May 19 NEC Energy News
¶ “Georgia’s Plant Vogtle Is A $35 Billion Boondoggle. We Need New And Better Solutions For A Carbon-Free Grid” • Georgia’s Plant Vogtle began construction in 2009 as part of an effort to revive the nuclear industry, but things have not gone well. As enthusiasm builds once again for nuclear in the US, this is the wrong direction for the US to take. [Utility Dive]
¶ “Costs Of New Nuclear Need Addressing, Wood Mackenzie Says” • In a new report, Wood Mackenzie says that high costs are “arguably the biggest impediment to a nuclear renaissance.” According to its estimates, conventional nuclear power currently has a levelised cost of electricity “at least four times that of wind and solar.” [World Nuclear News]
¶ “Oklo Plans Two Plants In Southern Ohio” • Oklo and the Southern Ohio Diversification Initiative signed an agreement for land to host two of its advanced reactor plants in Southern Ohio. Oklo says the power plants will provide up to 30 MW of electric power and 50 MW of heating. Its first reactor is in Idaho and is to be finished by 2026. [World Nuclear News]
¶ “Electric Work Vans Are ‘Almost Free’” • Electric work trucks may not be sexy like a Mercedes EQS or an Audi Q6 e-tron, but with super-low operating costs they can pay for themselves, or nearly so, which is what anyone in business wants to hear. And they have other advantages, such as having electric power for operating power tools. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “The World’s Largest Lakes Are Shrinking Dramatically, And Scientists Say They Have Figured Out Why” • More than half of the world’s largest lakes and reservoirs have lost significant amounts of water over the last three decades, according to a new study, which pins the blame largely on climate change and excessive water use. [CNN]
¶ “Maryland Cooks Up Green Hydrogen Scheme To Kill Diesel Buses” • The largest self-sustaining bus depot in the US is coming to Maryland, featuring solar arrays and on-site green hydrogen production. That may not sound too exciting if you can afford to buy the latest shiny new EV, but it is exciting for underserved communities in the area. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Vermont Legislature Pushes For End To Polluting Heating Equipment” • Vermont’s boilers, furnaces, kerosene heaters, and wood stoves produce 36% of the state’s total emissions, according to recent findings by the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources. The Vermont legislature has passed the Affordable Heat Act (S.5) bill to reduce those emissions. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Colorado Is Poised To Set The Nation’s First Standards For Green Hydrogen. Will The Federal Government Follow Suit?” • Some Environmental groups see a hidden risk with “green” hydrogen, because we must be sure it is not powered by fossil fuels. Colorado is about to address that issue, and there is hope the US will do the same. [Colorado Public Radio]
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