Posted on 05/03/2006 10:06:55 AM PDT by RSmithOpt
"As of October 31, 2005, however, no U.S. nuclear company has yet applied for a new construction permit.".......
(Excerpt) Read more at eia.doe.gov ...
Big Oil profits are way up.
So, my question: Why still have there not been not nuclear reactor to come on line in the US since 1996 (Watts Barr in TN)?
It is estimated by the year 2015, the US will have to build 3-4 new plants per year to meet demand as to keep up with the current 20% level of generation and to replace some aging facilities.
I don't know about US companies, but nuke plants are applying for permits. I just saw an article two weeks ago on a project somewhere in South Carolina.
If the greenies were really interested in saving us from the biggest threat of all (that would be global warming to them) they should be pushing really hard for more nuclear plants. That is the #1 way we could reduce man-made CO2 emmissions. But so far the greenies have been silent on this. Instead all we hear about is the stupid Kyoto Treaty which does nothing.
I recall a article a few months ago, that several new nuke plants were in the plans because of the energy bill passed last year. Including up to two in NC.
I suppose Small Oil profits are up too. ;)
Duke Power has applied or is in the process of applying for a COL (Construction-Operating liscense) for the Cherokee Co site in South Carolina for a twin AP1000 unit.
Constellation the same for a 1600 MWe Areva ractor at the Calvert Cliffs site
Southern Nuclear the same for a twin AP1000 plant at the Vogtle site in Georgia
Nustart (a utility consortium) has chosen the Bellafonte site for a twin AP1000 plant.
Dominion has done the same for a site in Virginia for a twin AP1000 site.
The Grand Gulf site has been chosen by Nustart for a new ABWR plant.
Florida Progress has chosen the Harris site near Raleigh-Durham in North Carolina for a twin AP1000 plant.
There are a couple of more I can't remember right at this minute, but the nuclear revival is underway.
So, about 5 years the time frame for approval for a COL?
I remember the recent article, here locally, where Progress wanted to add 2 new reactors to Harris, but there has not been any followups or announcements. The MSM just doesn't seem to coordinate very well good news with the related 'doom and gloom' about oil prices.
Do you, or anyone else know about if there are new plans for better homeowner tax breaks to encourage solar installations for residential / commercial properties? I figure that the solar panel/steel roof combo can be very appealing in architectural aspects as well as durability and energy savings. Preheating water for hot water and preheating air for home heating makes a lot of sense. Haven't seen a tankless hot water installation combined a solar preheated water tank as of yet for residential use. Imagine the energy savings on that concept.
Thanks for the heads up.
There are a few solar assist manufacturers, however, this month's Popular Mechanics details one you can build yourself. I used to have one when I lived in Texas. Why ask for a tax break to install one? If it makes economic sense, then go ahead and install it. Usually the economics work out only in the southern and southwestern states where hot water is made using electric heaters.
Yeah, 5 years approval is due this time to manpower constraints in the NRC. Like the nuke biz everwhere in the US, it is suffering from a massive wave of retirements and has only recently started hiring lots of new college grads. The plants themselves are to be turnkey and modular, and are expected to take 5 years to complete. This time, there will be NO customization, standard plant only (No Coke, Pepsi). We don't expect to get started building until 2010, as it will take us a couple of years to finish the detailed designs and get manufacturers and construction craft ready.
http://www.ap1000.westinghousenuclear.com/
Thank goodness!!! Is B&W still in the biz? Had a suite mate, Dave N. that graduated from NCSU in NE and he went to work for them.
Standard modular design should have been in the first place....much like, and I hate to say it, the Frog's program. The French were smart to do that.
From your link:
The AP1000 has 50 percent fewer valves, 83 percent less piping, 87 percent less control cable, 35 percent fewer pumps and 50 percent less seismic building volume than a similarly sized conventional plant. These reductions in equipment and bulk quantities lead to major savings in plant costs and construction schedules.
That will help a whole lot with cost/kW. BTW, I'm a little confused....what is a MWe? Megawatt=====??????
Also, I've always really liked Westinghouse's residential/industrial electrical components, not to mention their residential appliances. Good quality and reliable service...always.
MWe = Megawatt Electric. That is, one million watts of electrical power delivered to the grid.
That's in contrast to 1 Mwt, which is one million watts thermal, a million watts of heat. At 45% efficiency, it takes 2.22 Mwt to generate 1.0 Mwe.
(steely)
Three I have heard of this winter. Duke is one of them.
Three I have heard of this winter. Duke is one of them.
B&W was bought by Framatome in the early 1990's. They combined with Siemen's nuclear business to form Areva. The US HQ is in the old B&W nuclear offices in Lynchburg, VA.
MWe = MegaWatt electric, the electrical output of the plant.
However, with that said, Westinghouse still has done a good majority of the work here in the states.
Thanks for the plant output explanation. Never hurts to learn something new.
Actually you have to add GE to the competitor list with their APBWR. One of the other potential sites for it is in Clinton, IL.
Westinghouse is hiring like crazy. I would guess that they have added over 1000 new engineers, mostly new college grads in the last 2 years. They kicked out all the tenants of the west tower of the Energy Center, remodeled it, and are now populating it. Things are looking really good right now. I have friends who work for both GE Nuclear in San Jose, CA, and Areva in Lynchburg (the nuke world is a very small community), who say that their companies are hiring also.
Them Scouts eat a lot of beans, ya know on them camporees....Scouting helps take boys to men in a good way - was one myself. my co-worker in the other lab is a troop leader and has been for about 3 years now. I eat a lot of popcorn these days ;)
Now, if we could just get some folks in Congress and all across the nation to say this, mean it, and keep their word:
On my honor . . .
. . . I will do my best . . .
. . . To do my duty to God . . .
. . . and my country . . .
. . . and to obey the Scout Law; . . .
. . . To help other people at all times; . . .
. . . To keep myself physically strong, . . .
. . . mentally awake, . . .
. . . and morally straight.
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