Hydrogen power, modular nuclear and the other technology Xcel Energy has its eyes on

Xcel Energy says it should have no problem reaching its goal to cut carbon by 80 percent by 2030. It’s that last 20 percent that will require some still-nascent technology, Xcel CEO Ben Fowke told MPR chief meteorologist Paul Huttner in this week’s Climate Cast. “If we start to nurture these kinds of technology, I think they’ll be there …

Russia’s Rosatom Offers Philippines to Build Small-Capacity Floating Nuclear Power Plants

Russia is offering to the Philippines to build floating nuclear power plants (NPP) for the island nation in western Pacific, Director General of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation Alexei Likhachev said Thursday following a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte. “There are several ways to develop nuclear energy industry in …

Final major module for Georgia Power’s Vogtle 3 & 4 project arrives onsite

The final major module for construction of the Vogtle 3 & 4 units has arrived onsite, meaning all 1,485 major modules required to complete construction have now been manufactured and safely delivered. The arrival of the final major module marks the completion of sourcing construction modules from 25 suppliers and vendors from around the globe. …

Time to look again at Queensland’s uranium ban

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy is currently conducting an inquiry into the prerequisites for nuclear energy in Australia. The inquiry terms of reference ask the committee to examine circumstances and prerequisites necessary for any future government’s consideration of nuclear energy generation. The discussion is important because Australia has the …

A Busy Summer for New Nuclear Power Plants

Several new nuclear plants around the world marked important milestones over the summer. Among notable projects are those that began second units of new third-generation reactor designs—such as the EPR, APR1400, and ACPR-1000—and the Akademik Lomonosov, the world’s first floating nuclear plant. World’s Second EPR Begins Operation. Unit 2 at the Taishan nuclear power plant in …

Net-Zero Carbon Dioxide Emissions By 2050 Requires A New Nuclear Power Plant Every Day

More than a decade ago, Gwyn Prins and Steve Rayner characterized climate policy as an “auction of promises” in which politicians “vied to outbid each other with proposed emissions targets that were simply not achievable.” For instance, among Democrats competing for the presidency in 2020, several, including Joe Biden, have committed to achieving net-zero carbon …