March 29 NEC Energy News
¶ “Shoveling Money Into Small Modular Nuclear Reactors Won’t Make Their Electricity Cheap” • Data on the current costs of small modular nuclear reactors is starting to roll in. As a result, it’s now possible to make some projections of how long it would take for their costs to drop to the level of renewables today. The results aren’t good for SMRs. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Xcel: Monticello Leak Fixed, Nuclear Plant Will Restart In Next Week” • Xcel Energy officials said crews have repaired a leak at the Monticello nuclear plant, and it will resume producing power in the next week. The plant fully powered down early Saturday morning and will power down again in mid April for a scheduled refueling outage. [MPR News]
¶ “Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant Accident Happened 44 Years Ago” • While most people were still asleep just before 4 am on Wednesday, March 28, 1979, a malfunctioning valve, design issues, and human failure set off what some people would call “the most serious accident in US commercial nuclear power plant operating history.” [Penn Live]
¶ “Latest In Ukraine: IAEA Chief Says Deal To Protect Nuclear Plant Could Be ‘Close’” • A deal to secure the safety of Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in Ukraine could be “close,” although final details have yet to be agreed upon by Russian and Ukrainian officials, said Rafael Mariano Grossi, chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency. [VOA News]
¶ “Oil Tankers Already Sailing Into The Sunset Of Peak Oil Demand” • A global shipping logistics contact reached out to share a very interesting data point and article with me. It seems no one is ordering new oil tankers these days. No one in the shipping industry appears to be interested in investing in assets that will soon be stranded. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Youth Versus The State Of Montana: Support For Fossil Fuel Companies Is Unconstitutional” • Sixteen young Montanans have sued their state, arguing that its support of fossil fuels violates their due as citizens. In their complaint, they cited the Montana Constitution, which guarantees residents “the right to a clean and healthful environment.” [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Swiss Court Case Ties Human Rights To Climate Change” • More than 2,000 women are taking the Swiss government to court claiming its policy on climate change is violating their right to life and health. The Swiss women – who have an average age of 73 – say climate change is putting their human rights, their health, and even their lives at risk. [BBC]
¶ “LG Energy Solutions Announces Major Investment In Arizona” • LG Energy Solution announced a historic investment of $5.5 billion into building a battery manufacturing complex in Queen Creek, Arizona. This new facility will be the single largest investment in a standalone battery manufacturing complex in US history. [Chamber Business News]
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