FirstEnergy gives notice to deactivate four units

FirstEnergy Solutions (FES) has notified regional transmission organisation PJM Interconnection that it will deactivate the Beaver Valley, Davis-Besse and Perry nuclear power plants during the next three years. The company, which is aiming to leave the competitive market, is seeking legislative policy solutions to keep the plants operating. Beaver Valley, a single-unit pressurised water reactor, …

Nuclear industry facing crisis that Trump must address, think tank says

The nation’s nuclear energy industry is facing a crisis that the Trump administration must immediately address as a core part of its “energy dominance” agenda, a Washington think tank said Thursday. The decline of the nuclear power industry is “an important policy problem” that is not receiving the attention it deserves, the Atlantic Council said …

20 years later: DOE’s Savannah River Site begins dissolving ORNL fuel again

The Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site has begun dissolving uranium fuel cores from Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s High Flux Isotope Reactor for the first time since 1988. The spent fuel will help deliver electricity to residents in the Tennessee Valley. The High Flux Isotope Reactor is fueled by highly enriched uranium, which the Savannah …

Glimmers of hope for uranium miners

It’s been an eventful past couple of weeks in the uranium subsector, even if the spot price for uranium oxide has shown little positive response. In the U.S., the Trump administration’s Department of Energy (DOE) has suspended sales from its uranium oxide stockpiles for the rest of the government’s fiscal year (until Sept. 30, 2018). …

DOE Hails Passage of FY 2018 Omnibus Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) celebrated the conclusion of the Fiscal Year 2018 (FY 2018) appropriations process. The Omnibus bill, signed by President Trump, includes $34.5 billion in funding for the DOE. “As a former appropriator, I am keenly aware of the work that goes in to the budget process, and …

IAEA reviews safety at Olkiluoto 3 ahead of start-up

The operator of the first-of-a-kind EPR reactor nearing start-up in Finland has shown a commitment to safety, an expert team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has concluded. The team also identified areas for further enhancements as Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) prepares to put Olkiluoto unit 3 online later this year. A Pre-Operational Safety …