nuclear energy posts, articles, and infographics

Audio Archive: Fukushima and Nuclear Power

July 8, 2011 by Amelia Timbers
with 525 views

Listen to The Energy Collective's panelists as they seek answers to questions raised after Fukushima and discuss nuclear power's role in our energy future [read more]

Germany to Eliminate Nuclear Energy by 2022

May 31, 2011 by Nathanael Baker
with 996 views

In a sharp reversal of policy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced the country will move to phase out all nuclear power by 2022. The decision comes after the Ethics Commission for Security Energy, which Merkel set up to review nuclear power following the Fukushima disaster in Japan, recommended all 17 of Germany's reactors... [read more]

UK moves ahead with eight new reactor sites

October 18, 2010 by Dan Yurman
with 1,370 views

UK Energy Minister Chris Huhne

Energy Minister Chris Huhne makes the urgent case for new nuclear power stationsThe UK coalition government confirmed eight sites Oct 18 as "suitable" for development of eight new nuclear reactor power stations within the next 15 years. In a major policy statement the government also said it would release a statement on a price for... [read more]

Liability law puts India's nuclear future in doubt

September 14, 2010 by Dan Yurman
with 3,250 views

American firms hoping to get a piece of India's expected $150 billion nuclear energy market over the next two decades go a rude shock Sept 1 instead with the passage of a divisive liability law. India's parliament imposed harsh liability measures on both suppliers and operators of any new nuclear plants. The law goes beyond international rules that limit liability to operators of the plants. [read more]

Nuclear Energy Deserves to be On Everyone's List of Clean Energy Alternatives

September 8, 2010 by Rod Adams
with 2,469 views

Nuclear energy has a fifty year history of safe and reliable operation. Atomic fission, the only new power source developed during the 20th century, produces the energy equivalent of 12 million barrels of oil per day from approximately 440 commercial nuclear power plants. That energy equivalence figure does not include the energy... [read more]

Nuclear Energy Safety Is Different From the Deepwater Horizon Oil Drilling Safety

June 27, 2010 by Rod Adams
with 1,844 views

There is a depressing meme circulating around the Internet and in the commercial media that attempts to use BP's incredibly costly accident on the Deepwater Horizon as a reason why we should avoid using nuclear energy. (See, for example, BP spill an argument against nuclear power.) The very idea of trying to use what is happening in the... [read more]

Nuclear news roundup for 06/17/10

June 17, 2010 by Dan Yurman
with 336 views

UK government retreats from nuclear renaissance The BBC reports June 17 an {L}80 million loan to Sheffield Forgemasters has been axed as part of budget cuts being implemented by the new Liberal government. The loan would have funded development of a facility to build critical components for the next generation of nuclear reactors in... [read more]

Nuclear Energy Production Is So Profitable That Germany Plans a $2.8 Billion Per Year Windfall Profits Tax

June 16, 2010 by Rod Adams
with 899 views

It continues to frustrate me when people like Amory Lovins, Joe Romm or Craig Severance boldly claim that nuclear energy is "too expensive" despite all evidence to the contrary. Yesterday, World Nuclear News published another piece of evidence to add to the pile supporting the notion that many of the expensive cost drivers of nuclear... [read more]

Nuclear new roundup for June 8, 2010

June 10, 2010 by Dan Yurman
with 417 views

First concrete scheduled for Brazil's Angra 3 Work is expected to begin to build Brazil's third nuclear power reactor after regulators issued a construction permit. Plant owner Eletronuclear said this means it can now pour concrete for the reactor's foundation slab, which as 'first concrete' would mark the official start of... [read more]

IFR FaD 5 – the Gen III and Gen IV nuclear power synergy – why we need both

June 10, 2010 by Barry Brook
with 500 views

So far in the IFR Facts and Discussion series, I’ve discussed Gen III and Gen IV fuel cycles and energy densities. In later IFR FaD posts, I aim to explore some possible scenarios for future deployment of the IFR and related technologies. But before I can do this, I need to explain (and justify!), some key underlying concepts — fissile... [read more]

Energy Density Comparison

June 6, 2010 by Rod Adams
with 1,164 views

One of the primary advantages that nuclear energy sources have over chemical energy competitors is energy density. Using our current, rather primitive technology that essentially obtains nuclear energy from the 0.7% fraction of uranium that is easily fissioned with a single, low energy neutron, uranium contains about 16,000 times as... [read more]

Non-proliferation Community Working To Hamper Innovation That May Reduce Both Cost and Power Consumption

May 29, 2010 by Rod Adams
with 393 views

I often suspect that the raison d'etre for the nuclear weapons non-proliferation community is to add barriers that restrict the beneficial use of nuclear energy. Many prominent spokespeople from that community can be counted on to make proclamations of worry for any innovation in the fuel cycle that improves performance, lowers costs,... [read more]

Cleaner Coal in China

May 11, 2009 by Marc Gunther
with 252 views

The New York Times is reporting this morning that China is emerging as a leader in clean coal technology. Reporter Keith Bradsher writes:China has emerged in the past two years as the world’s leading builder of more efficient, less polluting coal power plants, mastering the technology and driving down the cost.He goes on to say that... [read more]

Italy's nuclear renaissance blooms

April 19, 2009 by Dan Yurman
with 279 views

France and Russia compete for market share. Neither Rome nor reactors are built in a day.Italy is looking for energy independence, and like many of its politicians, has taken up with two new companions - France and Russia - both of which are promising a new life with nuclear energy at its heart. In doing so Italy is clearly planning... [read more]

United Arab Emirates seeks nuclear trade deal with the US

March 22, 2009 by Dan Yurman
with 556 views

A nation swimming in fossil fuels and sunshine puts a priority on a nuclear energy One of the last foreign policy acts of the Bush Administration was to sign a nuclear cooperation agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a nation state about the size of Maine with a population of about 5 million. The Financial Times,... [read more]