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Tag:

nuclear power

Economic Viability of Nuclear Power Under Threat, Energy Group Says

Economic Viability of Nuclear Power Under Threat, Energy Group Says

written by Yale Environment 360

Nuclear reactors in the U.S. need a boost — either through carbon taxes or regulations forcing coal-fired plants to slash emissions — or economic factors will force many to close, according to a report released today from a non-profit group.

Nuclear power — currently the only major zero-carbon, around-the-clock baseload power source — supplies 19 percent of U.S. electricity and is key to meeting President Obama’s pledge to reduce emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020, according to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions. The economic viability of the 100 nuclear reactors in the U.S. is worsening, the report says, because of the abundance of cheap natural gas and rising wind energy production.

A carbon tax or some form of carbon trading — for instance, requiring coal-fired plants to purchase and blend their electricity output with nuclear power — will be essential to keeping nuclear plants from closing before the end of their lifespans, the report contends. Four power companies recently announced the early retirement of five nuclear reactors, which constitute more than 4 percent of U.S. nuclear capacity, the group says.



April 29, 2014 1 comment
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China Plans to Accelerate Major Energy Projects

China Plans to Accelerate Major Energy Projects

written by CleanTechies Staff

We all know the story. China is an energy hog. Coal fired power plants continue to be built to meet the energy demands of the country. Pollution is getting worse and not just in Beijing. We also know that China slowed its nuclear power plant approval process in the wake of the Fukushima disaster that hit Japan.

At a meeting of the State Energy Commission, Premier Li Keqiang made a point that China will move forward in reforming energy production and consumption, and make energy use greener. As part of these reforms, China now plans to speed up the approval process for new nuclear power plants. To put this in perspective, China approved the construction of two nuclear reactors in 2013 with a generating capacity of 2.1 GW. This year, China intends to give the go ahead for nuclear projects totaling 8.6 GW.

Besides nuclear, China intends to construct additional hydropower stations, wind and solar farms, and ultra-high voltage transmission lines to send power from the west to the power hungry east.  According to Li, “These energy projects can ensure stable economic growth and increase China’s capability to safeguard energy security.”  Li also noted that the country will attempt to boost electric vehicle use and upgrade existing coal power plants that fail to meet emission requirements.



April 22, 2014 0 comment
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French Utility Company Agrees to Build Major Nuclear Plant in U.K.

written by Yale Environment 360

The British government and the French state-controlled utility company, EDF Group, have agreed to build the U.K.’s first nuclear power plant in a generation. The new plant, to be built at Hinkley Point in southwest England, is part of the British government’s ongoing efforts to cut carbon emissions in half by the mid-2020s.

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October 22, 2013 0 comment
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Japan’s Last Nuclear Reactor Turned Off

written by Walter Wang

In the early hours of Monday Japan’s last nuclear reactor, Reactor 4 at Ohi in western Japan will stop generating electricity. There is no scheduled restart. It is likely that there will not be any nuclear power in the country until perhaps December. This will be the longest time the country has been without nuclear power since the 1960’s.

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September 16, 2013 0 comment
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Energy and Netflix’s ‘House of Cards’

written by Walter Wang

Netflix’s ‘House of Cards’ is the latest ‘Downton Abbey.’ Or for us older folks, it is the latest who-shot-JR Ewing – a television series that lots of people are talking about.

A story of Congressional intrigue, the 13-part series has caught the attention of not only the viewing public, but also Washington insiders, who are having

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March 8, 2013 0 comment
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Chinese Report Acknowledges Nuclear Safety Concerns at Reactors

written by Yale Environment 360

In a new report, the Chinese government has laid out a plan to upgrade the security at its http://blog.cleantechies.com/category/energy/nuclear/ reactors over the next decade, suggesting that the country may be ready to resume a planned expansion of its nuclear sector halted in the aftermath of the Fukushima disaster.

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October 18, 2012 2 comments
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Japanese Set Goal To Phase Out Nuclear Power by 2040

written by Yale Environment 360

The Japanese government says it will seek to phase out all nuclear power plants by 2040, although officials suggested that the target remains flexible.

The new energy strategy, which places a 40-year lifespan on nuclear reactors and limits construction of new plants, would continue a national shift away

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September 17, 2012 0 comment
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Germany May Need to Slow Its Shift to Green Energy, Official Says

written by Yale Environment 360

Germany’s environment minister said Tuesday that the country might have to slow its shift to renewable energy to quell concerns about rising consumer costs.

A year after the government decided to phase out nuclear power following Japan’s Fukushima disaster,

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August 29, 2012 1 comment
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German Shift from Nuclear Triggers an Increase in Coal Burning

written by Yale Environment 360

The German government’s decision to phase out all of the nation’s nuclear power plants following the 2011 Fukushima disaster has led to an increase in coal-burning within Europe’s largest economy.

Coal consumption in Germany has grown by 4.9 percent since Chancellor Angela Merkel announced

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August 21, 2012 0 comment
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The Nuclear Threat Still Haunts Japan

written by Walter Wang

Recently we blogged about a project by the Kyoto Journal called Fresh Currents, a magazine designed to offer thinking fodder for post-nuclear disaster Japan. The idea of the magazine is to dispel myths about nuclear power and to take a fresh look at alternative energy as a possibility for Japan.

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August 9, 2012 0 comment
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Are Fast-Breeder Reactors A Nuclear Power Panacea?

written by Yale Environment 360

Plutonium is the nuclear nightmare. A by-product of conventional power-station reactors, it is the key ingredient in nuclear weapons. And even when not made into bombs, it is a million-year radioactive waste legacy that is already costing the world billions of dollars a year to contain.

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July 31, 2012 1 comment
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Study Calculates Health Impacts Of the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster

written by Yale Environment 360

Roughly 130 people are likely to die from radiation exposure and another 180 die from cancer as a result of the March 2011 meltdown of the Fukushima-Daichi nuclear power station in Japan, according to a new study by Stanford University researchers.

The researchers presented a wide range of possible

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July 18, 2012 0 comment
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Activists Kickstart Fundraising Campaign to Create Post-Fukushima Publication

written by Walter Wang

Kyoto Journal, a publication whose main premise is offer an alternative view of Asian culture, started a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo to finance a publication called Fresh Currents. The publication will come out in print and PDF and will be distributed to key policymakers, local government officials, community leaders, educators and media outlets.

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June 27, 2012 0 comment
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Japan Feed-in Tariffs Approved as Government Restarts 2 Nuclear Plants

written by Yale Environment 360

Japan’s struggle over its energy future was on display over the last two days as the government okayed restarting operations at two nuclear power plants while also approving an ambitious renewable energy feed-in tariff in which utilities will pay a premium for electricity generated by solar, wind, and geothermal power.

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June 19, 2012 0 comment
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