Nuclear Power
Leak in massive Hanford nuclear waste tank getting worse. The first signs of a leak in the one million gallon tank showed up in October 2011. But last week workers at the site confirmed via video inspection that a new leak has arisen, which is now the third leak positively identified.
South Carolina officials are upset over their lost opportunity to add to the radioactive pollution in the state, so they’re still lobbying for the dangerous, over-budget MOX program Obama wants to end.
Nebraska utility lost track of a dead nuclear worker for 17 hours before finding body.
Clean Energy
Even Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz has noticed that electricity storage is a really big deal. Meanwhile, in California, an energy storage mandate is disrupting the state’s utilities’ business models. And that’s a good thing. Meanwhile, CNBC takes an extended look at the issue—that rooftop solar coupled with electricity storage will upend the utility business–and describes it as A dirty clean energy battle becoming a utility war. Adam Browning, executive director of Vote Solar, warns utilities and regulators that “I don’t know a single investor-owned utility that has a business plan compatible with a livable planet.” And that is a sign of an industry that soon will be under extreme stress just to survive. Now is when utilities need to be taking the steps to ensure that the electricity system of the 21st century will be here to meet the nation’s needs. Utilities’ reluctance–even fear–of breaking with the model of the past is not only bad news for customers, if it continues it’s the death knell for those utilities. Right now, when solar penetration is still relatively low, offers substantial opportunity for utilities to adjust and adapt to the new technologies. Waiting until they’re already in place will be too late.
Nice infographic describing solar power’s best year ever in 2013.
Michael Mariotte
Permalink: https://www.nirs.org/2014/03/07/nuclear-newsreel-friday-march-7-2014/
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