Nuclear Waste
Cornwall’s Liberal Democrat MPs and Parliamentary candidates have united to slam plans to investigate the possibility of a nuclear waste site being located in the Duchy. Leading members of the Lib Dems in Cornwall have strongly criticised the move by Liberal Democrat county councillor Bryan Rawlins to call-in the decision to turn down an invitation by the Government to make an expression of interest in having a nuclear waste storage facility in Cornwall.
This is Cornwall 9th Jan 2009 more >>
Residents near the proposed low level waste dump at Buldoo near Dounreay face a tough battle to oppose the £110m dump. On Tuesday the area planning committee of Highland Council is being recommended to approve the dump.
Press and Journal 9th Jan 2009 more >>
RESIDENTS from the Buldoo and Achreamie areas have raised objections to a proposal to construct a low-level waste dump on land to the north-east of the existing Dounreay licensed site.
John O Groat Journal 9th Jan 2009 more >>
Nuclear Costs
A new study puts the generation costs for power from new nuclear plants at from 25 to 30 cents per kilowatt-hour triple current U.S. electricity rates!
Climate Progress 5th Jan 2009 more >>
Torness
U.K. nuclear operator British Energy PLC (BGY.LN) has restarted its Torness 2 nuclear power reactor after an unplanned shutdown Jan. 3, according to National Grid data Friday.
Dow Jones 9th Jan 2009 more >>
Wylfa
RWE Npower has acquired land and grid connections at Wylfa, Anglesey, and signalled proposals for a new nuclear power station next to the existing Magnox nuclear plant.
EGov Monitor 9th Jan 2009 more >>
Dungeness
Rye residents are to be consulted on whether a new nuclear power station should be built on the town’s doorstep. Energy company EDF say a new reactor would create thousands of jobs in the Rye area. Views are being sought at a public meeting which takes place at Rye College next Wednesday.
Rye and Battle Observer 9th Jan 2009 more >>
Scotland
HOLYROOD’S two Green MSPs yesterday warned that they were willing to bring down the budget if SNP ministers refused to meet their demands. With the first-stage budget vote on Wednesday, the future of the Scottish budget could now depend on the Greens’ proposal to provide free insulation to all households.
Scotsman 10th Jan 2009 more >>
US
Exelon Generation has officially integrated the nuclear generation assets held by its subsidiary, AmerGen Energy Company, into Exelon Nuclear and has dissolved the AmerGen legal entity.
Energy Business Review 9th Jan 2009 more >>
IAEA
An Additional Protocol to the nuclear safeguards agreement between the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United States that boosts access to nuclear information and sites has now entered into force, making the US the last of the five nuclear-weapon States party to a key global non-proliferation pact to fulfil this obligation.
eGov Monitor 9th Jan 2009 more >>
Renewables
The international body that advises most major governments across the world on energy policy is obstructing a global switch to renewable power because of its ties to the oil, gas and nuclear sectors, a group of politicians and scientists claims today. The experts, from the Energy Watch group, say the International Energy Agency (IEA) publishes misleading data on renewables, and that it has consistently underestimated the amount of electricity generated by wind power in its advice to governments. They say the IEA shows “ignorance and contempt” towards wind energy, while promoting oil, coal and nuclear as “irreplaceable” technologies.
Guardian 9th Jan 2009 more >>
Climate
Exxon Mobil has thrown its weight behind a carbon tax.
Guardian 10th Jan 2009 more >>
Independent 10th Jan 2009 more >>
Countdown to Copenhagen.
Independent 9th Jan 2009 more >>
Iran
Incoming US President Barack Obama will likely face a “serious crisis” over Iran’s nuclear ambitions in his first year in office, former US defense secretary William Perry predicted here Thursday.
Middle East Online 9th Jan 2009 more >>
Bulgaria
“Bulgaria is almost 100% dependent on Russia for energy, and has no access to any alternative gas routes or suppliers,” said Ognyan Minchev, a political analyst with the independent thinktank the Institute of Regional and International Studies. “In the 20 years since the end of communism, the Bulgarian government has done almost nothing to change this state of affairs, indeed it has only deepened Bulgaria’s dependence on Russia,” he said, highlighting a controversial gas contract signed between Russia and Bulgaria two years ago. “Being dependent on the goodwill of Gazprom in a harsh winter leaves Bulgaria not just vulnerable, but helpless, and it amounts to a complete negligence and betrayal of national interests,” he added. To the alarm of the European Union, President Georgi Parvanov’s populist reaction to the crisis has been to suggest firing up a mothballed reactor at the Kozloduy nuclear plant which was shut down amid safety concerns as a condition of Bulgaria’s accession to the EU in 2007. The proposal has received much support at home.
Guardian 10th Jan 2009 more >>