New nuclear plants shouldnât have to be expensive, writes David Hess of  the World Nuclear Association. To reduce nuclear costs - and project times - three things need to happen: access to cheap financing should be facilitated, regulatory barriers should be lowered, and industry should improve its performance. … [Read more...]
India slashes plans for new nuclear reactors by two-thirds
India has decided to cut its planned nuclear power plant construction by two-thirds. This will further expand the countryâs use of coal for electrical power generation, writes Dan Yurman, nuclear energy specialist and author of the Neutron Bytes blog. … [Read more...]
Why nuclear fusion is gaining steam â again
Although no breakthrough has happened in nuclear fusion since it was hailed as the clean energy source of the future in the 1970s, there are reasons to be optimistic now, writes Scott L. Montgomery of the University of Washington. There have been advances in technology, two large reactors are being built and a dozen startups have become active. "The dream of fusion power now seems certain to neither die or remain merely a dream."Â Courtesy The … [Read more...]
Japan’s new energy strategy should boost both renewables and nuclear power
Japan needs both renewables and nuclear energy in its energy mix to reduce dependence on imports and lower greenhouse gas emissions, writes David Livingston of the Atlantic Council Global Energy Center. According to Livingston, it is in the interest of the international community that the country's new energy strategy, which is expected in the middle of this year, should boost their share in the energy mix. … [Read more...]
Southeast Europe needs more nuclear power to head off energy crisis
Southeast Europe is headed for an energy crisis. The region has an energy infrastructure that is unreliable, inefficient, and unsustainable, while at the same time it is faced with the need to reduce dependence on external sources and conform to EU climate and air quality regulations. The best way out, argues Tim Yeo, Chairman of the New Nuclear Watch Institute, is to invest in new nuclear capacity. … [Read more...]
How German Energiewendeâs renewables integration points the way
The experience of the German Energiewende shows that increasing amounts of renewable energy on the power system, while at the same time reducing inflexible baseload generation, does not harm reliability write Michael Hogan, Camille Kadoch, Carl Linvill and Megan OâReilly of the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP). American policymakers who are still skeptical can look across the Atlantic, to Germany, for a concrete example of a successful … [Read more...]
‘Pro-nuclear environmentalists’ in denial about power/weapons connections
Claims by self-styled 'pro-nuclear environmentalists' that "nuclear energy prevents the spread of nuclear weapons" and "peace is furthered when a nation embraces nuclear power" do not withstand scrutiny, writes Jim Green, editor of the Nuclear Monitor newsletter. Green looks at the conclusions of some studies which, he says, downplay the troubling connections between nuclear power and weapons. Courtesy Nuclear Monitor. … [Read more...]
Small modular reactors for nuclear power: hope or mirage?
Supporters of nuclear power hope that small nuclear reactors, unlike large plants, will be able to compete economically with other sources of electricity. But according to M.V. Ramana, a Professor at the University of British Columbia, this is likely to be a vain hope. In fact, according to Ramana, in the absence of a mass market, they may be even more expensive than large plants. … [Read more...]
Rapid wind and solar cost declines keep pushing fossil fuels out. How far can they go?
Rapid cost declines made renewable energy the United Statesâ cheapest available source of new electricity, without subsidies, in 2017, writes Silvio Marcacci of think tank Energy Innovation. In many parts of the U.S., building new wind is cheaper than running existing coal, while nuclear and natural gas arenât far behind, notes Marcacci. As renewable energy costs continue their relentless decline, they keep pushing fossil fuels further from … [Read more...]
Nuclear power in crisis: we are entering the Era of Nuclear Decommissioning
Nuclear power is in crisis â as even the most strident nuclear enthusiasts acknowledge â and it is likely that a new era is fast emerging, writes Jim Green, editor of the Nuclear Monitor newsletter. After a growth spurt from the 1960s to the '90s, then 20 years of stagnation, the Era of Nuclear Decommissioning is upon us. Article courtesy Nuclear Monitor. … [Read more...]
French people support energy transition (more than nuclear power)
France is at a crossroads, writes Jules Hebert, program coordinator at the Heinrich Böll Foundation office in Paris. It can pursue a renewed nuclear model â or follow the German example and invest massively in renewable energy. It is often said that the French people support the nuclear path, notes Hebert â but a recent survey comes to a different conclusion. Article courtesy Energy Transition/Global Energiewende. … [Read more...]
Roadmap to nowhere: the myth of powering the nation 100% with renewable energy
Renewables have captured the publicâs imagination,but can they actually be scaled up to power the entire nation, ask Mike Conley and Tim Maloney? In their new ebook, available at RoadmapToNowhere.com, they present their reasons why they are convinced 100% renewables is a myth - and why we should rely primarily on nuclear power. … [Read more...]
China is still on track to become the world’s leading nuclear power
Is there a slowdown in the Chinese nuclear sector, as some observers have argued, ending nuclear powerâs âlast hope for growthâ? No, says François Morin, Director China of the World Nuclear Association. Nuclear has experienced a temporary setback but is still set for strong growth the coming years.  … [Read more...]
Looking ahead to 2018 for nuclear energy
Dan Yurman, author of the Neutron Bytes blog, presents a ârealistâs perspectiveâ on the state of affairs in the global nuclear industry and discusses what we might expect to happen next year. His account shows there is more going on in the nuclear sector than many people might realize. Â … [Read more...]
UK government overlooked lower costs of renewables in Hinkley nuclear deal
Two of the UKâs main public bodies overseeing public spending have now criticised the governmentâs deal with EDF to support a new nuclear power plant, showing how Britain  (and the United States today?) failed to heed the falling cost of renewables, writes energy finance consultant Gerard Wynn. According to Wynn, the findings should be a warning for other countries planning to build new nuclear power plants. They also raise the question why the … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- …
- 14
- Next Page »