Monthly Archives: March 2012

NRC grants approval for two new reactors at South Carolina plant‏

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Robert Singleton

On a 4-1 vote, with Chairman Gregory Jaczko dissenting, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the combined operating licenses for two new nuclear reactors to be built at the V. C. Summer nuclear power plant in South Carolina. The approval was not … Continue reading →

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NRC to vote this afternoon on license for two new reactors for South Carolina nuke

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Robert Singleton

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is meeting this afternoon in Maryland and is expected to vote on licensing for two new reactors at the V. C. Summer nuclear power plant in South Carolina. The meeting begins at 1:25 Eastern Time. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction delays, Expansion, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, SCANA, Summer nuclear plant | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

And the winner of the No Duh Award: TEPCO scraps plans for new reactors at Fukushima

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Robert Singleton

Reuters just reported this acknowledgement of the blindingly obvious: Tokyo Electric Power Co, or Tepco, said on Friday it had notified Japan’s trade ministry it was dropping plans for two more nuclear reactors at its Fukushima Daiichi plant, paralyzed last year … Continue reading →

Posted in Expansion, Fukushima, Japan, Plant shutdowns, Reactor problems, TEPCO | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Power falling at South Texas reactor

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Robert Singleton

Power output began falling yesterday at the Unit 1 reactor at the South Texas Project (STP.) Yesterday, the NRC Reactor Status Report listed Unit 1 at 75 per cent of rated output. This morning’s report said the reactor was at … Continue reading →

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New TEPCO report says damage to Fukushima Unit 2 may be worse than previously thought

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Robert Singleton

The New York Times reported this afternoon: The damage to the core of at least one of the meltdown-stricken reactors at Fukushima could be worse than previously thought, raising new concerns over the plant’s stability and complicating the post-disaster cleanup, … Continue reading →

Posted in Fukushima, Japan, Meltdown, Plant shutdowns, Radiation leak, Reactor problems, TEPCO | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Event Report: Automatic shutdown at South Carolina nuke

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Robert Singleton

The sole reactor at the Robinson nuclear plant in South Carolina shut itself down Wednesday afternoon following a turbine trip. The auxiliary feedwater pumps activated during the incident. The reactor had been at 55 per cent power prior to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Event Reports, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Plant shutdowns, Progress Energy, Reactor problems, Robinson | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Former Exelon CEO says new nukes don’t make economic sense

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Robert Singleton

Jeff McMahon just blogged this on Forbes: Nuclear power is no longer an economically viable source of new energy in the United States, the freshly-retired CEO of Exelon, America’s largest producer of nuclear power, said in Chicago Thursday. And it … Continue reading →

Posted in Exelon, Expansion, Nuclear Renaissance | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Event Report: Spent fuel handling machine at Arkansas nuke taken out of service due to failure to meet earthquake standards

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Robert Singleton

Arkansas Nuclear reported to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission this morning that recent engineering analysis showed that the Spent Fuel Handling Machine for the facility’s Unit 2 reactor did not meet seismic standards for a design basis earthquake. Arkansas Nuclear said … Continue reading →

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NRC orders both units at San Onofre to remain closed indefinitely

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Robert Singleton

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission today issued a Confirmatory Action Letter ordering the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station to remain closed until completion of repairs to the steam generator tubes in both units. According to the NRC’s press release: “This Confirmatory … Continue reading →

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6.4 earthquake shakes northeast Japan

Posted on March 27, 2012 by Robert Singleton

The Associated Press just reported: A strong earthquake shook northern Japan on Tuesday, but no damage was reported and there was no risk of a tsunami. The Japan Meteorological Agency recorded a 6.4 preliminary magnitude. The agency said there may … Continue reading →

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