Flasbarth, an architect of Germany’s green energy revolution, is touring Vermont

Diane Clancy — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:41:44 +0000

Beyond Nuclear ■ Citizens’ Awareness Network ■ Safe and Green Campaign ■ Vermont Yankee Decommissioning Alliance ■ VPIRG

Contact: Linda Gunter, Beyond Nuclear, 301.455.5655;

Director of German Environment Agency to present Germany’s renewable energy roadmap and lessons for Vermont

WHO: Jochen Flasbarth, President of Germany’s Federal Environment, similar to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Arne Jungjohann, Director for the Environment Program in the Washington, DC office of the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

WHAT: Flasbarth, an architect of Germany’s green energy revolution, is touring Vermont to discuss his country’s decision to shut down the remaining nine of its once 17 operating nuclear reactors by 2022, and how a nuclear phase-out will accelerate the country transition toward 40% renewable energy by 2020 and to 80% to 100% renewable energy by 2050. Jungjohann will discuss Germany’s transition toward a low-carbon economy based on renewable energy and efficiency technologies, and the opportunities to model Germany’s green energy plan, which will create new jobs while removing the threat posed by operating reactors.

WHEN: Monday, October 10-Wednesday, October 12, 2011.

BACKGROUND: Germany has chosen to close its nuclear power program by 2022. The State of Vermont voted in favor of shutting the troubled reactor when its current license expires on March 21, 2012. However, that decision is being challenged in court by Yankee owner, Entergy. The Flasbarth visit was initiated by Beyond Nuclear, a national safe energy group, and is being organized by a regional coalition of activist groups working to shut down the Vermont Yankee reactor.

ITINERARY OF EVENTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND THE MEDIA

Monday, October 10 7:00-8:30pm: Public forum at the Center Congregational Church, 193 Main Street, Brattleboro.

Tuesday, October 11 12:15-1:00pm: Press conference, Room 11, State House, Montpelier. Speakers: Jochen Flasbarth, Arne Jungjohann, Rep. Tony Klein. Moderator, Linda Gunter.

7:00pm-9:00pm: Public event. Bethany Church, 115 Main Street, Montpelier.

Wednesday, October 12 12:50pm-1:50pm: Renewable Energy Vermont (REV) conference, Burlington, VT. Lunch and keynote. Keynote speaker is Søren Hermanson of Denmark. Jochen Flasbarth will follow him for five minutes.

Aging Nuclear Power Plants in the USA and the World

gmoke — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:44:37 +0000

Ages of US Nuclear Power Plants* at Closure
* Includes only commercial plants of significant size

Plant, Shutdown Date, Age, Reason

Connecticut Yankee, Dec., 1996, 29 yrs, Steam gen. cracking, ECCS undersized

Millstone I (CT), July, 199, 28 yrs, Improper operation, Cost of safety improvements

Maine Yankee, August, 1997, 25 yrs, Steam gen. tube damage, Electrical power cable separation

Yankee Rowe (MA), October, 1991, 28 yrs, Reactor vessel embrittlement, Steam gen. tube damage

Indian Point I (NY), Oct., 1974, 12 yrs., Lack of an ECCS

Shippingport (PA), Oct. 1982, 35 yrs, 1st commercial plant in US

Peach Bottom I (PA), Nov., 1974, 7 yrs., Helium cooled graphite core

Three Mile Island II (PA), March, 1979, 4 mos., Partial meltdown!

Dresden I (IL), Oct., 1978, 18 yrs., 1st full scale private funded plant

Zion I (IL), Feb., 1997, 22 yrs., Steam gen. cracking, Improper operation

Zion II (IL), Nov., 1996, 22 yrs., Steam gen. cracking

Big Rock Point (MI), Aug., 1997, 35 yrs. Economics

Fermi I, 1972, 2 yrs., Partial meltdown, 1966! Restarted (?) 1970-72

La Crosse (WI), April, 1987, 17 yrs.

Fort St. Vrain (CO), Aug., 1989, 13 yrs., Helium cooled graphite core,Control rod failure, never dependable

Trojan I (OR), Nov., 1992, 16 yrs., Steam gen. cracking, economics

San Onofre I (CA), Nov., 1992, 25 yrs., Cost of seismic retrofit, Steam gen. cracking

Humbold Bay (CA), 1980, 17 yrs., 2nd oldest commercial plant

Rancho Seco (CA), June, 1989, 15 yrs., Poor operating history (39%), Only nuke plant closed by referendum

—————————————————–

Operating US Nuclear Plants over 40 Years Old

Plant, Start Date, Age, Issues

Oyster Creek, Dec., 1969, 41 yrs., Oldest still running in US, Thermal pollution to bay

R.E. Ginna (NY), 1970, 41 yrs., Radiation release in 1982; Steam generators replaced

Nine Mile Pt. I, Dec., 1969, 41 yrs., Internal cracking (worst nationally), Cooling system malfunctions

H.B. Robinson II (SC), 1970, 41 yrs.

Dresden II (IL), June, 1970, 41 yrs., Cooling system failure, 1989

Monticello (MN), 1970, 41 yrs. GE mark I (Fukushima type)

Point Beach I (WI), 1970, 41 yrs. 2nd oldest in total hours run

——————————————-

Other Oldest Reactors around the World

Obninsk (Russia), 1954, 48 yrs. (at shutdown), 5MW

Calder Hall (UK), 1953, 47 yrs. (at shutdown) military/commercial

Chapelcross (UK), 1959, 45 yrs. (at shutdown) military/commercial

Oldbury (UK), 1967, 44 yrs.

Beznau 1 (Swiss), 1969, 41 yrs. Slated for shutdown

Tsuruga – 1 (Japan), 1970, 41 yrs. Radiation leaks. Slated for shutdown

Sources:
US Energy Info Administration
Nuke plants list
Wikipedia

Compiled by Doug Bogen
Seacoast Anti-Pollution League
PO Box 1136, Portsmouth, NH 03802
603-431-5089

Edited by gmoke

Exposé Reveals Weakened Safety Standards for Reactors

Tom Wyatt — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:35:27 +0000

In a special series called “Aging Nukes” the Associated Press revealed that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the nuclear power industry have been working in tandem to weaken safety standards to keep aging reactors within the rules. Just last year, the NRC weakened the safety margin for acceptable radiation damage to reactor vessels. The AP report also revealed radioactive tritium has leaked from 48 of the 65 U.S. commercial nuclear power sites, often into groundwater from corroded, buried piping. Leaks from at least 37 of those facilities contained concentrations exceeding the federal drinking water standard—sometimes at hundreds of times the limit.

Listen to a Democracy Now video with Jeff Donn the AP reporter who wrote the series: http://www.youtube.com/embed/3NzDoUu9ux0

Here’s a link to the NY Times story on the series as well http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2011/06/20/us/AP-US-Aging-Nukes-Part-1.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Nuke%20Safety%20Rules%20Weakened&st=cse

Fully Renewable Grid

gmoke — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 22:12:15 +0000

A couple of years ago, Dr William Moomaw of Tufts mentioned a regional scale experiment with an all-renewable grid in Germany. I’ve been curious about that project since then. Today, I did a little googling and found a seven-minute youtube called “Fully renewable: biogas + wind + solar”

Dr Jurgen Schmid at the University of Kassel, Department of Efficient Energy Conversion is the spokesperson from this December 2007 video. The system described is wind with pumped hydro storage and grid scale solar with methane from biomass (corn biofuels). When the sun isn’t out in the South, the wind may be blowing in the North. When there’s too much wind, it can be used to pump water into reservoirs that will provide hydroelectricity days or weeks later. When the sun isn’t shining and the wind isn’t blowing, biomass can be burned or converted to methane. They say Germany can have a 100% renewable grid by 2050. Dr Schmid, along with John Sievers, Stefan Faulstich, Mathias Puchta, Ingo Stadler, is the co-author of “Long-term perspectives for balancing fluctuating renewable energy sources” (pdf alert:
http://desire.iwes.fraunhofer.de/files/deliverables/del_2.3.pdf) details the steps necessary to get to a fully renewable grid.

If it can work in Germany, which has, on average, about as much sunlight as Seattle, it can work in the USA too. Maybe even in a city like New York.

The NYC Solar Map (http://nycsolarmap.com/), a collaboration between New York City, the City University of New York, and the Department of Energy, shows 66.4 percent of the city’s buildings have roof space suitable for solar panels and could generate up to 5,847 megawatts of energy, 14 percent of the city’s total annual use (taking typical weather conditions into account).

The data for the map was collected using a Lidar-equipped plane recorded the shape, angle, and size of the city rooftops and the shading provided from trees and structures around them. New Yorkers can use the map to discover the solar power potential of their own roof, the associated costs, rebates, and various financial incentives by entering their address.

Today in NYC, about 400 solar installations produce 6.5 megawatts, and existing solar power installations nationwide produce about 2,300 megawatts. If the NYC data is replicable in other cities, we are currently using a little more than a tenth of what we could get from sunlight alone. And that’s just counting electricity.
hat tip http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/06/rooftop-solar-power-could-meet-half-new-york-city-peak-energy.php

posted at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/06/20/987155/-Fully-Renewable-Grid

Japan’s richest man comes out swinging for solar

greenblueredblack — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 02:58:13 +0000

Japan’s Richest Man Challenges Nuclear Future
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-14/japan-s-richest-man-challenges-nuclear-future-with-nationwide-solar-plans.html

Masayoshi Son, CEO of Japan’s Softbank, has declared his intention to build 200 MW in total solar electric capacity with plants in at least 33 of Japan’s 47 perfectures if he can get agreements from Japanes utilities to buy his electricity. Shockingly, Japan has less than 20 megawatts of installed solar capacity installed today in spite of it being a leading manufacturer of solar cells. Japan is far behind the United States and Europe in the opening of its electric grid and the restructuring of regional electric utility monopolies. Son might be able to galvanize a real move toward a non-nuclear future for Japan.

Italian voters decide “No nukes!”

greenblueredblack — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 02:21:52 +0000

Italian overwhelmingly rejected plans to generate nuclear power in Italy in a referendum held on Monday. The margin was apparently greater than 94%. Water privatization was also rejected.

No nukes!

Italy’s Voters Scrap Nuclear Energy
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tina-gerhardt/italys-voters-scrap-nucle_b_876004.html

Berlusconi acknowledges reversal on nuclear power
http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=62071462

More coverage:

Voters deal Berlusconi latest blow in referendums
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110613/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_italy_referendums

Weekly Nuclear Calendar

gmoke — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 19:49:25 +0000

Nuclear Calendar
June 6, 2011
June 4-12 House of Representatives recess.
June 6-10 International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors meeting. Vienna, Austria.
June 7 9:00-10:30 a.m., Thomas Pickering, former Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs; Jeffrey White, Washington Institute for Near East Policy; and Alireza Nader, RAND, “The Military Option for Countering Iran’s Nuclear Program.” Sponsored by the Arms Control Association. At the Carnegie Endowment, Root Room, 1779 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington. RSVP to Tim Farnsworth by email.
June 7 German Chancellor Angela Merkel meets with President Obama. White House, Washington. Iran’s nuclear program is on the agenda.
June 7 30th anniversary of Israel’s destruction of Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor.
June 8 9:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Philipp Bleek, Monterey Institute; Sebnem Udum, Hacettepe University, Turkey; and other speakers, “Nuclear Proliferation and Revisiting Turkish and U.S. Threat Perceptions Regarding Iran’s Nuclear Program.” Sponsored by the Hollings Center. At the Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey. RSVP to Sebnem Udum by email.
June 8 1:30-3:00 p.m., Yousaf Butt, Federation of American Scientists, and Theodore Postol, MIT, “Russian Concerns of Proposed U.S.-NATO Missile Defense Shield.” Sponsored by the Federation of American Scientists, SVC 209 Capitol Visitor Center, Washington. RSVP by email.
June 8-9 Defense Secretary Robert Gates attends a NATO defense ministers meeting. Brussels, Belgium. Discussion of the NATO Defense and Deterrence Posture Review, and missile defense cooperation with Russia are on the agenda.
June 8-10 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization, “Monitoring Science and Technology” international scientific conference. Vienna, Austria.
June 9 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., National Nuclear Security Administration, “Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program Symposium.” UC Washington Center, 1608 Rhode Island Ave., NW, Washington. RSVP online.
June 9 2:30 p.m., Senate Armed Services Committee, hearing on the nomination of Leon Panetta to be Defense Secretary. G-50 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington. Video webcast on the committee website and audio webcast on CapitolHearings.org. May be broadcast and video webcast on C-SPAN2 or C-SPAN3.
June 9 Defense Secretary Robert Gates attends a NATO-Russia Council defense ministers meeting. Brussels, Belgium. Missile defense cooperation between Russia and the United States is on the agenda.
June 10 8:00-9:00 a.m., John Harvey, Principal Deputy to the Assistant to the Defense Secretary for Nuclear and Chemical and Biological Defense Programs, “Moving Ahead on America’s Nuclear Security.” Part of the NDUF-NDIA Seminar Series. At the Capitol Hill Club, 300 First St., SE, Washington. RSVP by noon, June 9, to Elma Rhue by email.
June 13 8:00-10:00 p.m. EDT, Republican presidential debate. Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH. Broadcast and video webcast on CNN.
Week of June 13 Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, markup of its portion of the defense authorization bill, S. 981, which includes the nuclear nonproliferation program of the National Nuclear Security Administration. Room TBA, Senate Office Building, Washington. May be video webcast on the committee website and audio webcast on CapitolHearings.org depending on room location.
Week of June 13 Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic forces, markup of its portion of the defense authorization bill, S. 981, which includes the nuclear weapons program of the National Nuclear Security Administration. Room TBA, Senate Office Building, Washington. May be video webcast on the committee website and audio webcast on CapitolHearings.org depending on room location.
Week of June 13 Senate Armed Services Committee, markup of the defense authorization bill, S. 981, which includes the nuclear weapons and nuclear nonproliferation programs of the National Nuclear Security Administration. Room TBA, Senate Office Building, Washington. May be video webcast on the committee website and audio webcast on CapitolHearings.org depending on room location.
Week of June 13 Nuclear Suppliers Group plenary meeting. India’s request for membership is on the agenda (estimate). The Hague, Netherlands.
June 14 Time TBA, House Appropriations Committee, markup of the defense appropriations bill. 2359 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington. Video and audio webcast on the committee website.
June 14 Noon-2:00 p.m., Gen. James Jones (retired), former National Security Advisor, speaks at a Stimson Center’s Chairman’s Forum. Stimson Center, 1111 19th St., NW, 12th Floor, Washington. RSVP by email.
June 15 Time TBA, House Appropriations Committee, markup of the energy and water appropriations bill, which includes the nuclear weapons and nuclear nonproliferation programs of the National Nuclear Security Administration. 2359 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington. Video and audio webcast on the committee website.
June 15 10:30 a.m., Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, hearing on the Defense Department budget, with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen. 192 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington. Audio webcast on CapitolHearings.org.
June 15 4:30-6:00 p.m., Matias Spektor, Fundacao Getulio Vargas, Brazil ; Luis Bitencourt, National Defense University; and Greg Thielmann, Arms Control Association, “Brazil, Argentina, and the Road to the NPT.” Wilson Center, Sixth Floor Moynihan Board Room, Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington.
Between June 15 and 17 Russian Navy test launches a Bulava submarine-launched ballistic missile from the Yury Dolgoruky submarine (tentative). From the White Sea toward the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia. Webcast on the Russian Defense Ministry website.
June 17 4:30-5:30 p.m., Philipp Bleek, Monterey Institute, “How Likely Are Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, or Others to Pursue Nuclear Weapons in Response to Iran.” Part of the Middle East and Security-II Conference at Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey.
June 17-19 Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, “Space Organizing Conference.” Merrimack College, North Andover, MA.
June 20 U.S. Conference of Mayors adopts a resolution in support of nuclear disarmament at its annual meeting. Baltimore Hilton Hotel, Baltimore.
Week of June 20 House of Representatives floor action on the defense appropriations bill (estimate). Broadcast and video webcast on C-SPAN.
Week of June 20 House of Representatives floor action on the energy and water appropriations bill (estimate). Broadcast and video webcast on C-SPAN.
June 21 8:00-9:00 a.m., Gen. Robert Kehler, Commander, U.S. Strategic Command, “Nuclear Deterrence, Arms Control, Missile Defense, and Defense Policy.” Part of the NDUF-NDIA Seminar Series. At the Capitol Hill Club, 300 First St., SE, Washington. RSVP by noon, June 20, to Elma Rhue by email.
June 21 6:30-9:30 p.m., Countdown to Zero UK, Demand Zero Day, nationwide premiere of Countdown to Zero. United Kingdom and Ireland. Screenings listed online.
June 22 8:00-9:00 a.m., Lt. Gen. James Kowalski, Commander, Global Strike Command, U.S. Air Force, “Global Strike Command, Deterrence, and U.S. Strategic Policy.” Part of the NDUF-NDIA Seminar Series. At the Capitol Hill Club, 300 First St., SE, Washington. RSVP by noon, June 21, to Elma Rhue by email.
June 24 8:00-9:00 a.m., Uzi Rubin, former staff, Israeli Defense Ministry, “Missile Defense and Missile Threats: Middle East Developments.” Part of the NDUF-NDIA Seminar Series. At the Capitol Hill Club, 300 First St., SE, Washington. RSVP by noon, June 23, to Elma Rhue by email.
June 25 International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, Nuclear Abolition Day.
June 25-July 5 House of Representatives Independence Day recess.

An email version of the Nuclear Calendar is published every Monday morning when Congress is in session. Subscribe on FCNL’s website. Unsubscribe by sending an email to nuclearcalendar-unsubscribe@fcnl.org.

The editor is David Culp. The publication is made possible by generous contributions from the Colombe Foundation, the Lippincott Foundation, the Nuclear Threat Initiative the Ploughshares Fund, and the individual contributors and supporters of the Friends Committee on National Legislation and the FCNL Education Fund.

Massive nationwide protests call for an immediate end to nuclear energy

greenblueredblack — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 03:37:08 +0000

Massive nationwide protests call for an immediate end to nuclear energy
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15114349,00.html

More than 100,000 demonstrators took to the streets in 20 cities across Germany on Saturday to call for a rapid end to nuclear power, even as a government-sponsored national commission is expected to recommend that Berlin abolish nuclear energy within a decade.

Germans’ Deep Suspicions of Nuclear Power Reach a Political Tipping Point
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/02/world/europe/02germany.html

The NYT’s Alan Cowell explains Germany’s turn against nuclear power as the result of a pandering politician and an irrational public. The antinuclear position is presented as an extremist position much like creationalism.

Marine life soaking up radiation along Fukushima coast
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/news/Blogs/nuclear-reaction/marine-life-soaking-up-radiation-along-fukush/blog/34979

Greenpeace finds high levels of radioactivity in seafood far from Fukushima.

Radiated Water at Fukushima Plant May Breach Storage Trenches in Five Days
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-01/radiated-water-at-fukushima-plant-may-breach-storage-trenches-in-five-days.html

The time-lapse meltdown continues. Space to store highly contaminated water is running out.

Solar Cheaper Than Fossil Fuel in 5 Yrs

gentlebrenda — Sun, 29 May 2011 02:35:02 +0000

Solar power may be cheaper than electricity generated by fossil fuels and nuclear reactors within three to five years because of innovations, said Mark M. Little, the global research director for General Electric Co. (GE)

“If we can get solar at 15 cents a kilowatt-hour or lower, which I’m hopeful that we will do, you’re going to have a lot of people that are going to want to have solar at home,” Little said yesterday in an interview in Bloomberg’s Washington office. The 2009 average U.S. retail rate per kilowatt-hour for electricity ranges from 6.1 cents in Wyoming to 18.1 cents in Connecticut, according to Energy Information Administration data released in April.

GE, based in Fairfield, Connecticut, announced in April that it had boosted the efficiency of thin-film solar panels to a record 12.8 percent. Improving efficiency, or the amount of sunlight converted to electricity, would help reduce the costs without relying on subsidies.

The thin-film panels will be manufactured at a plant that GE intends to open in 2013. The company said in April that the factory will have about 400 employees and make enough panels each year to power about 80,000 homes.

Solar-panel makers from Arizona to Shanghai are expanding factories to add more cost savings that analysts say will sustain the industry’s expansion. Installations may increase by as much as 50 percent in 2011, worth about $140 billion, as cheaper panels and thin film make developers less dependent on government subsidies, Bloomberg New Energy Finance forecast.

The cost of solar cells, the main component in standard panels, has fallen 21 percent so far this year, and the cost of solar power is now about the same as the rate utilities charge for conventional power in the sunniest parts of California, Italy and Turkey, the London-based research company said.

Utilities need to have incentives to put in place devices that save energy, and Congress needs to provide greater certainty on tax policy surrounding renewable energy, Little said.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-26/solar-may-be-cheaper-than-fossil-power-in-five-years-ge-says.html

Climate change threat to nuclear power

gentlebrenda — Wed, 25 May 2011 05:23:28 +0000

Nuclear power is often touted as a solution to climate change, but Fukushima serves as a warning that far from solving the climate problem, nuclear power may be highly vulnerable to it…nuclear power plants are typically sited near large bodies of water, often seas or estuaries. It is this attachment to water that makes nuclear power vulnerable to climate change (Energy Policy, vol 39, p 318)…Nuclear regulators are already well aware of several safety issues, including flooding, loss of power, loss of communications, blockage of evacuation routes and equipment malfunction. Hurricanes pose the greatest threat….The final problem is droughts, which climate models predict will become longer and larger. Legal battles have already been fought in the US over scarce water resources in regions with nuclear power plants, including the Catawba river basin in the Carolinas and the Apalachicola/Chattahoochee/Flint river basin in Georgia, Florida and Alabama. These battles show us that adapting our systems – including nuclear power – to a reduced supply of water will not be easy…The bottom line is that if nuclear power is to be used to mitigate the effects of climate change, it must also be capable of adapting to them. There are serious doubts that it can.

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21028138.200-the-climate-change-threat-to-nuclear-power.html?full=true