’s become a perception vs science argument which is tough. It’s an emotional response. I get the emotion behind it. Trying to educate people to understand the science behind it is a challenge,” he said.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">About the Contributor</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img data-cke-saved-src="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Jim-Roberts-400x600.jpg" src="https://peekskillherald.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Jim-Roberts-400x600.jpg" style="height: 150px; width: 100px;" /></span></p><p><a data-cke-saved-href="https://peekskillherald.com/staff_name/jim-roberts/" href="https://peekskillherald.com/staff_name/jim-roberts/"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Jim Roberts</span></a></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Jim Roberts has been in this business for more than 35 years (hard to believe) and still learning every day. A third-generation Peekskill resident, he started as a lowly researcher at the <i>Westchester Business Journal</i> in 1986 and learned how to be a reporter from many veterans in the field. He’s worked in private companies, Connecticut state government and wrote for the <i>Co-op City Times </i>for 10 years before retiring from full-time work in 2019. Roberts wants to contribute to building the <i>Herald</i> into a news website for residents who care about what’s happening in Peekskill.</span></p>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-56998821891144728832024-03-02T12:16:00.001-05:002024-03-02T12:16:05.154-05:00NRC Issues Annual Assessments for Nation's Nuclear Plants<div><strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">No: 24-016 March 1, 2024</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">CONTACT: <a data-cke-saved-href="mailto:OPA.Resource@nrc.gov" href="mailto:OPA.Resource@nrc.gov" target="_blank">Scott Burnell</a>, 301-415-8200</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">NRC Issues Annual Assessments for Nation’s Nuclear Plants</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has issued annual letters to the nation’s operating commercial nuclear reactors assessing their performance in 2023.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Of the 94 reactors currently in the agency’s Reactor Oversight Process, 88 reached the highest performance category in safety and security. Those reactors (including Vogtle Unit 4, which was authorized for operation last year) remain under the NRC’s “baseline” inspection program, involving thousands of inspection hours for each reactor.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Six reactors were in the second performance category, as they need to resolve one or two items of low safety significance. For this performance level, regulatory oversight includes additional inspection and follow-up of corrective actions. Reactors in this category are Calvert Cliffs Unit 1 (Maryland), Columbia (Washington), River Bend (Louisiana), V.C. Summer (South Carolina); and Watts Bar Units 1 and 2 (Tennessee).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">There were no reactors in the third or fourth categories, which trigger additional NRC oversight, or the fifth category, which requires a reactor to shut down to address its performance problems.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Later this spring and summer, the NRC will host public meetings or other events to discuss the details of the plants’ annual assessment results. Separate announcements will be issued for the public assessment meetings.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The NRC’s website outlines oversight of commercial nuclear power on the <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/oversight.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/oversight.html&source=gmail&ust=1709485760162000&usg=AOvVaw2gqQr0Hh5dsMfpbXesU4Ls" href="https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/oversight.html" target="_blank">Reactor Oversight Process</a> page. The NRC routinely updates each plant’s current performance and posts the latest information as it becomes available to the <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/oversight/actionmatrix-summary.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/oversight/actionmatrix-summary.html&source=gmail&ust=1709485760162000&usg=AOvVaw0au-57nPBVGujXsZ9Ri86f" href="https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/oversight/actionmatrix-summary.html" target="_blank">action matrix summary</a>. Assessment letters are posted at <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/oversight/listofasmrpt.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/oversight/listofasmrpt.html&source=gmail&ust=1709485760162000&usg=AOvVaw2ARzFYRI2SyqMkd1gz22bJ" href="https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/oversight/listofasmrpt.html" target="_blank">https://www.nrc.gov/<wbr></wbr>reactors/operating/oversight/<wbr></wbr>listofasmrpt.html</a> (click on “2023006” for each plant). All plants also received an NRC inspection plan for the coming year in their annual assessment letter.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="media-element file-default" data-delta="1" data-fid="1036" data-media-element="1"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/24-016.pdf" href="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/24-016.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=326740">24-016.pdf</a></span></span></div>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-53171562363126409252024-03-02T12:14:00.000-05:002024-03-02T12:14:10.970-05:00ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 (REPORTS 05000387/2023006 AND 05000388/2023006)<div><span style="font-family: georgia;">ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR SUSQUEHANNA STEAM ELECTRIC STATION, UNITS 1 AND 2 (REPORTS 05000387/2023006 AND 05000388/2023006)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />ADAMS ACCESSION NUMBER: ML24057A082<br /><br /><span class="media-element file-default" data-delta="1" data-fid="1035" data-media-element="1"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/AAL_SUS_ROP24%20%26%20Rpt%2022.pdf" href="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/AAL_SUS_ROP24%20%26%20Rpt%2022.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=713726">AAL_SUS_ROP24 & Rpt 22.pdf</a></span></span></div>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-78563452577886408292024-03-02T12:11:00.003-05:002024-03-02T12:11:28.019-05:00ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR PEACH BOTTOM ATOMIC POWER STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3 (REPORTS 05000277/2023006 AND 05000278/2023006)<div><span style="font-family: georgia;">ANNUAL ASSESSMENT LETTER FOR PEACH BOTTOM ATOMIC POWER STATION, UNITS 2 AND 3 (REPORTS 05000277/2023006 AND 05000278/2023006)<br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="media-element file-default" data-delta="1" data-fid="1034" data-media-element="1"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/AAL_PB_ROP24%20%26%20Rpt%2022.pdf" href="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/AAL_PB_ROP24%20%26%20Rpt%2022.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=708870">AAL_PB_ROP24 & Rpt 22.pdf</a></span></span></div>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-67303390180557810932024-03-01T01:33:00.005-05:002024-03-01T01:33:34.347-05:00Korea Times: KHNP to buy enriched uranium from US energy firm Centrus<div><a data-cke-saved-href="http:// https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2024/02/129_369648.html" href="http:// https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/tech/2024/02/129_369648.html"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: black;"> </span>https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/<wbr></wbr>www/tech/2024/02/129_369648.<wbr></wbr>html</span></a></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-top: 15px; padding: 0px; width: 1220px;"><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px; width: 1020px;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="line-height: 40.3px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">KHNP to buy enriched uranium from US energy firm Centrus</span></span></span></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px; width: 200px;"><div style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #565656;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="line-height: 19.2px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Posted : 2024-02-28 11:28</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right; width: 200px;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #565656;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="line-height: 19.2px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Updated : 2024-02-28 14:19</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></div><div style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; padding: 15px 0px 0px; width: 1220px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-top: 20px; padding: 0px; width: 1220px;"><div style="border: 0px solid #000000; padding: 0px;"><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px;"><div id="m_1754864624587614562ydp60b9aed4yiv1472312612sidebar" style="border: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px;"><table class=" cke_show_border" style="border: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px;"><tbody style="border: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px;"><tr style="border: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px;"><td style="border: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px;"><div id="m_1754864624587614562ydp60b9aed4yiv1472312612stickyunit" style="border: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-right: 40px; padding: 0px; width: 60px;"><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 7px; padding: 0px;" title="Park Jae-hyuk"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="float: left;"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www2/common/morelist.asp?categorycode=704&id=pjh" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www2/common/morelist.asp?categorycode%3D704%26id%3Dpjh&source=gmail&ust=1709358172848000&usg=AOvVaw1qBXt4XjksFYPBkNnLSjTE" href="https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www2/common/morelist.asp?categorycode=704&id=pjh" rel="noreferrer noopener" style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; color: #333333; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: currentcolor; text-decoration-line: none; text-decoration-style: solid;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="Park Jae-hyuk" class="CToWUd" data-bit="iit" data-cke-saved-src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NYGFJntBGqFKlS6fPypd8qRqlQh6YPfvRTcqk-HalU7ZFDPcBsYyNtfaqDcePqZUU9wc9W1f1GGEAsOeR9gymleUTvJc_rRXbHL7Ia9_syc5da7eq7d9Jd5LQNj0w=s0-d-e1-ft#https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/reporters_img/Park_Jae-hyuk.png?123" src="https://ci3.googleusercontent.com/meips/ADKq_NYGFJntBGqFKlS6fPypd8qRqlQh6YPfvRTcqk-HalU7ZFDPcBsYyNtfaqDcePqZUU9wc9W1f1GGEAsOeR9gymleUTvJc_rRXbHL7Ia9_syc5da7eq7d9Jd5LQNj0w=s0-d-e1-ft#https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/reporters_img/Park_Jae-hyuk.png?123" style="border: 0px none currentcolor; height: 58px; padding: 0px; width: 58px;" /></span></a></span></span></span></div><div style="border-radius: 5px; border: 1px solid #cccccc; padding: 10px 14px 0px; text-align: center;"><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /></span></div></div></div><div style="border-right-color: #eaeaea; border-right-style: solid; border-width: 0px 1px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 40px 0px 0px; width: 781px;"><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; width: 740px;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">By Park Jae-hyuk</span></span></span></div><div style="border-color: currentcolor; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 20px; padding: 0px; width: 740px;"><div id="m_1754864624587614562ydp60b9aed4yiv1472312612p" style="border: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px;"><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px;"><div id="m_1754864624587614562ydp60b9aed4yiv1472312612startts" style="border: 0px none currentcolor; padding: 0px;"><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) signed a letter of intent (LOI) with Centrus Energy to ensure the stable supply of enriched uranium from the U.S. nuclear fuel and services provider, the state-run nuclear and hydroelectric plant operator said Wednesday.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">They signed the non-binding agreement in Washington on Monday local time, following their signing of a memorandum of understanding last April.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">"Through the signing of this LOI, both parties will engage in concrete discussions regarding stable nuclear fuel supply and plan to continue exploring business opportunities in the nuclear sector by expanding the future nuclear fuel supply chain," KHNP CEO Whang Joo-ho said.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The KHNP said the latest agreement outlines substantive business objectives to enhance uranium resource security and nuclear cooperation between the two parties.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">"We aim to diversify the supply of enriched uranium used as nuclear fuel," it said in a press release.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">"KHNP expects to strengthen nuclear cooperation between Korea and the United States by establishing strategic relationships with Centrus, which is working to re-establish a robust uranium enrichment capacity in the United States."</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Centrus is the only American company that has obtained a production license from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU), which is used as fuel for advanced reactors and small modular reactors.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In November, the company succeeded in the initial production of 20 kilograms of HALEU at its facility in Piketon, Ohio. The achievement demonstrated its technological and production capabilities for the U.S. Department of Energy.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-stretch: normal;"></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span></div><div style="border: 0px none currentcolor; margin-bottom: 25px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #26282a;"><span style="float: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="text-decoration-style: solid;"><span style="text-decoration-color: currentcolor;"><span style="line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The KHNP said it has opened the possibility of securing fuel for future reactors as well as for existing commercial reactors, as a result of cooperation with Centrus.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-2724576004311736752024-02-25T21:59:00.001-05:002024-02-25T21:59:24.461-05:00Indian Point owner Holtec used $63K in ratepayer funds for sports teams, fashion show<header><h1><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.aol.com/indian-point-owner-holtec-used-215119709.html" target="_blank">Indian Point owner Holtec used $63K in ratepayer funds for sports teams, fashion show</a></span></h1></header><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.aol.com/" data-rapid_p="1" data-v9y="1" data-ylk="elm:link;slk:Gannett" href="https://www.aol.com/">Gannett</a> | THOMAS C. ZAMBITO, NEW YORK STATE TEAM<time datetime="2024-02-23T21:51:19.000Z"><br />February 23, 2024 at 1:51 PM</time></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />The Nuclear Regulatory Commission on Thursday cited Holtec International for dipping into ratepayer funds meant for the <a data-cke-saved-href="https://news.yahoo.com/why-indian-point-nuclear-plant-220012344.html" data-rapid_p="6" data-v9y="1" data-ylk="slk:teardown of the Indian Point nuclear power plant;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;" href="https://news.yahoo.com/why-indian-point-nuclear-plant-220012344.html">teardown of the Indian Point nuclear power plant </a>for $63,000 to sponsor baseball and softball teams, a golf outing and a high school fashion show.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The NRC said the payments “do not constitute legitimate decommissioning activities” and gave Holtec 30 days to respond to a violation notice.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Holtec has been told to reimburse the money taken out of roughly $2 billion in decommissioning trust funds it inherited after buying the lower Hudson Valley nuclear plant from Louisiana-based Entergy in May 2021.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The money in the funds come largely from fees collected from ratepayers during the plant’s 60 years of operation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The payments turned up during an NRC review of financial records and interviews with company officials between July 2021, when Holtec took over the plant, and June 2023.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Closing: </strong><a data-cke-saved-href="https://news.yahoo.com/why-indian-point-nuclear-plant-220012344.html" data-rapid_p="7" data-v9y="1" data-ylk="slk:Why Indian Point nuclear plant won't close until 2041;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;" href="https://news.yahoo.com/why-indian-point-nuclear-plant-220012344.html">Why Indian Point nuclear plant won't close until 2041</a></span></p><h2><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">Where the $63,000 went</span></h2><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Among the organizations that received funding were a little league team, a girls softball team in the Town of Cortlandt, a fashion show at Hendrick Hudson High School, a golf outing and a parade.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“We take our responsibility as watchful stewards of the trust fund very seriously,” Holtec spokesman Patrick O’Brien said. “We are also deeply committed to our local communities we serve as part of the decommissioning process. It is in that spirit as a strong community partner that these charitable expenditures were made, as part of our regular community outreach and engagement activities. We take any violation very seriously and have already taken corrective actions to ensure the amount was restored to the trust fund, with interest, and that this issue does not recur with our future community and charitable contributions.”</span></p><figure><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="Indian Point 3 and Indian Point 1 are pictured at the Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan March 28, 2023, as the site is undergoing decommissioning by Holtec Decommissioning International." data-caas-lazy-loading-init="1" data-cke-saved-src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/dngBngP8aQO6Sck7arRqVQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD03NzI-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_gannett_aggregated_707/a5e39c1271333def934d561205e47f13" height="249" loading="lazy" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/dngBngP8aQO6Sck7arRqVQ--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD03NzI-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_gannett_aggregated_707/a5e39c1271333def934d561205e47f13" style="height: 497px; width: 800px;" width="400" /></span></p><figcaption data-id="m-0"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Indian Point 3 and Indian Point 1 are pictured at the Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan March 28, 2023, as the site is undergoing decommissioning by Holtec Decommissioning International.</span></figcaption></figure><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The NRC also turned up an unspecified amount of decommissioning funds spent on lobbying New York state lawmakers, but chose not to issue a violation.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“The NRC determined that the lobbying efforts associated with keeping New York State legislators informed and educated about decommissioning issues at IPEC (Indian Point Energy Center) fall within the objectives in accordance with the definition of decommissioning...,” the NRC writes in a letter to Holtec president Kelly Trice.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Similarly, the NRC allowed Holtec to spend decommissioning funds for legal expenses associated with the U.S. Department of Energy’s spent fuel settlement efforts.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The DOE has agreed to pay the owners of nuclear power plants to store steel-and-cement canisters loaded with used nuclear fuel on their sites until an underground repository for the nation’s radioactive waste is built.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Critics: </strong><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.lohud.com/story/news/2023/04/05/indian-point-nuclear-power-plant-shutdown-radiological-water-hudson-river/70045821007/" data-rapid_p="8" data-v9y="1" data-ylk="slk:Indian Point shutdown was supposed to quiet anti-nuclear critics. Not a chance;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" href="https://www.lohud.com/story/news/2023/04/05/indian-point-nuclear-power-plant-shutdown-radiological-water-hudson-river/70045821007/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Indian Point shutdown was supposed to quiet anti-nuclear critics. Not a chance</a></span></p><h2><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">More bad news for Holtec</span></h2><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">This is the latest setback for Holtec, which last month agreed to pay New Jersey $5 million in penalties to avoid prosecution over alleged misstatements made on tax-credit applications linked to its Camden, N.J. manufacturing hub.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The tax credits for Holtec and a related real estate firm were valued at $1 million.</span></p><figure><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="Spent fuel storage casks are pictured at the Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan March 28, 2023. The site is undergoing decommissioning by Holtec Decommissioning International." data-caas-lazy-loading-init="1" data-cke-saved-src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/PECi_xd6akcdxWz6nWbObw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05MTY-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_gannett_aggregated_707/bb3cb40933395c1ace497adb1b975476" height="295" loading="lazy" src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/PECi_xd6akcdxWz6nWbObw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD05MTY-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/aol_gannett_aggregated_707/bb3cb40933395c1ace497adb1b975476" style="height: 590px; width: 800px;" width="400" /></span></p><figcaption data-id="m-1"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Spent fuel storage casks are pictured at the Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan March 28, 2023. The site is undergoing decommissioning by Holtec Decommissioning International.</span></figcaption></figure><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Holtec denied wrongdoing, noting it agreed to settle the dispute “under threat of unfounded retaliatory criminal prosecution.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">And last year, the company sparred with environmental groups over its plan to <a data-cke-saved-href="https://news.yahoo.com/hochul-inks-indian-point-bill-091826799.html" data-rapid_p="9" data-v9y="1" data-ylk="slk:discharge millions of gallons of radioactive water;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;" href="https://news.yahoo.com/hochul-inks-indian-point-bill-091826799.html">discharge millions of gallons of radioactive water</a> recovered from the plant’s spent fuel pools into the Hudson River.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>Radiation: </strong><a data-cke-saved-href="https://news.yahoo.com/hochul-inks-indian-point-bill-091826799.html" data-rapid_p="10" data-v9y="1" data-ylk="slk:Hochul inks Indian Point bill but radiological waste debate rages on;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;" href="https://news.yahoo.com/hochul-inks-indian-point-bill-091826799.html">Hochul inks Indian Point bill but radiological waste debate rages on</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In November, after Gov. Kathy Hochul sided with environmental groups by signing a law banning the release, Holtec said it would need more time to finish the teardown. Instead of demolishing the plant’s three reactors and other buildings on the 240-acre site by 2033, Holtec said it will need until 2041.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The radioactive water will remain on the site while Holtec weighs a legal challenge.</span></p><p><em><span style="font-family: georgia;">This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.lohud.com/story/news/2024/02/23/indian-point-owner-holtec-used-ratepayer-funds-for-sports-teams-golf/72713984007/" data-rapid_p="11" data-v9y="1" data-ylk="slk:Indian Point owner Holtec used ratepayer funds for sports teams, golf;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" href="https://www.lohud.com/story/news/2024/02/23/indian-point-owner-holtec-used-ratepayer-funds-for-sports-teams-golf/72713984007/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Indian Point owner Holtec used ratepayer funds for sports teams, golf</a></span></em></p>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-42617910709846460022024-02-22T14:59:00.002-05:002024-02-22T14:59:56.558-05:00Half-Life Histories<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Video series: <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNg1m3Od-GgNmXngCCJaJBqqm-7wQqGAW" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list%3DPLNg1m3Od-GgNmXngCCJaJBqqm-7wQqGAW&source=gmail&ust=1708717320668000&usg=AOvVaw2zM0iGdeN80D5WxFfYM7dF" href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNg1m3Od-GgNmXngCCJaJBqqm-7wQqGAW">https://www.youtube.com/<wbr></wbr>playlist?list=PLNg1m3Od-<wbr></wbr>GgNmXngCCJaJBqqm-7wQqGAW</a></span><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNg1m3Od-GgNmXngCCJaJBqqm-7wQqGAW" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list%3DPLNg1m3Od-GgNmXngCCJaJBqqm-7wQqGAW&source=gmail&ust=1708717320668000&usg=AOvVaw2zM0iGdeN80D5WxFfYM7dF" href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLNg1m3Od-GgNmXngCCJaJBqqm-7wQqGAW" style="font-family: georgia;"></a></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">A mini documentary series exploring nuclear weapons, technology, and disasters.</span></div>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-22356041338878112702024-02-22T14:56:00.001-05:002024-02-22T14:56:31.060-05:00Here's Mary's Obituary<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">If you can’t open it, there will be a service on Friday, March 1at 1PM at the Neill Funeral Home, 3501 Derry Street, Harrisburg, with a visitation for friends and family at noon.<br /></span></p><blockquote type="cite"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/mary-stamos-obituary?pid=206380450&utm_source=MarketingCloud&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ObitShare_PPNBlock_072023&utm_content=ViewObituary&sfmc_id=120533782&env=65e6fbcecefacb0401be97d25ab46307d5a5fb077002e37a657cea46e7b34375&et_rid=120533782" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/mary-stamos-obituary?pid%3D206380450%26utm_source%3DMarketingCloud%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3DObitShare_PPNBlock_072023%26utm_content%3DViewObituary%26sfmc_id%3D120533782%26env%3D65e6fbcecefacb0401be97d25ab46307d5a5fb077002e37a657cea46e7b34375%26et_rid%3D120533782&source=gmail&ust=1708717320681000&usg=AOvVaw2ZeeognlqiZOAlRzk-p_LK" href="https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/mary-stamos-obituary?pid=206380450&utm_source=MarketingCloud&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ObitShare_PPNBlock_072023&utm_content=ViewObituary&sfmc_id=120533782&env=65e6fbcecefacb0401be97d25ab46307d5a5fb077002e37a657cea46e7b34375&et_rid=120533782" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://www.legacy.com/us/<wbr></wbr>obituaries/name/mary-stamos-<wbr></wbr>obituary?pid=206380450&utm_<wbr></wbr>source=MarketingCloud&utm_<wbr></wbr>medium=email&utm_campaign=<wbr></wbr>ObitShare_PPNBlock_072023&utm_<wbr></wbr>content=ViewObituary&sfmc_id=<wbr></wbr>120533782&env=<wbr></wbr>65e6fbcecefacb0401be97d25ab463<wbr></wbr>07d5a5fb077002e37a657cea46e7b3<wbr></wbr>4375&et_rid=120533782</span></a></blockquote>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-34683713441637636462024-02-22T14:54:00.002-05:002024-02-22T14:54:08.381-05:00Why NJ utility customers could soon get refunds | NJ Spotlight News<h3 style="text-align: left;"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2024/02/feds-step-in-and-look-to-cover-some-costs-of-nj-nuclear-plants/" href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2024/02/feds-step-in-and-look-to-cover-some-costs-of-nj-nuclear-plants/"><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;">Feds step in and look to cover some costs of NJ nuclear plants</span></b></a></h3><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/author/tom-johnson/" href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/author/tom-johnson/">TOM JOHNSON, ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT WRITER</a> | FEBRUARY 22, 2024 | <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/energy-environment/" href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/energy-environment/">ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Financial assistance from Washington could result in refunds for utility customers</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" class="media-element file-default" data-cke-saved-src="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20at%203.47.26%E2%80%AFAM.png" data-delta="1" data-fid="1032" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/Screenshot%202024-02-23%20at%203.47.26%E2%80%AFAM.png" style="height: 453px; width: 800px;" /><br />Credit: (Nuclear Regulatory Commission; CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Hope Creek generating station, Unit 1</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Major federal assistance is starting to roll into New Jersey from the federal Inflation Reduction Act, a 2021 law signed by President Joe Biden designed in part to help usher in a clean-energy economy, with its impact soon to be felt by the energy sector and its customers. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Portions of the federal law started to take effect this past January, helping trigger the Murphy administration’s order last week that New Jersey’s electric utilities stop charging customers a controversial surcharge costing $300 million a year, a step taken to avert closing of three nuclear power plants in the state. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The state’s more than 3 million utility customers will continue to pay the charge for another 15 months. But they could also be looking at a hefty refund eventually from the owners of the three nuclear power plants in South Jersey, which provide more than one-third of the state’s electricity. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The end of the surcharge, effective June 1, 2025, is a significant step, given the wave of increases ratepayers have absorbed in recent years as New Jersey tries to transition away from fossil fuels and fight climate change. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Modernizing the power grid, electrifying the transportation sector, investing in solar energy and reducing energy consumption have all led to higher prices for consumers with no signs of letting up anytime soon, advocates have said. The federal aid might provide some relief. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“That’s good news for ratepayers,’’ said state Sen. Bob Smith, a Democrat from Middlesex County who has sponsored many bills aimed at curbing emissions contributing to climate change, referring to the federal tax credits replacing the state surcharge. “It’s time to strengthen the grid.’’ </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">Transition to green energy </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">New Jersey’s plan to decarbonize the economy focuses on electrifying two large sectors that are the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions: transportation and buildings. <br /></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/energy-environment/" href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/energy-environment/">ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT</a>, <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/budget/" href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/budget/">BUDGET</a></span></div><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2024/02/new-jersey-bpu-to-eliminate-unpopular-nuclear-subsidy/" href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2024/02/new-jersey-bpu-to-eliminate-unpopular-nuclear-subsidy/"><span style="font-family: georgia;">BPU pulls plug on unpopular nuclear subsidy</span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The federal law, touted as the most ambitious climate legislation ever enacted, provides for $370 billion in investments to transition to clean energy. Among its provisions, it will provide lucrative production tax credits to the nation’s nuclear industry of approximately $30 billion. In New Jersey, its three operating nuclear units provide more than 90% of the state’s carbon-free electricity. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Since 2019, utility ratepayers have been paying a surcharge on their monthly bills for the state’s nuclear power plants, a move that proponents argued was necessary to avert shutdown by their owners, Public Service Enterprise Group and Constellation Energy. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">At this point, neither the state Board of Public Utilities nor PSEG could say just how much the new tax credits will provide. The Internal Revenue Service issued draft guidance late last year, but it is too soon to say what its final form will be, according to a statement from the agency. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">End of ratepayer surcharge </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Since the state law creating the surcharge for the nuclear power plants stipulated any federal assistance would offset what ratepayers paid, PSEG and Constellation withdrew applications to renew the state surcharge for a new three-year cycle scheduled to begin in June 2025. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Jesse Jenkins, an assistant professor at Princeton University, believes the eventual refund for ratepayers could be large. With interest, it may approach $450 million. <br /></span></p><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/energy-environment/" href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/energy-environment/"><span style="font-family: georgia;">ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT</span></a></div><div style="margin-left: 40px;"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2023/07/nj-nuclear-subsidies-pseg-pjm-clean-energy-rate-counsel-bpu-salem-1-salem-2-hope-creek-brian-lipman/" href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2023/07/nj-nuclear-subsidies-pseg-pjm-clean-energy-rate-counsel-bpu-salem-1-salem-2-hope-creek-brian-lipman/"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Ratepayers remain on hook for nuclear subsidies — for now</span></a></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">William Smith, strategic communications manager for PSEG, said the company is still awaiting guidance from the Treasury Department on the terms needed to calculate the tax credit. “We can’t speculate on possible refunds until there’s clarity on those terms,’’ Smith said. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But others, including clean-energy advocates were elated. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“This is a big win for New Jersey,’’ said Doug O’Malley, director of Environment New Jersey, calling the eventual replacement of the surcharge the biggest down payment the state has received yet from the federal government to fight climate change. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Lyle Rawlings, a longtime solar developer in Flemington, described the $300 million annual nuclear surcharge as a significant part of consumers’ monthly bill. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“That coming off frees up a lot,’’ he said. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Raymond Cantor, deputy government affairs director for the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, said the tax credits will help lessen the cost of the state’s and nation’s aggressive clean-energy agenda, but other big bills remain in the future. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Still, the price tag on everything is astronomical and unknown,’’ Cantor said. </span></p>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-76655852697273451722024-02-22T14:43:00.003-05:002024-02-22T14:43:59.965-05:00NRC Names New Resident Inspector Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Plant<div><strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">No: I-24-003 February 22, 2024</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a data-cke-saved-href="mailto:diane.screnci@nrc.gov" href="mailto:diane.screnci@nrc.gov" target="_blank">CONTACT: </a>Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331<br /><br /></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">NRC Names New Resident Inspector Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Plant</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has selected Alex Nugent as the resident inspector at the Beaver Valley nuclear power plant in Shippingport, Pennsylvania. He joins Senior Resident Inspector Neil Day at the two-unit site, which is operated by Energy Harbor.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Alex has the technical knowledge and experience to immediately contribute to the NRC’s oversight at Beaver Valley,” said NRC Region I Administrator Ray Lorson. “We welcome him as part of the NRC inspection team at the site.”</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Nugent joined the NRC in April 2023 at the agency’s Region I Office in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. He began his career with the agency as a project engineer in the Division of Operating Reactors. He previously worked as a nuclear engineer at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Delaware.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Each operating U.S. commercial nuclear power plant has at least two NRC resident inspectors who serve as the agency’s eyes and ears at the facility, conducting inspections, monitoring safety-significant projects and interacting with plant workers and the public. Resident inspectors can serve at a reactor site for up to seven years.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="media-element file-default" data-delta="1" data-fid="1031" data-media-element="1"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/24-003-i.pdf" href="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/24-003-i.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=470062"><span style="font-family: georgia;">24-003-i.pdf</span></a></span></div>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-12329472116391817342024-02-22T10:04:00.002-05:002024-02-22T10:04:09.341-05:00NRC Proposes to Amend Licensing, Inspection, and Annual Fees for Fiscal Year 2024<div><strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">Nuclear Regulatory Commission - News Release</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">No: 24-013 February 20, 2024</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">CONTACT: <a data-cke-saved-href="mailto:OPA.Resource@nrc.gov" href="mailto:OPA.Resource@nrc.gov" target="_blank">David McIntyre</a>, 301-415-8200</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">NRC Proposes to Amend Licensing, Inspection, and Annual Fees for Fiscal Year 2024</span></strong></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking public comment on proposed changes to the licensing, inspection, special projects, and annual fees it will charge applicants and licensees for fiscal year 2024.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-03231" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-03231&source=gmail&ust=1708696488506000&usg=AOvVaw0tvh9SrK00dcNOhp8cT4VY" href="https://www.federalregister.gov/d/2024-03231" target="_blank">proposed fee rule</a>, published today in the Federal Register, is based on the FY 2024 Congressional Budget Justification as a full-year appropriation has not yet been enacted. The final rule will be based on the NRC’s actual appropriation, and the agency will update the final fee schedule as appropriate. The NRC’s proposed FY 2024 budget is approximately $1.01 billion. The agency would use $27.1 million in carryover funds, making the total budget authority used in the FY 2024 proposed fee rule $979.2 million, an increase of $52.1 million from FY 2023.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Under the Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act, the NRC is required to recover approximately 100 percent of its total budget authority in FY 2024, except funds for specific excluded activities.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">After accounting for the exclusions from the fee recovery requirement and net billing adjustments, the NRC must recover approximately $825.7 million in fees in FY 2024. Of this amount, the NRC estimates that $205.5 million will be recovered through service fees under 10 CFR Part 170 and $620.2 million through annual fees under 10 CFR Part 171.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Compared to FY 2023, the proposed annual fees would decrease for the operating power reactors fee class. This fee does not exceed the cap established by NEIMA. The proposed annual fees would increase for fuel facilities, spent fuel storage/reactor decommissioning activities, non- power production or utilization facilities, transportation activities for the U.S. Department of Energy, the non-DOE uranium recovery licensee, the Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act Program, and all materials users fee categories.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The proposed fee rule includes several other changes affecting licensees and applicants. The NRC proposes to increase the hourly rate for services from $300 to $321 for FY 2024, and license application fees would be adjusted accordingly. In addition, the proposed rule would amend NRC’s payment methods to align with the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s “No-Cash No-Check” policy, to remove paper forms of payment and provide that payments be made electronically using the methods accepted at <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.pay.gov/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.pay.gov/&source=gmail&ust=1708696488506000&usg=AOvVaw2RawFCP5ZZaju65WJbvdt7" href="https://www.pay.gov/" target="_blank">www.pay.gov</a>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The proposed rule includes detailed instructions on how to submit written comments. Comments will be accepted through March 21.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="media-element file-default" data-delta="1" data-fid="1030" data-media-element="1"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/24-013.pdf" href="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/24-013.pdf" type="application/pdf; length=329521"><span style="font-family: georgia;">24-013.pdf</span></a></span></div>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-91018035634845742862024-02-16T13:20:00.001-05:002024-02-16T13:20:05.866-05:00The Provincetown Independent: Holtec sued by state for exposing public to asbestos on multiple major incidents<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">EASTHAM: THIS WEEK'S CURRENTS<br /><a data-cke-saved-href="https://provincetownindependent.org/news/2021/09/15/vacancies-in-the-firehouse/" href="https://provincetownindependent.org/news/2021/09/15/vacancies-in-the-firehouse/"><strong>Vacancies in the Firehouse</strong></a><b><br /></b>Meetings Ahead<br />BY <a data-cke-saved-href="https://provincetownindependent.org/author/the-independent/" href="https://provincetownindependent.org/author/the-independent/" rel="author">THE INDEPENDENT</a> <time>SEP 15, 2021</time></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><em>Most meetings are being held in person, but some are still remote or virtual. Go </em><em>to <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16" href="https://www.eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16">eastham-ma.gov/calendar-by-event-type/16</a> and</em><em> click on the meeting you are interested in to learn about meeting locations and any remote options that may be offered.</em></span></p><p><strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">Thursday, Sept. 16</span></strong></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Affordable Housing Trust, 11 a.m., virtual</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Housing Authority, 4 p.m., Small Meeting Room, Eastham Rec. Dept.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">T-Time Committee Public Forum, 5 p.m., virtual</span></li></ul><p><strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">Monday, Sept. 20</span></strong></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Strategic Planning Committee, 3 p.m.</span></li></ul><p><strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">Tuesday, Sept. 21</span></strong></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Historical Commission workshop, 10:30 a.m., Public Library</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">Elementary School Committee, 4 p.m.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">T-Time Development Committee, 5 p.m., Town Hall</span></li></ul><p><strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">Wednesday, Sept. 22</span></strong></p><ul><li><span style="font-family: georgia;">T-Time Committee Public Forum #2, 5 p.m., Salt Pond Visitor Center Amphitheater</span></li></ul><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Conversation Starters</span></p><p><strong><span style="font-family: georgia;">Vacancies in the Firehouse</span></strong></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">At the select board’s meeting this past Monday, Town Administrator Jacqui Beebe announced the retirement of Fire Chief Kent Farrenkopf. His retirement comes after nearly six years as Eastham chief and more than 37 years in total service. Beebe said she is heartbroken about the news and left his letter on her desk for two days before reading it. She called Farrenkopt a “very fine chief.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Chief Farrenkopf will be replaced by Deputy Chief Dan Keene, who was hired in 2018.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The town now has three openings in the firehouse following two other recent resignations. Beebe said one of the departures was for personal reasons while another department employee is moving out of state.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Select board chair Arthur Autorino asked whether Beebe thought the search would be successful. “I’ve heard they’re very hard to fill, these openings,” he said. Beebe responded that it’s a difficult job and a “long haul” for anyone looking to become certified. Applicants must be certified EMTs or paramedics, complete the Entry Level Firefighter I and I certification, and attend the Mass. Fire Academy, according to the job description.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Assistant Town Administrator and Finance Director Rich Bienvenue called the openings a “long-term problem” affecting the entire town across departments. Select board member Jamie Demetri agreed, saying she felt the issue was larger than simply filling the positions in the present moment but rather that “people who work for the town can’t afford to live in the town.” —<em>Cam Blair</em></span></p>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-75425607261608519642024-02-16T13:12:00.002-05:002024-02-16T13:12:51.294-05:00New Jersey BPU pulls plug on unpopular nuclear subsidy<div><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">BPU pulls plug on unpopular nuclear subsidy</span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/author/tom-johnson/" href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/author/tom-johnson/">TOM JOHNSON, ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT WRITER</a> | FEBRUARY 15, 2024 | <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/energy-environment/" href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/energy-environment/">ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT</a>, <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/budget/" href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/budget/">BUDGET</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">With Washington poised to pick up the annual $300M subsidy, residents and commercial customers will see smaller monthly electric bills</span></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img alt="" class="media-element file-default" data-cke-saved-src="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/Screenshot%202024-02-17%20at%202.08.41%E2%80%AFAM.png" data-delta="1" data-fid="1029" data-media-element="1" src="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/Screenshot%202024-02-17%20at%202.08.41%E2%80%AFAM.png" style="height: 448px; width: 800px;" /><br />Credit: (peretzp via Creative Commons CC BY-SA 2.0)<b><br />More on the nuclear subsidies</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />READ ALSO<a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2023/08/pseg-is-looking-to-njbpu-board-of-public-utilities-for-its-annual-300m-nuclear-subsidy/" href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2023/08/pseg-is-looking-to-njbpu-board-of-public-utilities-for-its-annual-300m-nuclear-subsidy/"><br />Will feds cover some costs of keeping NJ’s nuclear plants open?</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />READ ALSO<a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2023/07/nj-nuclear-subsidies-pseg-pjm-clean-energy-rate-counsel-bpu-salem-1-salem-2-hope-creek-brian-lipman/" href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2023/07/nj-nuclear-subsidies-pseg-pjm-clean-energy-rate-counsel-bpu-salem-1-salem-2-hope-creek-brian-lipman/"><br />Ratepayers remain on hook for nuclear subsidies — for now</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />READ ALSO<a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2021/03/pseg-says-without-300m-ratepayer-nuclear-subsidy-it-will-close-south-jersey-plants/" href="https://www.njspotlightnews.org/2021/03/pseg-says-without-300m-ratepayer-nuclear-subsidy-it-will-close-south-jersey-plants/"><br />PSEG says without $300M ratepayer nuclear subsidy, it will close South Jersey plants</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Hope Creek nuclear power-generating plant in Salem County</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">An unpopular surcharge on every New Jersey utility customer’s monthly bill — amounting to $70 annually for the typical homeowner and much more for manufacturers — will end next year when the state eliminates a $300 million annual subsidy aimed to keep its three nuclear plants from closing. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The state Board of Public Utilities on Wednesday adopted an order directing the utilities to stop collecting the surcharge, effective June 1, 2025. The subsidy, enacted in 2019 after a bitter legislative fight, has raised about a half-billion dollars thus far, for Public Service Enterprise Group and Constellation Energy, the owners of the units in South Jersey. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The energy companies had submitted applications to the BPU to continue the surcharge for another three years but decided to withdraw from the process in late November. No one else applied for the subsidy, dubbed zero-emission certificates (ZECs), leading the agency to cancel a third round of any ratepayer-supported subsidies. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">Feds to pick up tab </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">PSEG and Constellation are expected to replace the subsidy with federally funded production tax credits (PTCs) created by Congress and the Biden administration. In a statement, PSEG said while the rules from the U.S. Treasury Department still have not been issued, the company is confident that the PTC will proceed as intended and sufficiently support the nuclear generating units. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The three nuclear plants — Salem I, Salem II, and Hope Creek — are an integral part of the Murphy administration’s clean-energy plan, providing 30% of the carbon-free electricity in the state. If they stopped operating, New Jersey would never achieve its aggressive goals of cutting carbon pollution by 80% below 2006 levels by 2050, according to state officials. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">‘This wasn’t needed. Now, with federal dollars kicking in, it should end sooner and give ratepayers a break.’ — Jeff Tittel, longtime environmental activist </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">PSEG won the subsidies in 2019 after a long legislative battle that began during the Christie administration and was achieved early in Gov. Phil Murphy’s term. PSEG repeatedly threatened to close the plants, which employ more than 6,000 people, if state aid was not forthcoming.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In withdrawing their applications, the companies are counting on winning lucrative production tax credits from the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, a law passed by Congress in 2021. The tax credits are expected to be available sometime this year. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">Big bills for big businesses </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Currently, the surcharge amounts to roughly $70 a year for typical residential customers but can run as much as tens of thousands of dollars or much more for businesses that use a lot of energy. At the time the surcharge was adopted, at least six nuclear plants had shut down, unable to compete with cheaper sources of electricity, primarily natural gas. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The surcharge was widely supported by major business groups and many prominent environmental organizations, primarily as nuclear was the largest source of zero-emission electricity at the time. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Dennis Hart, executive director of the Chemistry Industry Council of New Jersey, noted manufacturers pay an added $78,000 to $586,000 because of the surcharge.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">At the same time, the Division of Rate Counsel, an independent monitor for the regional power grid, and consumer advocates argued unsuccessfully that the plants were profitable and did not need any subsidy, a stance endorsed by a consultant hired by the BPU. The agency nevertheless approved an initial three-year subsidy, followed by a second one in 2021.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Jeff Tittel, a longtime environmental activist who was president of the state’s Sierra Club at the time, said the ZEC program should have never been approved.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“This wasn’t needed. Now, with federal dollars kicking in, it should end sooner and give ratepayers a break,’’ he said. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The board had no comment on Wednesday in cancelling the third round of funding for ZECs. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">The right time for a rate reduction </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But the pending cut in utility bills is viewed by many as a positive step, given a series of rate increases approved by the agency as part of the clean-energy transition and push to modernize the power grid. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">‘It’s very good news,’’ said Brian Lipman, director of the Division of Rate Counsel a vocal critic of rising electric and gas bills. “For three years, this surcharge will fall off customers’ bills and hopefully will stay off.’’ </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In its order, the BPU left the door open for a fourth eligibility period to qualify for ZECs, beginning June 1, 2028 and ending May 31, 2031. “Who knows what happens three years from now? Who knows if the nuclear plants need subsidies or not?’’ asked Lipman. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">PSEG noted it would revisit the need for ZECs if federal support for the industry is insufficient. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Dennis Hart, executive director of the Chemistry Industry Council of New Jersey, noted manufacturers pay an added $78,000 to $586,000 because of the surcharge. “These rates are unsustainable, and the reductions will go a long way towards maintaining the important jobs and economic benefits of manufacturing in New Jersey,’’ he said. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Under state law, any money received from the federal government is to be used to offset the cost of the ratepayer surcharge, if both are awarded at the same time. There is $30 billion available under the federal production tax credit. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Rich Henning, president of the New Jersey Utilities Association, said this is what many energy officials have been seeking for some time. “From a standpoint of customers, utilities and power companies, it is a win all the way around,’’ he said. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“It highlights the federal support for nuclear power,’’ said Paul Patterson, an energy analyst at Glenrock Associates. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In the meantime, energy rates continue to rise elsewhere. The BPU approved an $85 million increase in revenue for Jersey Central Power & Light, a step that will raise bills for its customers by an average of $4 a month per homeowner. In addition, New Jersey Natural Gas filed a $225 million rate petition with the BPU, which will, if approved, raise rates by $29 a month. </span></p>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-57116269967271593292024-02-14T12:26:00.002-05:002024-02-14T12:26:35.770-05:00PA House Archives - Three Mile Island Exhibit<div><div lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><img align="left" alt="Logo
Description automatically generated" class="CToWUd a6T" data-bit="iit" data-cke-saved-src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/2?ui=2&ik=8d89e9c2f3&attid=0.1.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1790890285933497274&th=18da8539fcc38bba&view=fimg&fur=ip&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ_ZV7GuthkzZoJRBs2VJWvQ8MUy7kcRHDRMFWZDAWaZy2MER6CHH6qX-Y5brHrYUkDZy-yFer1gJsdpTawWntUF1eSzJz3e-oSzGZShU5nMpxiGAIDp7A1bP6g&disp=emb" data-image-whitelisted="" hspace="12" id="m_-6718687651657446071AC809035-ED58-44E1-BB0F-D6859F8CE9CE" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/2?ui=2&ik=8d89e9c2f3&attid=0.1.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1790890285933497274&th=18da8539fcc38bba&view=fimg&fur=ip&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ_ZV7GuthkzZoJRBs2VJWvQ8MUy7kcRHDRMFWZDAWaZy2MER6CHH6qX-Y5brHrYUkDZy-yFer1gJsdpTawWntUF1eSzJz3e-oSzGZShU5nMpxiGAIDp7A1bP6g&disp=emb" style="cursor: pointer; outline: 0px;" tabindex="0" />The PA House Archives is proud to open its 2024 exhibit, <b>“Accident at Three Mile Island: Pennsylvania House of Representatives’ Response to Disaster</b>,” with an official opening for <i>Members, staff, </i>and the<i> public</i>, on <b>Wednesday, February 21<sup>st</sup> from 10:00 to 4:00</b>. Light refreshments will be available.</span></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />March 2024 is the 45<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island. Visitors will learn about the events leading up to and following the accident, how local Representatives responded to constituents, and more about how the event has been remembered locally and nationally since 1979.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />Featured items include documents from the special committee created by the House in the aftermath of the accident and clean up. Other displayed items are on loan from neighboring archival institutions (Dickinson College, Penn State Harrisburg, and Historical Society of Dauphin County) such as vinyl records, mugs, bumper stickers, and more!<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />The PA House Archives is in 628 Irvis Office Building, Capitol Complex. <b>The exhibit will be on display for the remainder of 2024.</b> We hope to see you there!<br /><br /><br /></span></p></div></div><div><span style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><span style="color: #003d7d;">Jesse Teitelbaum</span></b><span style="color: #003d7d;"> | Director of Archives</span></span></span></div><div><span style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #003d7d;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Pennsylvania House of Representatives</span></span></span></div><div><span style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: #003d7d;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">628 Irvis Office Building | Harrisburg PA 17120</span></span></span></div><div><span style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://archives.house.state.pa.us/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archives.house.state.pa.us/&source=gmail&ust=1708017659934000&usg=AOvVaw2AfiLPEa1rdVTMokaSoqNV" href="https://archives.house.state.pa.us/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://archives.house.state.<wbr></wbr>pa.us</span></span></a></span></div><p><span style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> <b><img class="CToWUd" data-bit="iit" data-cke-saved-src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/2?ui=2&ik=8d89e9c2f3&attid=0.1.2&permmsgid=msg-f:1790890285933497274&th=18da8539fcc38bba&view=fimg&fur=ip&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ84w2F5LLEdLkCrYhdzpC5eeWV1U0MjTu-YjcskLcy1Rfhx8rfvU176fjo9T3yydvWhDWV-Nif-NAGco3If4GqyiUoX0TQn5ySErSFVmWyptZsuijeV-6Kh-ek&disp=emb" data-image-whitelisted="" id="m_-6718687651657446071Picture_x0020_1" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/2?ui=2&ik=8d89e9c2f3&attid=0.1.2&permmsgid=msg-f:1790890285933497274&th=18da8539fcc38bba&view=fimg&fur=ip&sz=s0-l75-ft&attbid=ANGjdJ84w2F5LLEdLkCrYhdzpC5eeWV1U0MjTu-YjcskLcy1Rfhx8rfvU176fjo9T3yydvWhDWV-Nif-NAGco3If4GqyiUoX0TQn5ySErSFVmWyptZsuijeV-6Kh-ek&disp=emb" /></b></span></span></p>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-41920580844536008812024-02-13T10:55:00.002-05:002024-02-13T10:55:25.753-05:00Federal money could supercharge state efforts to preserve nuclear power - Stateline<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Federal money could supercharge state efforts to preserve nuclear power</b><br /><br />A plant in Michigan might become the first to reopen after closing.</span></p><h6><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">BY: <a data-cke-saved-href="https://stateline.org/author/abrown/" href="https://stateline.org/author/abrown/" rel="author" title="Posts by Alex Brown">ALEX BROWN</a> - FEBRUARY 12, 2024 5:00 AM</span><br /></span></h6><figure><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://stateline.org/2024/02/12/federal-money-could-supercharge-state-efforts-to-preserve-nuclear-power/" href="https://stateline.org/2024/02/12/federal-money-could-supercharge-state-efforts-to-preserve-nuclear-power/"><img alt="A nuclear plant on Lake Michigan." data-cke-saved-src="https://stateline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/nuclear-plant-1024x715.jpg" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" height="446" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" src="https://stateline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/nuclear-plant-1024x715.jpg" srcset="https://stateline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/nuclear-plant-1024x715.jpg 1024w, https://stateline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/nuclear-plant-300x210.jpg 300w, https://stateline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/nuclear-plant-768x536.jpg 768w, https://stateline.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/nuclear-plant.jpg 1343w" width="640" /><br /></a>The Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan will reportedly be awarded a $1.5 billion federal loan, aimed at restarting operations after a 2022 closure. The federal funding could bolster state efforts to keep nuclear power on the grid, as leaders seek to transition to carbon-free electricity. Courtesy of The Herald-Palladium</span></figure><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In the coming years, a nuclear power plant on the shores of Lake Michigan could become the first in the country to restart operations after shutting down.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Palisades plant in southwest Michigan could be revived by a $1.5 billion loan from the U.S. Department of Energy, <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-30/biden-to-offer-1-5-billion-loan-to-restart-michigan-nuke-plant?leadSource=uverify%20wall" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-01-30/biden-to-offer-1-5-billion-loan-to-restart-michigan-nuke-plant?leadSource=uverify%20wall" target="_blank">Bloomberg reported</a>. Federal officials have not yet confirmed the funding, but Dr. Kathryn Huff, assistant secretary in the agency’s Office of Nuclear Energy, told Stateline that it would be “exciting” and “historic” to see the plant return to life.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The potential federal investment comes as state leaders in Michigan and elsewhere have worked to preserve their nuclear power capacity. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer successfully pushed for $150 million in state funding last year to support the Palisades restart. The plant is owned by Florida-based Holtec International, which <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/holtec-get-15-bln-loan-re-open-michigan-nuclear-power-plant-source-2024-01-31" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/holtec-get-15-bln-loan-re-open-michigan-nuclear-power-plant-source-2024-01-31" target="_blank">bought</a> it in 2022 to decommission it.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Reviving the plant “is really significant to make sure we can meet our clean-energy goals,” said Kara Cook, chief of staff with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. “This is really important to us not only from a climate perspective, but also the economic impact on the region.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">As states seek to transition to carbon-free electricity, some leaders acknowledge their climate change goals may be out of reach if they can’t keep their nuclear plants online. Nuclear has struggled to compete on cost with other power sources — while also facing concerns about safety risks and radioactive waste — but it provides 18% of the nation’s electricity. The closure of nuclear plants, some state officials fear, could lead to an expansion of fossil fuel-powered replacements, worsening the climate problem.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“You’re starting to see a lot of states transition to a position where they’re supportive of nuclear,” said Todd Allen, chair of the Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences department at the University of Michigan. “And compared to 30 years ago, the amount of federal support for nuclear is unbelievable.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">California also received a boost of federal money in an award finalized last month to keep open a nuclear plant run by Pacific Gas and Electric, known as PG&E. Other states, including Connecticut, Illinois and New Jersey, have passed legislation in recent years to provide subsidies for existing nuclear plants.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Huff, the federal energy official, said U.S. nuclear production may need to reach 200 gigawatts — roughly double the current capacity — to provide clean, “always-on” power as less-constant solar and wind provide a growing share of the nation’s electricity. Last year, the Biden administration committed to an international pledge to triple nuclear capacity by 2050.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“We’re still going to need a significant amount of nuclear to back that all up,” she told Stateline. “Keeping existing plants online is the easiest way to ensure nuclear power can back up renewables.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Meanwhile, both red and blue states have taken steps to allow for the development of small modular reactors, an emerging technology that backers say can help to power rural areas or industrial operations without the demands of a large plant. Six states — Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky, Montana, West Virginia and Wisconsin — recently repealed bans on adding new nuclear power, in part to enable such reactors.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">You’re starting to see a lot of states transition to a position where they’re supportive of nuclear.</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: georgia;">– Todd Allen, chair of the Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences department at the University of Michigan</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">While some environmental groups have embraced the nuclear investments, others have pointed to long-standing concerns about safety issues, citing infamous accidents such as those at Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and Fukushima. Opponents also note the long-term issue of radioactive waste storage, and in some cases assert that nuclear can stall the growth of renewables such as wind and solar.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“With the amount of money that’s gone into this [Palisades] restart scheme already, you could develop brand-new renewable energy proposals that would be online in the same time frame producing more electricity,” said Kevin Kamps, radioactive waste specialist at Beyond Nuclear, an environmental nonprofit that opposes nuclear energy.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">While more states have passed policies to give nuclear a boost, federal funding in Michigan and elsewhere could supercharge efforts to ensure plants stay open. The Department of Energy is distributing $6 billion from the federal infrastructure law to help save reactors that were slated for closure. The agency awarded funding to the California plant in the first round but has not yet announced awardees from the second round, although applications closed last May.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The agency also is overseeing a loan program — which reportedly will provide the Palisades funding — to repower or repurpose energy infrastructure.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Department of Energy is distributing $6 billion to help save reactors that were slated for closure.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The federal climate law passed in 2022 also opened tax credits for new and existing nuclear plants, designed to incentivize clean energy production in the same way existing credits support wind and solar. Since the passage of the tax credits, Huff said, federal regulators have seen an increased interest from plant operators pursuing license renewals to extend the operating life of their reactors.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Meanwhile, the CHIPS and Science Act passed by Congress also includes funding for federal nuclear research, university programs, new research reactors, isotope production and advanced reactors.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The federal support is providing “huge stimulation” to nuclear power while working in tandem with existing state efforts, said Christine Csizmadia, senior director of state governmental affairs and advocacy with the Nuclear Energy Institute, an industry trade association.</span></p><h4><span style="font-family: georgia;">Michigan reboot</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">When Palisades closed amid financial struggles in 2022, it represented roughly 5% of Michigan’s electricity supply. That has been replaced largely with natural gas generation, Cook said. The expansion of fossil fuel-based power conflicts with legislation passed last year requiring the state to move to 100% clean energy by 2040.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">So when the plant’s new owner, Holtec International, announced that it was aiming to bringing the 800-megawatt plant back online, state leaders were on board. The company plans to add a pair of small modular reactors to the existing plant, bringing its capacity to 1,400 megawatts — enough to power more than a million homes. Holtec did not respond to interview requests, but company spokesperson Nick Culp <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/holtec-get-15-bln-loan-re-open-michigan-nuclear-power-plant-source-2024-01-31" href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/holtec-get-15-bln-loan-re-open-michigan-nuclear-power-plant-source-2024-01-31" target="_blank">told Reuters</a> the company expects the plant to have full power operation by the end of 2025.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The $150 million in last year’s Michigan state budget to support the plant’s restart will help pay for fuel purchases and infrastructure upgrades, Cook said. Whitmer has requested an additional $150 million in this year’s budget to help bring Palisades online.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“This is really an all-hands-on-deck approach,” said Cook, citing the hundreds of union jobs that could return to the region if the plant reopens. She said the state funding was critical to show both Holtec and federal officials that there was strong support in Michigan to save Palisades. Holtec <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-environment-watch/palisades-owners-plan-two-more-michigan-nuclear-reactors" href="https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-environment-watch/palisades-owners-plan-two-more-michigan-nuclear-reactors" target="_blank">has said</a> it could employ about 520 people at the plant.</span></p><h4><span style="font-family: georgia;">States’ support</span></h4><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">In recent years, many states have provided financial support to struggling nuclear plants, made nuclear eligible for clean energy credits or repealed long-standing bans on the construction of new reactors.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“We’ve seen this incredible uptick of nuclear energy legislation,” said Csizmadia, with the nuclear trade association.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Huff, the federal official, noted that several of the states that recently repealed bans on new nuclear power have many coal-dependent communities that could be “left behind” if their coal plants retire. Backers of nuclear, especially the emerging small modular reactor technology, believe old coal plants could be revived to put existing infrastructure to use in service of nuclear power and bring back high-wage jobs.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Nuclear electricity production across the country has been relatively stagnant for two decades, with plants struggling to compete with lower-cost options such as natural gas. Construction of new reactors has almost completely stopped amid regulatory hurdles and spiking project costs.<br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Opponents of nuclear point to the canceled projects, delays and cost overruns as proof that nuclear isn’t viable.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“This is just throwing good money after bad,” said Kamps, the anti-nuclear advocate. “We stand horrified at the actions being taken by Congress and certain state governments.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Kamps also cited previous nuclear disasters and warned of the risks of extending aging plants.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">But as states look to clean up their energy grids, some leaders say they can’t afford to lose their nuclear power.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“A lot of people believe we can power California with renewables alone and batteries,” said Carl Wurtz, executive director of Fission Transition, a pro-nuclear advocacy group. “We’re going to be tied to natural gas indefinitely if we try to do it that way.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Wurtz was among the advocates who pushed California to extend the life of PG&E’s Diablo Canyon nuclear plant, which had been scheduled to close in 2025. He and others argued that the loss of the plant’s 2,240 megawatts — 9% of California’s electricity — would force the state to import more power generated from fossil fuels.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">As with the Michigan plant, state leaders in California, including Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, successfully lobbied the feds for money to keep Diablo Canyon open. Last month, the Department of Energy finalized a $1.1 billion payout to extend the plant’s operations. That followed a vote from state regulators to push the plant’s shutdown date back to 2030.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Supporters of nuclear say it’s a necessary complement to wind and solar because of the reliability it provides.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“We need baseload power that runs 24/7,” said Lisa Marshall, vice president of the American Nuclear Society and assistant extension professor with the North Carolina State University Department of Nuclear Engineering. “If we’re going to make [carbon-free electricity] happen, nuclear has to be part of that mix.”</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The California plant is still awaiting the renewal of its license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. PG&E did not respond to an interview request.</span></p>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-82705697737374788172024-02-11T12:04:00.002-05:002024-02-11T12:04:19.942-05:00France's EDF shuts down two nuclear reactors after fire at Chinon plant<div type="cite"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><strong>France's EDF shuts down two nuclear reactors after fire at Chinon plant</strong><br />Nuclear energy operator EDF has shut down two reactors at Chinon in western France after a fire in a non-nuclear sector of the plant in the early hours of Saturday, the company said.<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Read in Reuters: <a data-cke-saved-href="https://apple.news/AiBHjaWVPSM-7o9JLOphDtQ" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://apple.news/AiBHjaWVPSM-7o9JLOphDtQ&source=gmail&ust=1707757279891000&usg=AOvVaw2eGO02as8VOsRWwwtHfkBu" href="https://apple.news/AiBHjaWVPSM-7o9JLOphDtQ" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">https://apple.news/<wbr></wbr>AiBHjaWVPSM-7o9JLOphDtQ</a></span></div>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-12191800736831397692024-02-10T23:33:00.003-05:002024-02-10T23:33:58.705-05:00The 100 Year Canister Life Act: Doubling Nuclear Waste Storage Safety<div type="cite"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://bnnbreaking.com/politics/the-100-year-canister-life-act-doubling-nuclear-waste-storage-safety" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bnnbreaking.com/politics/the-100-year-canister-life-act-doubling-nuclear-waste-storage-safety&source=gmail&ust=1707712202318000&usg=AOvVaw0K93NDZOLCQW4aMZ4lR0lV" href="https://bnnbreaking.com/politics/the-100-year-canister-life-act-doubling-nuclear-waste-storage-safety" target="_blank">https://bnnbreaking.com/<wbr></wbr>politics/the-100-year-<wbr></wbr>canister-life-act-doubling-<wbr></wbr>nuclear-waste-storage-safety<br /></a><br /></span></div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class=" cke_show_border"><tbody><tr valign="top"><td><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></td><td><div><a data-cke-saved-href="https://bnnbreaking.com/politics/the-100-year-canister-life-act-doubling-nuclear-waste-storage-safety" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bnnbreaking.com/politics/the-100-year-canister-life-act-doubling-nuclear-waste-storage-safety&source=gmail&ust=1707712202318000&usg=AOvVaw0K93NDZOLCQW4aMZ4lR0lV" href="https://bnnbreaking.com/politics/the-100-year-canister-life-act-doubling-nuclear-waste-storage-safety" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The 100 Year Canister Life Act: Doubling Nuclear Waste Storage Safety</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The 100 Year Canister Life Act aims to double nuclear waste storage lifespan to 100 years, ensuring safety and security for communities.</span></div><div><a data-cke-saved-href="http://bnnbreaking.com/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://bnnbreaking.com&source=gmail&ust=1707712202318000&usg=AOvVaw1jRrRC_Pt5VfMrRGd_-BYA" href="http://bnnbreaking.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">bnnbreaking.com</span></a></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div data-cke-filler-webkit="end" data-cke-temp="1" style="border: 0px; height: 0px; left: -9999px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></div>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-83334612581599461422024-02-10T23:31:00.004-05:002024-02-10T23:31:37.611-05:00100 year life containment<p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Bill proposed from San Onofre and Diablo Canyon congressional districts<br /></span></p><p><a data-cke-saved-href="https://carbajal.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1801" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://carbajal.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID%3D1801&source=gmail&ust=1707712202321000&usg=AOvVaw1N4aUE9N_k0Nwey9RJInlj" href="https://carbajal.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1801" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://carbajal.house.gov/<wbr></wbr>news/documentsingle.aspx?<wbr></wbr>DocumentID=1801</span></a></p><p><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.ocregister.com/2024/02/08/nuclear-waste-canisters-must-last-an-entire-century-bill-proposes/?clearUserState=true" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.ocregister.com/2024/02/08/nuclear-waste-canisters-must-last-an-entire-century-bill-proposes/?clearUserState%3Dtrue&source=gmail&ust=1707712202321000&usg=AOvVaw3Yb2Nf9CmXOQM2RW9uxQo8" href="https://www.ocregister.com/2024/02/08/nuclear-waste-canisters-must-last-an-entire-century-bill-proposes/?clearUserState=true" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://www.ocregister.com/<wbr></wbr>2024/02/08/nuclear-waste-<wbr></wbr>canisters-must-last-an-entire-<wbr></wbr>century-bill-proposes/?<wbr></wbr>clearUserState=true</span></a></p>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-58558421630601157862024-02-09T00:29:00.001-05:002024-02-09T00:29:06.983-05:00TMI-2 SOLUTIONS, LLC, THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 2 - NRC INSPECTION REPORT NO. 05000320/2023004<div><span style="font-family: georgia;">TMI-2 SOLUTIONS, LLC, THREE MILE ISLAND NUCLEAR STATION, UNIT 2 - NRC INSPECTION REPORT NO. 05000320/2023004<br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">ADAMS ACCESSION NO. ML24031A275</span></div><div><br /><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/TMI%20U2%20inspection%20report%204Q%202023.pdf" href="https://www.tmia.com/sites/tmia.com/files/media/TMI%20U2%20inspection%20report%204Q%202023.pdf" style="font-family: georgia;" type="application/pdf; length=223299">TMI U2 inspection report 4Q 2023.pdf</a></div>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-32241362696059614672024-02-07T09:08:00.001-05:002024-02-07T09:08:07.706-05:00Pilgrim Late LLRW Shipment Investigation Report<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML24036A309" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber%3DML24036A309&source=gmail&ust=1707400215609000&usg=AOvVaw0CqCg2ugNyNOPkxcBz2Tai" href="https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML24036A309" target="_blank">ML24036A309</a><br /></span><a data-cke-saved-href="https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML24036A309" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber%3DML24036A309&source=gmail&ust=1707400215609000&usg=AOvVaw0CqCg2ugNyNOPkxcBz2Tai" href="https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML24036A309" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.<wbr></wbr>gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?<wbr></wbr>AccessionNumber=ML24036A309</span></a></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class=" cke_show_border"><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-family: georgia;">Document Title:</span></td><td><span style="font-family: georgia;">Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station - Late LLRW Shipment Investigation Report Pursuant to 10 CFR 20, Appendix G</span></td></tr><tr><td><span style="font-family: georgia;">Document Type:</span></td><td><span style="font-family: georgia;">Letter</span></td></tr><tr><td><span style="font-family: georgia;">Document Date:</span></td><td><span style="font-family: georgia;">02/02/2024<br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div data-cke-filler-webkit="end" data-cke-temp="1" style="border: 0px; height: 0px; left: -9999px; margin: 0px; opacity: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; width: 0px;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"> </span></div>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-23133283645859080052024-02-03T11:53:00.001-05:002024-02-03T11:53:25.102-05:00Vogtle Unit 4 delayed...again<div type="cite"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Happy Groundhogs Day!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Not surprisingly, Vogtle Unit 4 in GA is delayed...yet again. Several links below w/the Bloomberg/E&E/EnergyWire pasted below.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">AJC's coverage was longer, more in depth.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">AP: <a data-cke-saved-href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-power-vogtle-nuclear-reactor-delay-f9492baa97be46bfdaa555907454700c" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://apnews.com/article/georgia-power-vogtle-nuclear-reactor-delay-f9492baa97be46bfdaa555907454700c&source=gmail&ust=1707064990495000&usg=AOvVaw0tHstVCaBRm4lzabFFQyy-" href="https://apnews.com/article/georgia-power-vogtle-nuclear-reactor-delay-f9492baa97be46bfdaa555907454700c" target="_blank">https://apnews.com/<wbr></wbr>article/georgia-power-vogtle-<wbr></wbr>nuclear-reactor-delay-<wbr></wbr>f9492baa97be46bfdaa55590745470<wbr></wbr>0c</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">AP picked up widely:<br /><br /></span></div><div><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/02/01/georgia-power-vogtle-nuclear-reactor-delay/3bdc6efe-c169-11ee-a4c6-8f5c350e9316_story.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/02/01/georgia-power-vogtle-nuclear-reactor-delay/3bdc6efe-c169-11ee-a4c6-8f5c350e9316_story.html&source=gmail&ust=1707064990495000&usg=AOvVaw3d8bC0ZdbyJayoTVz079tl" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/02/01/georgia-power-vogtle-nuclear-reactor-delay/3bdc6efe-c169-11ee-a4c6-8f5c350e9316_story.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: georgia;">https://www.washingtonpost.<wbr></wbr>com/business/2024/02/01/<wbr></wbr>georgia-power-vogtle-nuclear-<wbr></wbr>reactor-delay/3bdc6efe-c169-<wbr></wbr>11ee-a4c6-8f5c350e9316_story.<wbr></wbr>html</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">AJC: <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.ajc.com/news/business/vibrations-at-second-new-vogtle-nuclear-reactor-triggers-new-delay/PEWR4NJSDBCYDM7Y7TEEX5NMVE/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.ajc.com/news/business/vibrations-at-second-new-vogtle-nuclear-reactor-triggers-new-delay/PEWR4NJSDBCYDM7Y7TEEX5NMVE/&source=gmail&ust=1707064990495000&usg=AOvVaw016lT6zKwHg1MxGwiZpKN4" href="https://www.ajc.com/news/business/vibrations-at-second-new-vogtle-nuclear-reactor-triggers-new-delay/PEWR4NJSDBCYDM7Y7TEEX5NMVE/" target="_blank">https://www.ajc.com/news/<wbr></wbr>business/vibrations-at-second-<wbr></wbr>new-vogtle-nuclear-reactor-<wbr></wbr>triggers-new-delay/<wbr></wbr>PEWR4NJSDBCYDM7Y7TEEX5NMVE/</a></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Thanks,</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sara Barczak</span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Vogtle nuclear project is delayed again</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>BY BLOOMBERG</b> | <b>02/02/2024 06:52 AM EST</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>ENERGYWIRE | </b>Southern expects its long-delayed Vogtle nuclear project in Georgia to be pushed back again.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Unit 4 reactor is expected to go into service in the second quarter, according to a filing Thursday. In November, the company said it would be done in the first quarter.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Southern said the delay stems from vibration issues with pipes in the cooling system that have to be resolved. The delay isn’t expected to add to total costs for the project, but Southern said it could be a drag on profit. If the plant doesn’t go into service by March 31, it would negatively impact earnings by “approximately $30 million per month until the month following the date commercial operation for Unit 4 is achieved,” according to the filing.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The Vogtle project to add two reactors to the facility is nearing completion, but it’s years behind schedule and costs have more than doubled to over $30 billion. Unit 3 went into service in July.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-20/un-science-report-to-provide-stark-climate-warning?source=email" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-20/un-science-report-to-provide-stark-climate-warning?source%3Demail&source=gmail&ust=1707064990495000&usg=AOvVaw1jH6Ia6UGRbyFGVagzCvIK" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-20/un-science-report-to-provide-stark-climate-warning?source=email" target="_blank">The intensifying threat of climate change</a> is boosting the value of nuclear energy, and there’s a realization that the expensive, long-delayed Vogtle project could play an important role in US efforts to curb emissions.</span></p>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4646072218261864386.post-16505807988952650322024-01-31T23:44:00.005-05:002024-01-31T23:44:37.803-05:00E&E News: Biden admin poised to aid [Palisades] nuclear plant with massive loan<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Biden admin poised to aid nuclear plant with massive loan</span></h3><div><span style="font-family: georgia;">By Brian Dabbs<br /> 01/31/2024 01:29 PM EST<br /> </span></div><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The owner of a shuttered nuclear plant in Michigan is signaling a massive loan could come soon from the Department of<br /> Energy, a move that would mark the latest attempt by the Biden administration to bolster the struggling nuclear sector in the<br /> U.S.<br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Holtec International — the owner of the Palisades nuclear plant southwest of Grand Rapids — is “hopeful” it will “hear a<br /> favorable decision in the near future” on the DOE loan, a spokesperson for the company, Nick Culp, told E&E News on<br /> Wednesday.<br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“We are very optimistic about the federal loan process and confident in the strength of our application,” Culp said. “The<br /> unified effort to bring Palisades back online will return 800 megawatts of safe, reliable and carbon-free baseload generation<br /> back to our electric grid — ensuring Michigan and the country meet climate goals while boosting around-the-clock reliability<br /> for families and businesses.”<br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that Holtec is poised to get a $1.5 billion loan to reopen the shuttered plant on the shores of<br /> Lake Michigan from the DOE Loan Programs Office (LPO), an arm of the department with hundreds of billions of dollars in<br /> authority. A spokesperson for the LPO declined to comment.<br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The potential loan comes in the wake of a for the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant in California.$1.1 billion DOE bailout<br /> The bailout program, authorized in the bipartisan infrastructure law of 2021, is designed to provide grants to unprofitable<br /> nuclear plants. A recent round of bailout offerings . Many energy experts expected Holtec to apply for theyielded no takers<br /> grants.<br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Speaking to E&E News last week, CEO Kris Singh said the Palisades plant is a boon to U.S. clean energy.<br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">“Right now, clean energy is in short supply. Companies want to switch. The consumers want to switch,” he said in an<br /> interview. “The state government, local community, the Department of Energy, and finally the [Nuclear Regulatory Commission], <br />which has the last word, in our meetings have not shown any reluctance to restart the plant, if we are able to show to them that all <br />the safety metrics are preserved.”<br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Nuclear critics say the plant is a threat to the local community.<br /> <br />"The problem with a DOE loan guarantee, at least for taxpayers, is that it is interest-free, and risk-free. Holtec need not pay it<br /> back, leaving taxpayers holding the bag,” Kevin Kamps, radioactive waste specialist at Beyond Nuclear, said in an email.<br /> <br />“But the extreme risks to health, safety, security, and the environment of restarting this severely age-degraded zombie reactor<br /> could prove much more costly to those living downwind, downstream, up the food chain, and down the generations."<br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">The LPO has more than $400 billion in lending authority after a. Among its morebig injection in the Inflation Reduction Act<br /> controversial loans, the office is lending $3 billion to Sunnova Energy for a . Nationwide virtual power plant project<br /> month, DOE also extended a loan to LongPath Technologies for that company's efforts to monitor methane emissions at<br />production sites in the U.S. West<br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Republicans on Capitol Hill have repeatedly targeted the LPO. Last week, House Republicans LPO threatened to subpoena<br /> Director Jigar Shah.<br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Nuclear energy, which does not directly produce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, currently provides about a tenth<br /> of global electricity. The fuel provided on the grid in 2022.18 percent of U.S. electricity<br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">A bipartisan group of lawmakers is currently to boost next-generation nuclear production. collaborating to advance legislation<br /> On Tuesday, Holtec as part of a criminal investigation into state tax credits the agreed to pay New Jersey $5 million<br /> sought in 2018.<br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">Reporter Zachary Bright contributed.<br /></span></p>efmrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13796369258185219712noreply@blogger.com0