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Best podcasts about nuscale

Latest podcast episodes about nuscale

Ethical & Sustainable Investing News to Profit By!
Best Low-Carbon ETFs and Stocks

Ethical & Sustainable Investing News to Profit By!

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2025 20:49


Best Low-Carbon ETFs and Stocks includes reviews of two articles by financial analysts at the highly respected Carbon Credits organization. By Ron Robins, MBA Transcript & Links, Episode 146, January 24, 2025 Hello, Ron Robins here, welcome to my podcast episode 146 published January 24, 2025, titled “Best Low-Carbon ETFs and Stocks.” It's presented by Investing for the Soul. Investingforthesoul.com is your site for vital global ethical and sustainable investing mentoring, news, commentary, information, and resources. Now I'm having to record this podcast two days earlier than usual. But it is still filled with great, up-to-the-minute, informative articles! Also, remember that you can find a full transcript and links to content – including stock symbols and bonus material – on this episode's podcast page at investingforthesoul.com/podcasts. Also, a reminder. I do not evaluate any of the stocks or funds mentioned in these podcasts, and I don't receive any compensation from anyone covered in these podcasts. Furthermore, I will reveal any investments I have in the investments mentioned herein. Additionally, quotes about individual companies are brief. Please go to this podcast's webpage for links to the articles and more company and stock information. ------------------------------------------------------------- Best Low-Carbon ETFs and Stocks (1) Today, I'm starting with two articles on low-carbon ETFs and stocks from analysts at carboncredits.com. The first article is titled Top 5 Carbon ETFs for Sustainable Investing in 2025. It's by Saptakee S. Here are the picks and brief quotes from the article. “1. iShares Global Clean Energy ETF (ICLN) is a part of BlackRock and a top-performing ETF… Essentially, this fund tracks an index of stocks in the global clean energy sector. One important attribute of this ETF is its strict sustainability rules. It excludes companies involved in weapons, tobacco, coal, oil sands, and Arctic drilling. (It) currently manages assets worth $5-6 billion. 2. Invesco Solar ETF (TAN) known as TAN, manages assets valued between $3–4 billion… This fund focuses on solar energy companies, such as manufacturers, installers, and technology providers… TAN is based on the MAC Global Solar Energy Index. It invests 90% of its assets in securities, American depositary receipts (ADRs), and global depositary receipts (GDRs) listed in the index… 3. First Trust Global Wind Energy ETF (FAN) known as FAN, currently manages assets worth $2–3 billion… It's prospective for those managing wind farms, producing wind power, or making wind energy equipment. However, companies must have a market cap of at least $100 million, a daily trading volume of $500,000, and a free float of 25% to join the index. 4. SPDR S&P Kensho Clean Power ETF (CNRG) currently has assets worth $1–2 billion… It is managed by State Street's Investment Solutions Group and is built for long-term growth. With its focus on innovation and the clean energy sector, this ETF is a great option for those wanting to invest in the future of renewable energy. 5. Global X Lithium & Battery Tech ETF (LIT) gives investors access to the booming electrification, lithium, and battery technology sector. Their assets have a $4–5 billion valuation… The ongoing global demand for lithium and supply constraints make this ETF a promising investment in this sector.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Best Low-Carbon ETFs and Stocks (2) Now this is the second article on Low-Carbon investments titled Top 5 Carbon Stocks to Watch in 2025. It's by Jennifer L. and also found on carboncredits.com. “1. Brookfield Renewable Partners (BEP) is one of the world's largest publicly traded renewable energy companies. With a clear focus on clean, renewable energy, Brookfield Renewable Partners distinguishes itself from many of its competitors by operating as a pure-play renewable energy company. This means that its portfolio consists exclusively of renewable sources of power generation, unlike other companies that often combine renewable energy with fossil fuel assets. As of 2024, Brookfield Renewable Partners diversified portfolio encompasses over 35,000 megawatts of operating capacity across various renewable energy sources. This extensive array of assets spans multiple regions, including North America, South America, Europe, and Asia, underscoring Brookfield Renewable Partners commitment to global renewable energy development. For investors seeking exposure to the renewable energy sector with a preference for established companies demonstrating stable growth and reliable returns, Brookfield Renewable Partners represents a compelling option. 2. Aker Carbon Capture ASA (AKCCF) is a Norwegian company specializing in carbon capture technology. Leveraging its expertise from the Aker Group, a global leader in offshore engineering, Aker Carbon Capture has developed modular carbon capture systems that are both cost-effective and scalable… With a solid financial foundation and strategic partnerships, Aker Carbon Capture is well-positioned to expand its carbon capture solutions globally. The aim is to contribute significantly to the reduction of industrial CO₂ emissions and support the transition to a low-carbon economy. 3. LanzaTech Global, Inc. (LNZA) is a pioneering carbon recycling company that transforms waste carbon emissions into sustainable fuels and chemicals through innovative biotechnology using gas fermentation. Through this process, industrial emissions—rich in carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide—are converted into ethanol and other chemicals… The ethanol produced can serve as a building block for various products, including jet fuel, plastics, and synthetic fibers. With a solid financial foundation bolstered by recent capital raises and strategic partnerships, LanzaTech is well-positioned to expand its carbon recycling solutions globally, creating sustainable products from waste carbon. 4. Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) is a major player in the oil and gas industry. However, in recent years, the company has been transforming itself into a leader in carbon management solutions.  Occidental has embraced Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology, which removes CO₂ directly from the atmosphere. In partnership with Carbon Engineering, Occidental is constructing the world's largest DAC facility in Texas, a groundbreaking project that will play a significant role in achieving global emission reduction targets… Occidental's approach is an example of how traditional energy companies are evolving to embrace sustainability. By combining its existing expertise in oil extraction with innovative carbon capture methods, Occidental is paving the way for a future where fossil fuel extraction can coexist with carbon reduction technologies. 5. Equinor ASA (EQNR) formerly known as Statoil, is a Norwegian energy giant that has diversified its portfolio to include renewable energy sources like wind power. It has also been at the forefront of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies for over 25 years… Equinor is a key player in the Northern Lights project, a pioneering initiative in Norway aimed at developing a large-scale carbon capture and storage infrastructure… Equinor has decades of experience in offshore oil and gas exploration. Its deep-rooted knowledge of energy infrastructure is key to its success in developing large-scale carbon capture and storage solutions. With the potential to store the equivalent of 1,000 years of Norwegian CO₂ emissions beneath the seabed, Equinor's initiatives are pivotal in supporting global climate goals.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Best Low-Carbon ETFs and Stocks (3) Still, on the theme of energy-related investments is this article titled 3 Renewable Energy Stocks to Buy in 2025 and Hold for Decades. It's by James Brumley and found on fool.com. Here is some of what Mr. Brumley says about his picks. “1. Cameco (NYSE: CCJ) one of the planet's top suppliers of uranium, with access to plenty of high-grade reserves. Its two chief mining operations in Saskatchewan, Canada, are currently jointly capable of producing a total of 43 million pounds of high-grade uranium per year, but both could support more output at only marginally more cost… Do prepare for continued volatility from Cameco stock that reflects the continued volatility of uranium prices -- although maybe not quite as much as you might expect. Confidence in nuclear power as a clean source of electricity is slowly but surely improving, leveling out these swings. 2. Brookfield Renewable (BEPC -2.65%) (BEP -1.29%). (Yes, a second recommendation in this podcast.) If you feel confident that renewable energy as an industry is investment-worthy but you don't know where to start, consider a stake in Brookfield Renewable Corp. With it, you'll own a little of everything the business encompasses… There is one detail worth pointing out there. That is, this is not Brookfield Asset Management (BAM.TO), Brookfield Corporation (BN), or Brookfield Wealth Solutions (BNT). Although all of these companies are related, Brookfield Renewable is the only one with direct exposure to the alternative energy market. The others are simply involved in the management and marketing of Brookfield Renewable. 3. First Solar (NASDAQ: FSLR) First Solar stock is down nearly 40% from its June peak largely on concerns that President-elect Donald Trump isn't as supportive of solar power as his predecessor was. And maybe he isn't. The solar tax credits that boosted the business under President Joe Biden's watch are anything but guaranteed to last through Trump's tenure… The irony is that the analyst community is still calling for strong growth from First Solar regardless of who's occupying the White House. Last year's projected top-line growth of 29% is expected to be followed by 32% growth this year, followed by 21% revenue growth next year. Even producing half of that anticipated growth should shake this stock out of its current funk and rekindle a long-term advance.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Best Low-Carbon ETFs and Stocks (4) And, yes, another analyst article on the renewable energy theme — but with a very different angle. It's titled 2 Renewable Energy Stocks to Buy in 2025 and Hold for Decades by Leo Sun on aol.com. It was originally published on fool.com. “1. NuScale Power (NYSE: SMR) produces the only small modular reactors (SMRs) that have been certified with a Standard Design Approval (SDA) from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Its SMRs can be installed in vessels that are just 9 feet (2.7m) wide and 65 feet (20m) tall -- which makes them much easier to deploy than larger nuclear reactors. NuScale's modular designs are prefabricated, delivered, and assembled on-site. That approach reduces the costs and construction time of a working nuclear reactor. Its current reactor clusters are certified for up to 55 megawatts of electricity… NuScale's stock has already surged nearly 650% over the past 12 months in anticipation of that approval, but it still trades more than 20% below its all-time high from last November. Analysts only expect its revenue to rise 4% to $24 million in 2024. 2. CleanSpark (NASDAQ: CLSK) develops modular microgrids for wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources. These microgrids can be deployed as stand-alone systems or plugged into existing energy grids, and they're used to funnel energy into storage systems, backup generators, and load management solutions. CleanSpark initially developed these green energy systems for other companies, but it evolved into a Bitcoin miner upon acquiring ATL Data Centers in May 2021. It upgraded ATL's mining facilities with its technology to boost their efficiency and demonstrate that it was possible to mine Bitcoins with low-carbon energy… From fiscal 2024 to fiscal 2027, analysts expect its revenue and adjusted EBITDA to grow at a CAGR of 36% and 22%... That makes it a great long-term play if you expect Bitcoin's price to keep climbing and the renewable energy market to keep expanding.” End quotes. ------------------------------------------------------------- Additional article not covered due to time constraints 1. Title: Start-up Bountiful Financial Launches Stock Indices Based on Religious Teachings & Believers' Real-World Experiences. Media release. ------------------------------------------------------------- Ending Comment These are my top news stories with their stock and fund tips for this podcast “Best Low-Carbon ETFs and Stocks.” Please click the like and subscribe buttons wherever you download or listen to this podcast. That helps bring these podcasts to others like you. And please click the share buttons to share this podcast with your friends and family. Let's promote ethical and sustainable investing as a force for hope and prosperity in these terribly troubled times! Contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for listening. I'll talk to you next February 7th. Bye for now.   © 2025 Ron Robins, Investing for the Soul

Bizarro World
Real Deals in a Fake World - Bizarro World 289

Bizarro World

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2024 52:04


Investing in Bizarro World Episodes: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIAfIjKxr02sAztzlJNy1ug5bDvTVZkME&si=w2d_EF-B5jMo1dYD Subscribe to Investing In Bizarro World: @bizarroworld Gold is at new record highs this morning north of $2,730 per ounce. This comes as fresh bombs fall in Lebanon and a farcical US election creeps ever closer. The gold price moving so high so fast would be scary if we didn't own so much of it. (The greatest gold trade we've been telling you to buy, first at $4, is now approaching $15. And it has much more to go.) See details: https://bit.ly/3YtMlpsThere will be a future no matter who wins the election. But there will be no future without nuclear energy and the uranium that powers it. Tech giants from Amazon to Oracle are now realizing what we have long known: You can't provide clean electricity to eight billion people without splitting uranium atoms. The nuclear names are moving fast now. Companies like NuScale and Oklo that provide the reactors that these tech companies will be using. At the end of the day, though, nuclear technology isn't scarce. It will be these uranium stocks that melt-up the most. See our presentation here: https://bit.ly/4dXoO4OAnd whether it's gold, uranium or, as we discuss this week, lithium — we have made the largest from resource stocks when we invest in them via private placement. We have several private companies we're involved in that will be IPO-ing soon amid this robust commodity price environment. And there are several upcoming deals we're excited to invest in because of the significant upside we see ahead. You can see how to join us in these private investments here: https://bit.ly/3NyvprvFinally, the crypto space is starting to heat up again as China embarks on a stimulus program and inflation creeps higher following Fed rate cuts. We have given Chris Curl $50,000 of our own money to manage during the coming upcycle in cryptos. He has already made some big wins. You should be getting more familiar with crypto before Bitcoin makes a run to $100,000, which we expect in the next 12-18 months. We are offering free trials to Crypto Cycle so you can check out all the tutorials, back issues, and model portfolio. You can start a trial here: https://bit.ly/4hi8fDBAll that and more is in the 289th episode of Investing in Bizarro World. 0:00 Disenchantment with the Political System16:29 Rising Dollar, Record Gold, Record Stock Market23:40 No Future Without Nuclear & Uranium32:14 Real Deals in a Fake World47:26 Crypto Cycle About to CycleVisit our website Daily Profit Cycle for more content like this and more! https://dailyprofitcycle.com/

The Daily Business & Finance Show
Auto Woes, Bitcoin Surge, and AI-Powered Nuclear (+5 more stories)

The Daily Business & Finance Show

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2024 6:41


The Daily Business and Finance Show - Monday, 14 October 2024 We get our business and finance news from Seeking Alpha and you should too! Subscribe to Seeking Alpha Premium for more in-depth market news and help support this podcast. Free for 14-days! Please click here for more info: Subscribe to Seeking Alpha Premium News Today's headlines: S&P Global warns the auto industry has a tough road ahead Bitcoin spikes to over $65K after China's weekend stimulus announcement Oklo, NuScale surge as Google backs new small nuclear reactors to power AI Google's operating income, EPS estimates at risk from capex spending: Baird Bullish Software stocks you shouldn't sleep on Upstart, Affirm raised to Neutral at Wedbush on lower borrowing costs Apple added to Evercore's Tactical Outperform list amid low expectations Gold slides on stronger dollar; Metals Focus sees gold strength for 2025 Explanations from OpenAI ChatGPT API with proprietary prompts. This podcast provides information only and should not be construed as financial or business advice. This podcast is produced by Klassic Studios Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stuff That Interests Me
The Future of Energy - Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and How to Invest

Stuff That Interests Me

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2024 13:12


Quick heads up. I have made some video versions of recent articles. Here they are, in case you are a watcher rather than a reader:I don't know about you, but I use artificial intelligence (AI) all the time. ChatGPT has become my right-hand man. It gives me advice (really – and good advice too), it helps me make decisions, it gives me exercise workouts, recipes, it proofreads what I write, it helps me write titles, it even helps me write song lyrics. Midjourney does all the imaging for this newsletter. Even a simple Google search now involves lots of AI.I know I'm not alone. Almost everyone is using AI, consciously or not.Guess what? AI requires bucket loads of power. That's why Microsoft recently agreed to pay Constellation Energy, the new owner of America's infamous nuclear power station, Three Mile Island, a sizeable premium for its energy. There is cheaper wind and solar power to be had in Pennsylvania, but it isn't as reliable as nuclear, 24 hours a day.It's not just AI. The widespread political desire to rid ourselves of fossil fuels means the world needs electricity, and fast.Nuclear is the solution, of course. But nuclear takes a lot of time, even with AI now “re-routing” the anti-nuclear narrative. It takes especially long in the UK where any kind of infrastructure project requires billions to be spent on planners, lawyers and consultants before a brick is even lifted.It's so stupid of course. Nuclear power stations have been operating commercially for 70 years, providing reliable, affordable, and almost infinitely renewable “clean” electricity. Nuclear has the best safety record of any energy technology. Almost all environmental concerns, such as waste disposal, have been solved. But if you want to know the name of the point at which stupidity, hypocrisy, waste and weakness meet, it's called British Energy Policy.Layer upon layer of safety is demanded in nuclear plant design. The regulatory process is slow, cumbersome, and complex. There is a long lead time between planning, building, and operation, which adds to expense. Political uncertainty meant many proposals for nuclear power stations in the UK were shelved. It all drives away investment.But governments around the world are waking up to the fact that the silver bullet is nuclear-powered. Thus, the narrative is changing. The dawn of the new age of nuclear power is upon us, and it can't come quickly enough.That's why the focus has shifted to small modular reactors (SMRs). These have been operational for almost 70 years now in submarines, aircraft carriers, and ice-breakers, but in the last few years, land-based SMRs have been developed to generate electricity.They use simple, proven technology, and are safer than current nuclear power stations. They can be manufactured in factories and then rapidly erected on-site. Modular refers to the design principle of breaking down a system into small, independent, and interchangeable components, or “modules”, that can easily be combined, modified, or replaced without affecting the rest of the system. This flexibility means they are scalable. It aids manufacture, transportation, and installation while reducing construction time and costs.SMRs don't occupy much land, so they have little impact on the landscape. Some can even be constructed underground – surely preferable to wind turbines and solar farms. In the UK, they could be erected on the redundant sites of closed nuclear and coal-fired power stations, where grid connections are readily available. A 440 megawatt (MW) SMR would produce about 3.5 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity per year, enough for 1.2 million homes – or to provide power to Wales, the Northeast of England, or two Devons. It would require about 25 acres of land. A solar farm would need 13,000 acres for the same output; a wind farm, 32,000 acres. Three 440MW SMRs would be enough for London, which has around 3.6 million homes.What's more, their output is not dependent on the weather. Reliability is why Microsoft paid a premium of more than 85% for Three Mile Island's power. SMRs produce electricity that can easily be adjusted to meet the constant, everyday needs of the grid (baseload), and they can also ramp up or down to follow changes in demand throughout the day. They spin in sync with the grid, so they help keep everything stable. When they're running, they act like a steady hand, providing momentum that makes it easier to manage sudden changes in electricity supply or demand.Why not subscribe to this amazing publication?How To InvestThere are all sorts of ways to invest in nuclear power. The simplest and least risky is to buy the metal itself. Current demand for uranium stands at around 200 million pounds per year, while mining output totals only 140 million pounds. Another 25 million pounds comes from secondary sources, such as scrap and recycling. So there is a uranium supply deficit. I'm surprised the price isn't higher. London-listed Yellowcake (LSE:YCA) has been set up with this purpose in mind. It is, essentially, a uranium holding company. You buy the shares, and thus own a share of the uranium it holds. It makes up part of the Dolce Far Niente portfolio.You could also buy uranium miners, though I have to say I do not like the miners at all. There are the large producers, such as Cameco (Toronto: CCO) and Paladin Energy (Sydney: PDN). You can also gain exposure via large caps, such as Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO), but they are not pure plays. There are mine developers too, such as NexGen Energy (Toronto: NXE), whose Rook 1 project should be producing a whopping 30 million pounds a year by 2030, almost enough to solve the uranium supply deficit single-handedly.If you don't fancy your stock-picking skills, go for a fund instead. The London-listed Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (LSE: URNP) is an exchange-traded fund that gives you exposure to a basket of mining companies, as does closed-end fund Geiger Counter (LSE: GCL). Another popular ETF is the Global X Uranium UCITS ETF (LSE: URNU).Why don't I like uranium miners? About 90% of those listed in the funds do not have any production coming in the near future and are, therefore, huge vortexes into which capital will disappear. At present, they are fully valued. That's not saying they won't go up. But when the time comes for them to fall, they will bomb.When I last looked at SMRs in 2021, the companies I tipped were Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR) and Fluor Corp (NYSE: FLR). Both have been real winners. Rolls-Royce has built seven generations of SMRs for use in nuclear submarines and, with its modern designs for SMRs, has been winning contracts all over. Rolls-Royce is not a pure SMR play. But it has put its SMR business into a separate entity (Rolls-Royce SMR) and I presume this will be spun out and listed at some later stage.The stock has been going great guns under its new CEO, Tufan Erginbilgiç. I tipped it around the 100p mark and it's now at 530p and there's no stopping it. It was 1,350p in 2013, so there's plenty of upside left, and that was before there was any urgency about SMRs. I've taken my original stake off the table, and the rest I'm holding.I also mentioned NuScale, a US outfit, which in 2021 was unfortunately still private. There was a way to get exposure to NuScale, however: via majority shareholder and engineering company Fluor Corp. It has been a real winner too. We tipped it at $18. It's now $50. The stock remains a hold, although it is not a pure play. Worth $8.6bn, Fluor has $200m of free cash flow and trades at 42 times earnings.But the company we were looking at, NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE: SMR), has now listed – good ticker – and you can buy the stock at not far off the flotation price. Be warned, however: this is a volatile company. Since its initial public offering (IPO) at $10, the stock has been as high as $15 and as low as $2. It is now at $13.NuScale designs, develops, and commercialises SMR reactors for nuclear-power generation, aiming to provide a “safe, flexible, and scalable nuclear-energy solution”. Its flagship product is the NuScale Power Module, a self-contained pressurised water reactor (PWR) that is far smaller than traditional nuclear reactors. Each module has an electric capacity of about 60 megawatts, but they can combine to scale up.NuScale has partnered with various organisations, including the US Department of Energy (DOE) and global energy firms, but it does not yet have a solid sales pipeline, so it is hard to value. Instead, it's a bit of a meme stock that rises and falls when it gets tipped. NuScale has a market capitalisation of $1.2bn and revenues of $23m; it lost $273m last year. It now has $180m in negative free cash flow, $130m in cash and a burn rate of about $35m per quarter. (So it's got enough money for another year.) Caveat emptor.Another option is BWX Technologies (NYSE: BWXT), but again it's not a pure SMR play, more of a picks-and-shovels play. The company manufactures nuclear-reactor components, systems fuel, and other critical parts for the nuclear-power industry. It really is wide-ranging (think anything from naval nuclear propulsion to nuclear defence) and its history goes all the way back to the Manhattan Project.SMR developers will often rely on BWX's expertise and manufacturing capabilities to ensure the safety and functionality of their designs. As demand for SMRs grows, so will the appetite for BWX's products and services. BWX has a market value of $10bn and $1.2bn in debt. Earnings per share are just shy of $3, and the price/earnings (p/e) ratio is close to 40. But it is profitable and pays a yield just below 1%.If you want to go really small and speculative, there is always the mining exploration option (not recommended), or uranium enrichment firms. If this technology of enriching uranium to make it more powerful comes good, then the efficiencies of the industry will improve even further, and the problem of uranium supply deficits will quickly vanish, along with the high prices of many uranium miners. Silex Systems (Sydney: SLX) – market cap A$1.1bn (£565m), 50% owned by Cameco – is the market leader here, although Centrus Energy (NYSE: LEU), worth $1bn, is not far behind.We are still some years from successful enrichment, but it is coming. I doubt we will see it before the uranium price itself breaks to new highs above $140/lb, which it hit in 2006, and probably not until $200 uranium. High prices have a habit of accelerating everything. Uranium is now at $70/lb.That's when tiny-cap nuclear-fuel tech firms such as Lightbridge (Nasdaq: LTBR), worth $46m, could rocket. Lightbridge, looking to improve the safety, economics, and proliferation resistance of nuclear power, is developing a fuel that operates about 1,000 degrees cooler than standard fuel. It's got $27m in the bank, is losing $10m a year and, like NuScale, seems to rely on memes and tipsters. The stock costs $3 so there is plenty of upside. But be warned: this is an illiquid Nasdaq stock. Don't chase it.Amazing chart. From $4,000 - to $2. Talk about wealth destruction. It's like an NHS IT project. Looks like it might, finally, have bottomed though. This article first appeared in Moneyweek Magazine.I'll be MCing this year's Moneyweek Summit on Friday November 8th. Readers of the Flying Frisby can get a 20% discount by entering the code FRISBY20If you're interested in nuclear, Wednesday's piece might be of interest: I had an email from Nick Lawson, CEO of investment house, Ocean Finance, which has put together some research on Lightbridge. I share it here, in case of interest. And here once again are those vids: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe

The Flying Frisby
The Future of Energy - Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and How to Invest

The Flying Frisby

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2024 13:12


Quick heads up. I have made some video versions of recent articles. Here they are, in case you are a watcher rather than a reader:I don't know about you, but I use artificial intelligence (AI) all the time. ChatGPT has become my right-hand man. It gives me advice (really – and good advice too), it helps me make decisions, it gives me exercise workouts, recipes, it proofreads what I write, it helps me write titles, it even helps me write song lyrics. Midjourney does all the imaging for this newsletter. Even a simple Google search now involves lots of AI.I know I'm not alone. Almost everyone is using AI, consciously or not.Guess what? AI requires bucket loads of power. That's why Microsoft recently agreed to pay Constellation Energy, the new owner of America's infamous nuclear power station, Three Mile Island, a sizeable premium for its energy. There is cheaper wind and solar power to be had in Pennsylvania, but it isn't as reliable as nuclear, 24 hours a day.It's not just AI. The widespread political desire to rid ourselves of fossil fuels means the world needs electricity, and fast.Nuclear is the solution, of course. But nuclear takes a lot of time, even with AI now “re-routing” the anti-nuclear narrative. It takes especially long in the UK where any kind of infrastructure project requires billions to be spent on planners, lawyers and consultants before a brick is even lifted.It's so stupid of course. Nuclear power stations have been operating commercially for 70 years, providing reliable, affordable, and almost infinitely renewable “clean” electricity. Nuclear has the best safety record of any energy technology. Almost all environmental concerns, such as waste disposal, have been solved. But if you want to know the name of the point at which stupidity, hypocrisy, waste and weakness meet, it's called British Energy Policy.Layer upon layer of safety is demanded in nuclear plant design. The regulatory process is slow, cumbersome, and complex. There is a long lead time between planning, building, and operation, which adds to expense. Political uncertainty meant many proposals for nuclear power stations in the UK were shelved. It all drives away investment.But governments around the world are waking up to the fact that the silver bullet is nuclear-powered. Thus, the narrative is changing. The dawn of the new age of nuclear power is upon us, and it can't come quickly enough.That's why the focus has shifted to small modular reactors (SMRs). These have been operational for almost 70 years now in submarines, aircraft carriers, and ice-breakers, but in the last few years, land-based SMRs have been developed to generate electricity.They use simple, proven technology, and are safer than current nuclear power stations. They can be manufactured in factories and then rapidly erected on-site. Modular refers to the design principle of breaking down a system into small, independent, and interchangeable components, or “modules”, that can easily be combined, modified, or replaced without affecting the rest of the system. This flexibility means they are scalable. It aids manufacture, transportation, and installation while reducing construction time and costs.SMRs don't occupy much land, so they have little impact on the landscape. Some can even be constructed underground – surely preferable to wind turbines and solar farms. In the UK, they could be erected on the redundant sites of closed nuclear and coal-fired power stations, where grid connections are readily available. A 440 megawatt (MW) SMR would produce about 3.5 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity per year, enough for 1.2 million homes – or to provide power to Wales, the Northeast of England, or two Devons. It would require about 25 acres of land. A solar farm would need 13,000 acres for the same output; a wind farm, 32,000 acres. Three 440MW SMRs would be enough for London, which has around 3.6 million homes.What's more, their output is not dependent on the weather. Reliability is why Microsoft paid a premium of more than 85% for Three Mile Island's power. SMRs produce electricity that can easily be adjusted to meet the constant, everyday needs of the grid (baseload), and they can also ramp up or down to follow changes in demand throughout the day. They spin in sync with the grid, so they help keep everything stable. When they're running, they act like a steady hand, providing momentum that makes it easier to manage sudden changes in electricity supply or demand.Why not subscribe to this amazing publication?How To InvestThere are all sorts of ways to invest in nuclear power. The simplest and least risky is to buy the metal itself. Current demand for uranium stands at around 200 million pounds per year, while mining output totals only 140 million pounds. Another 25 million pounds comes from secondary sources, such as scrap and recycling. So there is a uranium supply deficit. I'm surprised the price isn't higher. London-listed Yellowcake (LSE:YCA) has been set up with this purpose in mind. It is, essentially, a uranium holding company. You buy the shares, and thus own a share of the uranium it holds. It makes up part of the Dolce Far Niente portfolio.You could also buy uranium miners, though I have to say I do not like the miners at all. There are the large producers, such as Cameco (Toronto: CCO) and Paladin Energy (Sydney: PDN). You can also gain exposure via large caps, such as Rio Tinto (LSE: RIO), but they are not pure plays. There are mine developers too, such as NexGen Energy (Toronto: NXE), whose Rook 1 project should be producing a whopping 30 million pounds a year by 2030, almost enough to solve the uranium supply deficit single-handedly.If you don't fancy your stock-picking skills, go for a fund instead. The London-listed Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (LSE: URNP) is an exchange-traded fund that gives you exposure to a basket of mining companies, as does closed-end fund Geiger Counter (LSE: GCL). Another popular ETF is the Global X Uranium UCITS ETF (LSE: URNU).Why don't I like uranium miners? About 90% of those listed in the funds do not have any production coming in the near future and are, therefore, huge vortexes into which capital will disappear. At present, they are fully valued. That's not saying they won't go up. But when the time comes for them to fall, they will bomb.When I last looked at SMRs in 2021, the companies I tipped were Rolls-Royce (LSE: RR) and Fluor Corp (NYSE: FLR). Both have been real winners. Rolls-Royce has built seven generations of SMRs for use in nuclear submarines and, with its modern designs for SMRs, has been winning contracts all over. Rolls-Royce is not a pure SMR play. But it has put its SMR business into a separate entity (Rolls-Royce SMR) and I presume this will be spun out and listed at some later stage.The stock has been going great guns under its new CEO, Tufan Erginbilgiç. I tipped it around the 100p mark and it's now at 530p and there's no stopping it. It was 1,350p in 2013, so there's plenty of upside left, and that was before there was any urgency about SMRs. I've taken my original stake off the table, and the rest I'm holding.I also mentioned NuScale, a US outfit, which in 2021 was unfortunately still private. There was a way to get exposure to NuScale, however: via majority shareholder and engineering company Fluor Corp. It has been a real winner too. We tipped it at $18. It's now $50. The stock remains a hold, although it is not a pure play. Worth $8.6bn, Fluor has $200m of free cash flow and trades at 42 times earnings.But the company we were looking at, NuScale Power Corporation (NYSE: SMR), has now listed – good ticker – and you can buy the stock at not far off the flotation price. Be warned, however: this is a volatile company. Since its initial public offering (IPO) at $10, the stock has been as high as $15 and as low as $2. It is now at $13.NuScale designs, develops, and commercialises SMR reactors for nuclear-power generation, aiming to provide a “safe, flexible, and scalable nuclear-energy solution”. Its flagship product is the NuScale Power Module, a self-contained pressurised water reactor (PWR) that is far smaller than traditional nuclear reactors. Each module has an electric capacity of about 60 megawatts, but they can combine to scale up.NuScale has partnered with various organisations, including the US Department of Energy (DOE) and global energy firms, but it does not yet have a solid sales pipeline, so it is hard to value. Instead, it's a bit of a meme stock that rises and falls when it gets tipped. NuScale has a market capitalisation of $1.2bn and revenues of $23m; it lost $273m last year. It now has $180m in negative free cash flow, $130m in cash and a burn rate of about $35m per quarter. (So it's got enough money for another year.) Caveat emptor.Another option is BWX Technologies (NYSE: BWXT), but again it's not a pure SMR play, more of a picks-and-shovels play. The company manufactures nuclear-reactor components, systems fuel, and other critical parts for the nuclear-power industry. It really is wide-ranging (think anything from naval nuclear propulsion to nuclear defence) and its history goes all the way back to the Manhattan Project.SMR developers will often rely on BWX's expertise and manufacturing capabilities to ensure the safety and functionality of their designs. As demand for SMRs grows, so will the appetite for BWX's products and services. BWX has a market value of $10bn and $1.2bn in debt. Earnings per share are just shy of $3, and the price/earnings (p/e) ratio is close to 40. But it is profitable and pays a yield just below 1%.If you want to go really small and speculative, there is always the mining exploration option (not recommended), or uranium enrichment firms. If this technology of enriching uranium to make it more powerful comes good, then the efficiencies of the industry will improve even further, and the problem of uranium supply deficits will quickly vanish, along with the high prices of many uranium miners. Silex Systems (Sydney: SLX) – market cap A$1.1bn (£565m), 50% owned by Cameco – is the market leader here, although Centrus Energy (NYSE: LEU), worth $1bn, is not far behind.We are still some years from successful enrichment, but it is coming. I doubt we will see it before the uranium price itself breaks to new highs above $140/lb, which it hit in 2006, and probably not until $200 uranium. High prices have a habit of accelerating everything. Uranium is now at $70/lb.That's when tiny-cap nuclear-fuel tech firms such as Lightbridge (Nasdaq: LTBR), worth $46m, could rocket. Lightbridge, looking to improve the safety, economics, and proliferation resistance of nuclear power, is developing a fuel that operates about 1,000 degrees cooler than standard fuel. It's got $27m in the bank, is losing $10m a year and, like NuScale, seems to rely on memes and tipsters. The stock costs $3 so there is plenty of upside. But be warned: this is an illiquid Nasdaq stock. Don't chase it.Amazing chart. From $4,000 - to $2. Talk about wealth destruction. It's like an NHS IT project. Looks like it might, finally, have bottomed though. This article first appeared in Moneyweek Magazine.I'll be MCing this year's Moneyweek Summit on Friday November 8th. Readers of the Flying Frisby can get a 20% discount by entering the code FRISBY20If you're interested in nuclear, Wednesday's piece might be of interest: I had an email from Nick Lawson, CEO of investment house, Ocean Finance, which has put together some research on Lightbridge. I share it here, in case of interest. And here once again are those vids: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe

Catalyst with Shayle Kann
The cost of nuclear

Catalyst with Shayle Kann

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2024 46:21


Editor's note: There's new interest in nuclear power from electric utilities, the White House, and the public. While NuScale's deal to build a small modular reactor failed last year, TerraPower is currently building the U.S.'s first advanced non-light water reactor in Wyoming. So we're revisiting an episode from last November with The Good Energy Collective's Dr. Jessica Lovering unpacking one of nuclear's biggest challenges: cost. Nuclear construction costs in the U.S. are some of the highest in the world. Recent estimates put the cost of building conventional nuclear reactors at more than $6,000 per kilowatt, as measured by overnight capital cost. But high costs are a problem for new small modular reactors (SMRs) too, killing what was going to be the country's first SMR before it got built. Meanwhile, South Korea has some of the lowest costs in the world. Estimated overnight capital costs for reactors in South Korea are closer to $2,200 per kilowatt.And then there are countries like China, France, and the United Arab Emirates that fall between those extremes. So why the wide range in costs?  In this episode, Shayle talks to Dr. Jessica Lovering, co-founder and executive director at the Good Energy Collective, a non-profit that researches and promotes policies that support nuclear power. A former director of energy at the Breakthrough Institute, she also authored a comprehensive study of nuclear construction costs in 2016.  Shayle and Jessica talk about things like: What goes into the cost of construction and South Korea's secret sauce for low-cost nuclear reactors Why Jessica thinks we should manufacture and regulate reactors like large aircraft Driving down costs with modularity, small reactors, passive safety features, and more construction  Why changing regulations might be necessary, but not a silver bullet  Why the pro- and anti-nuclear camps talk past each other — and why Jessica says she's somewhere in between  Recommended Resources: Latitude Media: Is large-scale nuclear poised for a comeback? Energy Policy: Historical construction costs of global nuclear power reactors National Academy of Engineering: Chasing Cheap Nuclear: Economic Trade-Offs for Small Modular Reactors Joule: Evaluating the Role of Unit Size in Learning-by-Doing of Energy Technologies Science: Granular technologies to accelerate decarbonization Canary: Future of small reactors at stake as NuScale deal flops Catalyst is brought to you by Anza, a revolutionary platform enabling solar and energy storage equipment buyers and developers to save time, increase profits, and reduce risk. Instantly see pricing, product, and counterparty data and comparison tools. Learn more at go.anzarenewables.com/latitude. Catalyst is brought to you by Kraken, the advanced operating system for energy. Kraken is helping utilities offer excellent customer service and develop innovative products and tariffs through the connection and optimization of smart home energy assets. Already licensed by major players across the globe, including Origin Energy, E.ON, and EDF, Kraken can help you create a smarter, greener grid. Visit kraken.tech. Catalyst is brought to you by Antenna Group, the global leader in integrated marketing, public relations, creative, and public affairs for energy and climate brands. If you're a startup, investor, or enterprise that's trying to make a name for yourself, Antenna Group's team of industry insiders is ready to help tell your story and accelerate your growth engine. Learn more at antennagroup.com.

The IJGlobal Podcast
Infra Dig – Banking Nuclear

The IJGlobal Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2024 37:36


The thorny issue of nuclear power and its financability is the central theme for this latest Infra Dig podcast between IJGlobal and two senior bankers from Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking. IJGlobal head of content Angus Leslie Melville is joined by Natixis CIB energy transition specialists Ivan Pavlovic and Eric Benoist for an episode that drills down into nuclear energy. The key theme of the discussion is small modular reactors – SMRs – with the listener treated to an informed overview of the nuclear sector, and then drills down into the small-scale (1MW one the smallest being discussed) option that is increasingly hitting the headlines. To skill up on a sector that is growing in importance, listen in to this latest episode… and if it's on message for your interests, run through the podcast archive for an episode with NuScale and others that are centred on the big nuclear question.

Visión Global
Parte 3: Tetra Teck e International Petroleum en el consultorio de Wall Street con Javier Alfayate

Visión Global

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2024 59:59


Tercera hora de Visión Global que dedicamos a nuestro consultorio de Wall Street en el que nos acompaña Javier Alfayate, gestor de fondos GPM. Con él analizamos compañías como Intel, Nvidia, International Petroleum, Cazoo. NextEra Energy, Southern Company, Halliburton, Emcor Group, NuScale o Te Connectivity. Después, último repaso a la actualidad y hacemos balance de la jornada en el último análisis del día con Samuel Abraldes, CEO de Socaire. Con él hablamos de bancos centrales, resultados empresariales y de las estimaciones y previsiones de las grandes empresas sobre el desarrollo de la economía norteamericana.

The Interchange
Can we rely on nuclear as a source of clean, reliable power?

The Interchange

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2024 34:10


SMRs: a new horizon in Nuclear Power.This week on The Interchange: Recharged, David is joined by Ted Nordhaus, Executive Director at the Breakthrough Institute, an environmental research centre in Berkley, California. They focus on finding technological solutions to environmental problems.Achieving a net-zero emission grid by 2050, they claim, with a significant nuclear component would not only be feasible but also cost-effective compared to over-reliance on variable renewable energy sources. This approach requires substantial investment, estimated between US$150 to US$220 billion by 2035, escalating to over a trillion dollars by 2050. Together Ted and David discuss the likelihood that the private sector will drive this investment, provided that nuclear technologies are economically viable and regulatory uncertainties are addressed. They look at the Build Nuclear Now campaign, which aims to rally public support for nuclear energy and drive towards grassroots pro-nuclear advocacy. Is this a sign that public sentiment is changing?The main challenges hindering the adoption of nuclear energy include regulatory hurdles, financial barriers and ongoing concerns surrounding nuclear safety. Ted explains that regulatory reform and public sector commitment could overcome these obstacles. The Nuclear Energy Innovation and Modernization Act are examples of a policy aimed at modernising the regulatory environment, to facilitate the licensing of advanced nuclear reactors.So, are SMRs the solution to everything nuclear? They're designed to produce between 50 to 300 MW of electricity per module, which is about one-third of the generation capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors. NuScale's design (listen back to our episode from April last year for more on this) for instance, is for a 77 MW module, with plans to deploy modules in groups that can generate up to 924 MW. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has been actively supporting SMR development, investing over US$600 million in the past decade to assist in the design, licensing and siting of new SMR technologies in the U.S. The technology seems to be there, as does the baseline investment.What's next for the nuclear industry? Listen to find out.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The John Batchelor Show
PREVIEW-#NPEC: #NUCLEAR: In conversation with colleague Henry Sokolski about the costs and risks of nuclear power plants -- re NuScale that builds small modular reactors, first rate technology, and yet has not yet found success in the marketplace -- and w

The John Batchelor Show

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2024 2:40


PREVIEW-#NPEC: #NUCLEAR: In conversation with colleague Henry Sokolski about the costs and risks of nuclear power plants -- re NuScale that builds small modular reactors, first rate technology, and yet has not yet found success in the marketplace -- and what is the alternative to investors? More later. 1979 Three Mile Island

Visión Global
Parte 3: NuScale en el consultorio de Wall Street con Marc Ribes de Blackbird.

Visión Global

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2024 59:59


Tercera hora de Visión Global que dedicamos a nuestro consultorio de Wall Street con Marc Ribes de Blackbird. Con él analizamos gráficos de compañías como NuScale, Disney, Alibaba, Fate Therapeutics, Nvidia, Ferrari, Porsche, Paypal o Palantir. Después, último repaso a los mercados y análisis antes del cierre de Wall Street con Rafael Ojeda, de Fourtage Funds. Con él hablamos de la situación en los mercados en un día sin catalizadores para los índices de Wall Street. Se ha conocido el informe de peticiones semanales de desempleo y la cifra ha ido en línea con el dato de la semana anterior y se ha situado por debajo de lo que esperaba el consenso del mercado. Continuamos hablando de la presentación de resultados empresariales y de las subidas en el precio del petróleo.

World Nuclear News
Great British Nuclear's Simon Bowen on SMR contest, and UK's 24GW plans

World Nuclear News

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2024 26:39


The UK has plans to quadruple its nuclear energy capacity to 24GW by 2050. The government released its plan to get to that figure with its Civil Nuclear: Roadmap to 2050.  The arms-length delivery body established for new nuclear is Great British Nuclear, and in this episode, its Chairman Simon Bowen discusses the plans, and the changes proposed in how sites are chosen and in establishing other routes to market for new nuclear.Bowen also sets out the latest on the UK's on-going small modular reactor competition. At the moment there are six shortlisted - EDF, GE Hitachi, Holtec, NuScale, Rolls-Royce SMR and Westinghouse. The aim is to get the invitation to tender documents out very soon, he said, with contracts agreed later this year with up to four of them, which would take them through to a financial investment decision by 2029.Key links to find out more:World Nuclear NewsGreat British NuclearConsultation on siting new nuclearConsultation on alternative routes to marketUK SMR selection contest: Six companies into next stageEmail newsletter:Sign up to the World Nuclear News daily or weekly news round-upsContact info:alex.hunt@world-nuclear.orgEpisode credit:  Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production 

Cowen
Digging into CFPP With NuScale

Cowen

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2023 38:12


Recorded on 12/13/23 CEO John Hopkins, and CFO Ramsey Hamady of NuScale Power, join Marc Bianchi to discuss termination of the Carbon Free Power Project, NuScale's cost structure, value proposition, and the outlook going forward. For Disclosures, click here bit.ly/3cPHkNW

The Data Center Frontier Show
Microreactor vs. SMR vs. Diesel Power Generation Pros and Cons for Data Centers with Nano Nuclear Energy

The Data Center Frontier Show

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 19, 2023 35:38


For this episode of the Data Center Frontier Show podcast, DCF's editors sat down with James Walker, BEng, MSc, CEng, PEng, CEO and board member of Nano Nuclear Energy Inc., and Jay Jiang Yu, Nano Nuclear Energy's founder, executive chairman and president, for a discussion regarding industry news and technology updates surrounding small modular reactor (SMR) and microreactor nuclear onsite power generation systems for data centers. James Walker is a nuclear physicist and was the project lead and manager for constructing the new Rolls-Royce Nuclear Chemical Plant; he was the UK Subject Matter Expert for the UK Nuclear Material Recovery Capabilities, and was the technical project manager for constructing the UK reactor core manufacturing facilities. Walker has extensive experience in engineering and project management, particularly within nuclear engineering, mining engineering, mechanical engineering, construction, manufacturing, engineering design, infrastructure, and safety management. He has executive experience in several public companies, as well as acquiring and re-developing the only fluorspar mine in the U.S. Jay Jiang Yu is a serial entrepreneur and has over 16 years of capital markets experience on Wall Street. He is a private investor in a multitude of companies and has advised a magnitude of private and public company executives with corporate advisory services such as capital funding, mergers and acquisitions, structured financing, IPO listings, and other business development services. He is a self-taught and private self-investor whose relentless passion for international business has helped him develop key, strategic and valuable relationships throughout the world. Yu leads the corporate structuring, capital financings, executive level recruitment, governmental relationships and international brand growth of Nano Nuclear Energy Inc. Previously, he worked as an analyst as part of the Corporate & Investment Banking Division at Deutsche Bank in New York City. Here's a timeline of key points discussed during the podcast: 0:22 - Nano Nuclear Energy Expert Introductions 1:38 - Topic Set-up Re: DCF Senior Editor David Chernicoff's recent data center microreactor and SMR explorations. 1:59 - How microreactors might impact the data center industry. (Can time-to-market hurdles be shrunk?) 2:20 - Chernicoff begins the interview with James and Jay. How the NuScale project difficulties in the SMR segment resulted in the DoD pulling back on preliminary microreactor contracts in Alaska due to market uncertainties directly related to NuScale.  3:23 - Perspectives on NuScale and nuclear power. 4:21 - James Walker on NuScale vs. microreactor prospects:  "They have a very good technology. They're still the only licensed company out there, and they probably will bounce back from this. It's not good optics when people are expecting product to come out of the market. And NuScale was to be the first, but market conditions and the structure of SPACs and the lack of us infrastructure can all complicate what they want to do. Half the reason for them taking so long is because the infrastructure was not in place to support what they wanted to do.  But even hypothetically, even if the SMR market, as an example, was to collapse, microreactors are really targeting a very different area of market. SMRs are looking to power cities and big things like that. Microreactors, you're looking at mine sites, charging stations, free vehicles, disaster relief areas, military bases, remote habitation, where they principally fund all their energy using diesel. It's kind of hitting a different market. So even if the SMR market goes away, there's still a huge, tremendous upside, potential untapped market in the microreactor space." 5:39 - DCF Editor in Chief Matt Vincent asks, "What's the pros and cons of the prospects for microreactors versus what we're commonly thinking about in terms of SMR for data centers?" 5:51 - Nano Nuclear's James Walker responds:  "I would start with the advantages of microreactors over SMR. It's smaller, it'll be cheaper, it'll be safer, it'll be more deployable, you'll have far more economies of scale of producing hundreds of these things. They're easier to decommission, remove, they're easier to take apart.  I mean, logistically, shipping these things around the world as if they were diesel generators is a very feasible prospect. Opex cost will be far lower. Personnel that need to be involved in the day to day physical operation will be negligible.  Where the disadvantage of a microreactor is, is that SMRs would provide a cheaper form of electricity. But as SMRs are providing for cities, microreactors are more for remote locations, remote industrial projects, remote data centers, those kind of things.  You're really competing with sort of the high costs of remote diesel.  As an example, we were speaking with some Canadian government officials and they were saying [with] some of their remote habitations, they can have a community of 800 people, but it still costs $10 million US in fuel alone, ignoring all of the logistical costs of bringing that fuel in on a daily basis, just to power those remote communities that have no possibility of being hooked up to a grid because it's too far.  And that would be the same for all sorts of things, like if you want a remote data center, remote or mining operations, remote industrial projects, oil and gas things, then microreactors aren't really competing with SMRs on cost." 7:33 - Data Center Frontier's David Chernicoff asks: "We're a data center publication, so that obviously is a lot of interest to us, and you pointed out how diesel is the primary methodology for backup power for data centers.  I realize no one has actually shipped a microreactor yet in this form factor. But one of the advantages, for example, that comes from Project PELE from the US DoD was the decision to standardize on Tristructural Isotropic (TRISO) fuel so that for anybody building one, now, the whole issue of building infrastructure to provide the fuel is significantly simplified.  Realistically (and obviously we're asking you to make a projection here, but), when you're able to deliver microreactors at any sort of scale, will they be competitive with diesel generators in the data center space? And I would also allow for you to say, well, diesel generators also have to deal with all the emissions issues, environmental concerns, greenhouse gases, et cetera, that are not issues with a containerized nuclear power plant. So will there be a realistic model there?" 8:45 - James Walker compares the financing costs of diesel generators vs. microreactors. 9:28 - Walker offers this forecast: "With competing with diesel generators, once the infrastructure [for nuclear] is built back up, and you have deconversion facilities and enrichment facilities able to produce High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) fuel, and companies are able to source this stuff very readily, the capital costs come down markedly. And that'll be the same for people like NuScale. Then there'll be an optimization period, typically, I would expect over an eight-year period of launch. So, say microreactors launch in 2030, nearing 2040, I believe the cost will be competitive with diesel by that point. Because the optimization will kick in, the infrastructure will all be in place. And the economies of scale over which these things are being produced means that, yes, you'll essentially have a nuclear battery that can compete with diesel, that can give you 15 years of clean energy, at a cheaper rate. That's what the projections show currently." 10:31 - Discussion point clarifying that nuclear microreactors for battery backup are being positioned for replacement of diesel generation, as distinct from SMR power plant options. 12:00 - Walker explains how the power range of microreactors can vary. SMRs will give you 100 MW of power for enormous data centers and AI, but microreactors allow for data centers to be sited anywhere. If more power for a larger facility is needed, multiple microreactors can serve into the microgrid at the location. 12:50 - Nano Nuclear's Jay Jiang Yu notes, "We've been contacted by Bitcoin mining companies as well, because they want to actually power their data centers in cold environments like Alaska. We've been contacted many times, actually, and there is like a trending topic on 'Bitcoin nuclear.'"  13:28 - Regarding microreactors' being employed in conjunction with microgrids, DCF's Chernicoff asks: "Do you see this being eventually being sort of a package deal -- not just for data centers (obviously data centers will be a big consumer of this) -- but for deployable microgrids where you have battery power, microreactors providing primary power sources, integrating the microgrid with the local utility grids to allow for providing power back to the grid in times of need, pull power from the grid when it's cheap, that kind of whole microgrid active partner model?" 14:19 - Walker holds forth on nuclear investment stakes, and where microreactor and microgrid technology fits in. 16:16 - On the compactness of microreactors, occupying less than an acre. 17:33 - Asking again about the US DoD's Project PELE, how microreactors were instrumental, and what the project's implications might be for data centers. 18:14 - Walker explains how Project PELE was a microreactor program developed by the  US DoD to create a 1.5 megawatt electric microactor to serve the US military in wider capacity in remote areas such as Iraq or Afghanistan forced to rely entirely on diesel power generation.  Walker adds, "Project PELE, even though it began as a military thing, is probably going to have enormous benefits for the wider microreactor market, because there's a lot of development work that can go into fees and inform commercial and civil designs." 19:58 - DCF's Chernicoff notes: "I presume that one of the biggest factors that PELE brought was the standardization for the fuel, the transportability, the applications people were considering with it, and the form factor. Can I stick it into 40 foot containers and get it to my site? Once you standardize on those things, prices start to come down, and that's going to be a big part of making this acceptable to the data center industry, to replace diesel generators or to build microgrids around." 20:31 - More from Nano Nuclear's Walker on how and why the ultimate aim of microreactors is to replace diesel generators. 21:20 - DCF's Vincent asks the Nano Nuclear experts whether, beyond bitcoin mining data centers, they've fielded much interest from standard data center operators?  21:25 - In response, Walker says: "There's been some big ones. Like Microsoft, as an example, were incredibly interested in powering a lot of their remote data centers with nuclear, and so they've even put out funding opportunities to this effect. But on the smaller front, we've seen Chat GPT talk about powering their centers with nuclear in the future ... It opens up the potential for enormous amounts of expansion. It can reduce a lot of costs, especially capital costs of the startup, and I think that's the big draw here." 22:25 - DCF's Chernicoff asks, "Obviously, if I can plunk a microreactor down in the middle of my data center campus, I don't have to worry about transmitting power through the campus. Are there cost advantages in this? Is it something that the big power providers are looking at as a way to basically build a more distributed power grid?" 23:11 - Walker explains how a large mining company Nano Nuclear worked with did just that, and how use of nuclear energy can work to eliminate energy storage and transmission costs. 24:41 - Addressing nuclear NIMBY issues and PR concerns for builders of data centers. 25:40 - On the inherent safety of microreactors. 27:51 - Down to brass tacks on timeframes for microreactors and SMRs. DCF's Chernicoff asks, What are the obstacles to seeing them deployed within the next decade? 29:20 - On the work of Idaho National Labs in nuclear reactors. 31:03 - Taking it back to current events in closing: On NuScale's travails in 2023, Microsoft's SMR job posting raising hopes for a nuclear energy tipping point in the data center industry, etc.  

The Carbon Copy
Making sense of advanced nuclear's stumbles

The Carbon Copy

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2023 54:38


The nuclear industry is grappling with several issues: high interest rates, rising commodity prices, limited supply chains, fuel availability, and a regulatory environment that has been slow to adapt to new technologies.  In the west, nuclear knowhow has faded over the decades. Even with a surge in policy support and public interest, development is stagnant and capacity has fallen. Momentum has moved over to Asia, mostly China. But that's not nearly enough. While global renewables have tripled in just over a decade, net global nuclear capacity has barely budged upward. The reality is that we may need to see capacity double – or even triple – by 2050 to keep us on a net-zero path, on top of tripling wind and solar. So this week, we'll revisit the stories shaping nuclear power in 2023 and ask: are we getting anywhere closer to unlocking real growth? Or will the industry stay in a perpetual holding pattern? Breakthrough Institute: Advanced nuclear is in trouble E&E News: What's next after the NuScale cancellation Canary Media: The future of small reactors at stake as NuScale deal flops Bloomberg: US, UK lead pledge to triple nuclear power by 2050  It's Canary Media's listener drive through the end of the year. Make a tax-deductible donation today. Sign up for Latitude Media's newsletter to get updates on the tech and business frontiers of the climatetech industry. The Carbon Copy is supported by FischTank PR, a specialized climatetech PR firm dedicated to bringing meaningful results for companies in sectors spanning grid edge, solar, energy storage, battery, EVs, alternative fuels, VC and green building. FischTank helps clients stand out in an increasingly competitive and noisy space. Visit FischTank PR to learn more.

Decouple
NuScale, New Problems

Decouple

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2023 83:04


The cancellation of the Carbon Free Power Project was a massive blow to US SMR front runner NuScale. James Krellenstein joins me for a deep dive.

World Nuclear News
Making nuclear plants look great, plus Sweden and NuScale

World Nuclear News

Play Episode Play 56 sec Highlight Listen Later Dec 1, 2023 34:37


Technology and function, ensuring their reliable and safe operation have long been the priorities when designing nuclear power plants. But why can't they look beautiful too?  Dutch architect and designer Erick van Egeraat says that part of the way to continue to build public support for nuclear energy is to make nuclear power plants look good, "to make people feel good" when they see them. The award-winning professor and director of Design Erick van Egeraat outlined his thinking at World Nuclear Symposium, explaining the background to the work he is doing at Akkuyu nuclear power plant, which is being built in Turkey. In the World Nuclear News monthly round-up Warwick Pipe reports on Sweden's plans for a "massive" expansion of nuclear energy and Claire Maden covers the end of NuScale and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems'  Carbon Free Power Project. And David Hess looks at how the conversation about nuclear has evolved and changed  during his 14 years at World Nuclear Association, most recently as ESG programme lead.Key links to find out more:World Nuclear NewsAkkuyu Nuclear Power PlantDesign Erick van EgeraatNuScale CEO remains upbeat after CFPP cancellationSweden plans 'massive' expansion of nuclear energyEmail newsletter:Sign up to the World Nuclear News daily or weekly news round-upsContact info:alex.hunt@world-nuclear.orgEpisode credit:  Presenter Alex Hunt. Co-produced and mixed by Pixelkisser Production 

Not Boring
E6: Nuclear Mailbag

Not Boring

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2023 56:28


This week, Packy and Julia take a break from our regularly scheduled narrative programming to look back on the past five episodes we've published focused on nuclear fission—and address news stories, feedback, and listener questions collected through this season so far. We cover: Illinois pushing back on the nuclear moratorium, Nuscale's cancelled contracts, COP 28 Why QA makes building new nuclear so difficult, solar cost curves, and more listener feedback on episodes 1-5 Investing in nuclear, nuclear waste recycling, how to create more political support for the AP1000, and more listener questions Thank you to this episode's guests: Jim Hopf, Robert Bryce, Brett Rampal, Heather Hoff, and Paris Ortiz-Wines. Huge thank you to our sponsors: Secureframe: the only compliance automation platform with AI capabilities that help customers speed up cloud remediation and security questionnaires. Get 10% off your first year of Secureframe: https://secureframe.com/packy Pilot.com: accounting, CFO, and tax services that are designed with flexibility and scalability in mind. To get 20% off your accounting bill for the first 6 months, go to https://pilot.com/packy Clean Air Task Force For the full list of resources referenced in this show: https://ageofmiracles.co/  Subscribe to Not Boring to get weekly doses of tech and business strategy, straight to your inbox: https://www.notboring.co/ Follow our hosts: Packy McCormick on Twitter and LinkedIn Julia DeWahl on Twitter and LinkedIn Timestamps: (00:00) Nuclear news: Illinois, Nuscale, COP 28 (8:27) Nuclear-specific QA standards (15:52) Comparing and contrasting other countries' nuclear programs (20:55) The truth about solar (23:50) What sectors win with nuclear? (24:55) Investing in nuclear (29:18) Does being "eco friendly" matter if we get energy right? (33:24) Nuclear waste recycling (36:03) Leading investors in nuclear (38:19) Policy playbook to shift investments to nuclear (41:07) Arguments for nuclear waste at dinner tables (42:20) How to get more political support for the AP1000 (45:25) Deeper dive into developing nuclear projects (48:46) How to get involved in nuclear This show is produced and distributed by Turpentine, a network of shows and other media properties, where experts talk to experts about tech, business, culture, and more.  Credits: Nancy Xu produced this season of Age of Miracles. Audio editor: Justin Golden. Video editor: Nancy Xu. Executive producers: Amelia Salyers, Packy McCormick, and Erik Torenberg. 

The Joint Venture: an infrastructure and renewables podcast
Tenders, funds and nuclear setbacks

The Joint Venture: an infrastructure and renewables podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2023 23:41


In this episode, we delve into the critical updates in the global offshore wind energy sector. Leading with Norway's recent strides, we examine the shortlisted bidders for the Sørlige Nordsjø II offshore tender, announced by the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy. We also scrutinise why Danish developer Orsted has announced its withdrawal from the Blavinge partnership and its broader retreat from Norwegian offshore wind tenders. Meanwhile, the US offshore wind sector saw the Department of the Interior's final approval for the construction and operation of the Empire Wind project. This collaboration between Equinor and BP signals a positive trajectory for offshore wind in the US.In the UK, the government's decision to raise the strike price for the offshore CfD scheme by over 50% is a strategic move to bolster the economic viability of these projects. We dissect this policy change and its potential impact on the upcoming Allocation Round 6 and beyond.We also bring you a  comprehensive funds roundup, highlighting the imminent final close of Ancala Partners' third flagship fund, the anticipated inaugural investment of Rubicon Capital Management's latest debt fund, and the ambitious target set by SWEN Capital Partners for its third biomethane fund. Finally, we delve into the recent developments surrounding NuScale, a key player in the small modular reactor (SMR) sector. NuScale's journey has been marked by both promise and challenges, particularly highlighted by the termination of its flagship project with Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems. This decision underscores the complex dynamics and hurdles faced by SMRs, including rising inflation, supply chain costs, and interest rates, which have significantly affected the economics of such projects.Hosted by:Oliver Carr - Lead AnalystDila Cebeci - Senior AnalystAshkenaz Al - Reporter Reach out to us at: podcasts@inspiratia.comFind all of our latest news and analysis by subscribing to inspiratiaListen to all our episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other providers. Music credit: NDA/Show You instrumental/Tribe of Noise

Heartland POD
Friday News Flyover - Nov. 17, 2023 - Senate GOP fails to stop Biden on student loans - Ohio abortion and Senate updates - Illinois paves the way for nuclear, and more

Heartland POD

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2023 15:49


Title: Flyover Friday, November 10, 2023Intro: On this episode of The Heartland POD for Friday, November 17, 2023A flyover from this weeks top heartland stories including:GOP Senators can't stop Biden's student loan plansIllinois legislature approves plan for Small Nuclear ReactorsOhio Republicans can't take a hintOhio Secretary of State misses personal financial disclosure deadlineBiden Administration expands veterans' health careDemocrat Dan Kildee of Michigan is retiringWelcome to The Heartland POD for a Flyover Friday, this is Sean Diller in Denver, Colorado.We're glad to have you with us. If you're new to our shows make sure you subscribe and leave a 5 star rating wherever you listen. You can also find Heartland POD content on Youtube and on Twitter @ THE heartland pod. Alright! Let's get into the storieshttps://missouriindependent.com/briefs/attempt-to-kill-biden-student-debt-relief-plan-tied-to-income-fails-in-u-s-senate/Senate Republicans fail to kill President Joe Biden's income-based student debt relief planBY: ARIANA FIGUEROA - NOVEMBER 16, 2023 7:10 AM     WASHINGTON — Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia was the sole Democrat who joined Republicans in backing the resolution, which was 2 votes short of passing.Following the vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said “There are millions of students, poor, working class … who will benefit from what the president has done. Republicans don't think twice about giving huge tax breaks to ultra-wealthy billionaires and large corporations, but when it comes to helping out working families with student debt relief, suddenly it's too much money, it will raise the deficit, we can't afford it. Give me a break.”The Department of Education unveiled the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan hours after the Supreme Court in June struck down the Biden administration's one-time student debt cancellation that would have forgiven up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for anyone making less than $125,000 per year.Borrowers who received Pell Grants would have been eligible for an additional $10,000 in forgiveness of federal student loans.The new income-driven repayment plan calculates payments based on a borrower's income and family size and forgives balances after a set number of years. More than 5.5 million student loan borrowers have already enrolled in the SAVE plan, according to data released by the Department of Education.Repayments on federal student loans restarted last month after a nearly three-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.With the SAVE plan, borrowers with undergraduate loans will pay 5% of their discretionary income, rather than the 10% required under previous income repayment plans. https://capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/illinois-lawmakers-approve-plan-to-allow-small-scale-nuclear-developmentIllinois lawmakers approve small-scale nuclear developmentThursday, November 9, 2023Governor, who vetoed previous bill, supports new effortBy ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.comSPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers on Thursday approved a proposal that would allow companies to develop new nuclear power generation in Illinois for the first time since 1987. House Bill 2473 does not entirely lift the 36-year-old moratorium on nuclear construction, but rather creates a regulatory structure for the construction of small modular nuclear reactors, or SMRs. The bill limits the nameplate capacity of such reactors to 300 megawatts, about one-third the size of the smallest of the six existing nuclear power plants in Illinois. It also requires the state to perform a study that will inform rules for regulating SMRs, which will be adopted by regulators at the Illinois Emergency Management Agency by January 2026.  Proponents of the measure say it is a step to make the ongoing transition away from fossil fuels more reliable for customers throughout the state, while opponents warn the unproven technology comes with safety risks and the potential for cost overruns. The bill passed with bipartisan support in the Senate, 44-7, and the House, 98-8. The opposition came exclusively from Democrats. Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement that he would sign the bill. He worked with lawmakers on the new bill after vetoing a broader measure this summer. Leadership of the Illinois AFL-CIO umbrella labor organization released a statement Thursday calling the policy “important for our state's economy and our clean energy future.” It echoed a release from the Illinois Manufacturers Association, an industry advocacy group that testified in support of the proposal several times, saying that it would allow the state to “continue leading in energy and manufacturing innovation.”The legislation's sponsors, Republican State Sen. Sue Rezin, and Democratic State Rep. Lance Yednock said the bill has the potential to bolster Illinois' electric reliability as intermittent sources like wind and solar begin to make up a larger portion of the state's energy output. Sen. Rezin said she is particularly interested in the potential for SMRs to be developed at the sites of former coal plants in Illinois, avoiding the need to build new transmission lines. Because permitting nuclear energy takes many years at the federal level, the earliest a nuclear project could be brought online in Illinois would be in the 2030s.  But critics of the bill and of nuclear power are worried.David Kraft, an outspoken critic of nuclear energy and head of the Chicago-based advocacy group Nuclear Energy Information Service, urged lawmakers at a Thursday committee meeting to reject the bill. Kraft said he was concerned about the lack of existing SMR installations and the unproven nature of the technology. While some nuclear reactors of this scale do exist in other countries, no commercial SMRs have ever been built in the United States. In a follow-up interview, Kraft said that SMRs bring with them security concerns, as the smaller installations have different staffing requirements than traditional reactors and use a more highly enriched type of uranium. This relative abundance of this uranium, according to Kraft, could incentivize the further proliferation of nuclear weapons. Sierra Club Illinois chapter director Jack Darin called nuclear energy “at best, a distraction.” Sierra Club was one of the main advocacy organizations that sought Pritzker's veto of the previous bill. Since 2016, five other state legislatures have either repealed or weakened their bans on nuclear construction. Counting Illinois, bans on nuclear construction remain on the books in 11 states. Several of the states that have lifted their bans in recent years have done so to pave the way for SMR technology. But the biggest player in that industry has seen several upsets in recent weeks. As lawmakers debated the bill on Wednesday, NuScale Power – the only company with a federally approved SMR design – announced that it was canceling its highly watched “Carbon Free Power Project” in Utah, which would have been the first commercial project with a NuScale reactor. The project's cancelation comes after months of falling stock prices and criticism from trading firms. Still, its leaders say the company will continue with its other projects, which are at various steps of regulation and planning. Bill sponsor Sen. Rezin noted that “there's a lot to learn” from NuScale's canceled project, but hopes Illinois' and other states' moves to reverse their construction bans will encourage nuclear energy development in the U.S. She said “If we do not build out this technology with companies that are in the United States, there's other companies and countries such as Russia that are looking to sell that technology. We don't want that.” Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of print and broadcast outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/11/16/ohio-senate-gop-floats-idea-of-15-week-abortion-ban-despite-voters-saying-no/Ohio Senate GOP floats 15-week abortion ban despite voters saying noBY: MORGAN TRAU - NOVEMBER 16, 2023 5:00 AMThe Ohio Senate president has floated the idea of a 15-week abortion ban following voters decisively choosing to keep lawmakers out of their reproductive care.The debate over Issue 1 continues at the Statehouse. Some fringe and alt-right Republican House representatives are infuriated with the voters who stood up to secure abortion rights in the state.Issue 1, the proposal to enshrine abortion access into the state constitution, passed 57-43% on election night. Despite this large victory, Statehouse Republicans have been mulling over ways to combat it.State Rep. Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester) is seemingly leading this fight with other far-right representatives Bill Dean (R-Xenia), Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) and Beth Lear (R-Galena). The quartet is described by other Ohio Republicans as being on the extreme end of their caucus due to anti-vaccine beliefs, peddling of conspiracy theories, and attacks on the LGBTQ+ community.Describing a potential 15-week abortion ban, GOP Senate President Matt Huffman said “clearly there is a majority of people in Ohio” who want the ban - however, that would of course be the opposite of what the voters just said a week ago. ere are no statistics to prove this, and based on the language of Issue 1, the voters chose not to have any restrictions before viability.Statehouse reporter Morgan Trau asked President Huffman “Would 15 weeks be going against the will of the people?” He said he didn't know.After the election where Ohioans stood up to demand abortion rights, the Senate President said this “wasn't the end” and there would be a “revolving door” of repeal efforts.  This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/11/16/sec-frank-larose-misses-deadline-for-u-s-senate-financial-disclosures/Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose misses extended reporting deadline in U.S. Senate race. He's the only one who didn't file. BY: NICK EVANS - NOVEMBER 16, 2023 4:55 AM     The three Republican candidates hoping to topple U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-OH, go before voters in a few months, and by now should've disclosed information about their personal finances. Two of them, state Sen. Matt Dolan and entrepreneur Bernie Moreno, have done so. But after filing an extension through Nov. 14, though, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose still has not.In both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, candidates and members have to regularly file disclosures that describe their financial positions, assets and liabilities. But the reports stick to broad strokes. Filers name their mutual funds, for instance, but the amount of their holdings are bracketed — $1,001-$15,000, $15,001-$50,000, etc.Current U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown reported about $27,000 in retirement income from his time as a state official. His U.S. Senate income doesn't need to be disclosed, nor do his U.S. Senate retirement accounts.Brown also reports serving as a trustee at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. since 2008.Under U.S. Senate rules, candidates must file financial disclosure reports within 30 days of becoming a candidate. LaRose announced his candidacy July 17, and filed for a financial disclosure extension August 9. That extension gave him until November 14 to file his report.Despite that 90-day reprieve, LaRose still has yet to file. The Ohio Capital Journal reached out to his campaign to see if the report has been filed but not yet posted or if the campaign has requested a further extension. The campaign did not respond.Late filing carries a $200 penalty and failing to file or filing a false report carries a civil penalty of up to $50,000.LaRose's failure to file thus far is particularly notable given a $250,000 personal loan he made to his campaign in September. While his Republican opponents have loaned their campaigns significantly more money, LaRose's previous disclosures from his time as a state lawmaker don't suggest he'd have that much cash readily available.Chagrin Falls Republican Matt Dolan comes from a wealthy family that owns the Cleveland Guardians baseball team. In addition to serving in the legislature, Dolan has worked in the Geauga County prosecutor's office and as an Assistant Attorney General.The state senator's investment holdings are vast—including stocks from more than 250 companies, more than 50 mutual funds and bonds. He reports a Morgan Stanley money market account with more than $1 million alone as well as several mutual funds worth more than half a million dollars each.Dolan also reports a handful of retirement accounts, partial ownership of several LLCs and real estate. One residential building brought in more than $50,000 in rent.In addition to his income Dolan holds personal line of credit with Morgan Stanley worth at least $5 million. The interest rate for that credit line is just 5.96% according to Dolan's amended report — roughly 2.5 percentage points below the current prime rate.Dolan has loaned his campaign a total of $7 million.Next, there's Bernie MorenoIf anything, Moreno's disclosure is even more complex. The Westlake entrepreneur began his business career selling cars, and his report describes his role as director of 17 different automotive business entities, most of which are no longer operating. But from cars, Moreno has branched into several other lines of business including real estate and tech.Moreno's assets are held in a series of trusts, and the report includes several notes about partial ownership and recent sales. He owns 65% of Dryver, LLC, for instance, which the report values at between $5 million and $25 million. Moreno recently sold off his stake in a different company called Champ Titles, and reports making more than $5 million on the deal.He has investments worth at least half a million dollars in handful of Tel Aviv companies working technology, social media investing and healthcare AI. Moreno has also invested in Narya, the venture capital firm U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-OH, started before running for office. Vance has endorsed Moreno's senate bid.Moreno also reports owning millions in residential and commercial real estate. He owns 43% of a home in Ocean Reef, FL worth at least $5 million. It appears the property is a rental because it generated more than $50,000 in income. Moreno also owns a 1% stake condos located in Washington, D.C., and New York City, as well as a $1 million unimproved parcel in Zapotal, Costa Rica, and at least $1.5MM sitting in two checking accounts.Moreno has loaned his campaign $3 million.https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/veterans-health-care-coverage-expanded-by-biden-administration/Biden Administratoin expands Veterans' health care coverage BY: JACOB FISCHLER - NOVEMBER 10, 2023 4:01 AM     Officials said the Department of Veterans Affairs will expand health care coverage for certain groups of veterans and their families, and create new programs meant to make care more accessible.The VA will make coverage of certain toxic burn pit-related conditions available sooner than anticipated. Family members of veterans who served at North Carolina's Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune from between 1953 and 1987 will be eligible to have the costs of treating Parkinson's disease covered. And all living World War II veterans will be eligible for no-cost health care, including at nursing homes, the department said in a series of news releases.The administration will also create a new graduate medical education program to help expand health care availability for veterans in rural, tribal and other underserved communities. And the VA will spend $5 million on an advertising campaign aimed at having more veterans sign up for services.https://michiganadvance.com/2023/11/16/dan-kildee-dean-of-michigans-u-s-house-delegation-wont-run-for-reelection-in-2024/Dan Kildee, dean of Michigan's U.S. House delegation, won't run for reelection in 2024Retirement leaves open a key seat made more competitive with redistrictingBY: KEN COLEMAN - NOVEMBER 16, 2023 1:53 PM     Kildee, who is 65, said a cancer diagnosis this year caused him to reassess his career plans. Kildee's retirement from the 8th Congressional District including Genesee, Bay and Saginaw counties and portions of Midland County, leaves open a seat made more competitive during the last redistricting process. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter has moved the seat from “leans Democratic” to a “tossup.”A number of candidates could line up to run in 2024 from both parties. Republican Martin Blank, a surgeon, has already declared. Other Republicans who could run are last year's nominee Paul Junge, former House Speaker Tom Leonard and state Rep. Bill G. Schuette (R-Midland).On the Democratic side, potential candidates could include former Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich (D-Flint), Flint Mayor Sheldon Neely, state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City), former state Rep. Pam Farris (D-Clio) and state Sen. John Cherry (D-Flint).In a 2020 interview with the Michigan Advance, Kildee recalled having only been in Congress for a few years when news of the Flint water crisis broke.“That was one of those moments where I knew why I was there. I knew exactly why I was in Congress. I had to go to bat for my hometown because they only had one member of Congress, and I had to persuade a whole bunch of people to help me out with Flint.”Kildee has served as a leader in the House Democratic caucus and has been a close ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). He is the co-chair of the House Democratic Steering Committee. Pelosi told the Advance in 2020 that Kildee “has proudly carried on his family's long legacy of service, becoming a tremendous champion for the people of Flint and all Michiganders” as part of leadership.“As a powerful member of the Ways and Means Committee, his persistent, dissatisfied leadership has delivered critical resources to strengthen and develop his community and ensure that our budget remains a reflection of our nation's values. Congressman Kildee's bold vision and expert guidance as chief deputy whip has been invaluable to House Democrats as we work to advance progress that make a difference in the lives of hard-working families in Michigan and across the country.”Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said through a statement that “no one fights harder for his constituents than Dan Kildee.“Congressman Kildee knows the Bay region like the back of his Michigan mitten, and I am so grateful for our productive partnership,” Whitmer said. “I am grateful for our collaboration to bring progress to areas of Michigan that too many left behind. We brought good-paying, middle-class manufacturing jobs back to Flint, worked to lower the cost of prescription drugs with President Biden, and delivered on the issues that make a real difference in people's lives.”   U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) called Kildee's retirement “a huge loss for Congress, for Michigan, and for me personally. The center of his work is and always has been his hometown of Flint, for which he has fiercely advocated especially in the darkest hour of the Flint water crisis,” Slotkin said. “While I'm thankful I have another year to work with him, and thrilled that he is moving on to his next chapter, this departure stings.”U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) said that Kildee “will be missed. His deep knowledge of many issues and his concern for others has made a difference in countless lives, and his years of service have benefited our country in many ways,”Advance Editor Susan J. Demas contributed to this story.We will definitely have more on the developing primary picture for this open seat in Michigan, as well as the new open seat in Virginia as Abby Spanberger runs for Governor, and everything else that happens as we are now just a couple of short months from the 2024 primary season.Well that's it for me. From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Stories featured in today's show appeared first in the Kansas Reflector, Michigan Advance, Ohio Capitol Journal, Missouri Independent and Capital News Illinois. Thanks for listening, see you next time. 

The Heartland POD
Friday News Flyover - Nov. 17, 2023 - Senate GOP fails to stop Biden on student loans - Ohio abortion and Senate updates - Illinois paves the way for nuclear, and more

The Heartland POD

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2023 15:49


Title: Flyover Friday, November 10, 2023Intro: On this episode of The Heartland POD for Friday, November 17, 2023A flyover from this weeks top heartland stories including:GOP Senators can't stop Biden's student loan plansIllinois legislature approves plan for Small Nuclear ReactorsOhio Republicans can't take a hintOhio Secretary of State misses personal financial disclosure deadlineBiden Administration expands veterans' health careDemocrat Dan Kildee of Michigan is retiringWelcome to The Heartland POD for a Flyover Friday, this is Sean Diller in Denver, Colorado.We're glad to have you with us. If you're new to our shows make sure you subscribe and leave a 5 star rating wherever you listen. You can also find Heartland POD content on Youtube and on Twitter @ THE heartland pod. Alright! Let's get into the storieshttps://missouriindependent.com/briefs/attempt-to-kill-biden-student-debt-relief-plan-tied-to-income-fails-in-u-s-senate/Senate Republicans fail to kill President Joe Biden's income-based student debt relief planBY: ARIANA FIGUEROA - NOVEMBER 16, 2023 7:10 AM     WASHINGTON — Sen. Joe Manchin III of West Virginia was the sole Democrat who joined Republicans in backing the resolution, which was 2 votes short of passing.Following the vote, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said “There are millions of students, poor, working class … who will benefit from what the president has done. Republicans don't think twice about giving huge tax breaks to ultra-wealthy billionaires and large corporations, but when it comes to helping out working families with student debt relief, suddenly it's too much money, it will raise the deficit, we can't afford it. Give me a break.”The Department of Education unveiled the Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan hours after the Supreme Court in June struck down the Biden administration's one-time student debt cancellation that would have forgiven up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for anyone making less than $125,000 per year.Borrowers who received Pell Grants would have been eligible for an additional $10,000 in forgiveness of federal student loans.The new income-driven repayment plan calculates payments based on a borrower's income and family size and forgives balances after a set number of years. More than 5.5 million student loan borrowers have already enrolled in the SAVE plan, according to data released by the Department of Education.Repayments on federal student loans restarted last month after a nearly three-year pause due to the coronavirus pandemic.With the SAVE plan, borrowers with undergraduate loans will pay 5% of their discretionary income, rather than the 10% required under previous income repayment plans. https://capitolnewsillinois.com/NEWS/illinois-lawmakers-approve-plan-to-allow-small-scale-nuclear-developmentIllinois lawmakers approve small-scale nuclear developmentThursday, November 9, 2023Governor, who vetoed previous bill, supports new effortBy ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinoisaadams@capitolnewsillinois.comSPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers on Thursday approved a proposal that would allow companies to develop new nuclear power generation in Illinois for the first time since 1987. House Bill 2473 does not entirely lift the 36-year-old moratorium on nuclear construction, but rather creates a regulatory structure for the construction of small modular nuclear reactors, or SMRs. The bill limits the nameplate capacity of such reactors to 300 megawatts, about one-third the size of the smallest of the six existing nuclear power plants in Illinois. It also requires the state to perform a study that will inform rules for regulating SMRs, which will be adopted by regulators at the Illinois Emergency Management Agency by January 2026.  Proponents of the measure say it is a step to make the ongoing transition away from fossil fuels more reliable for customers throughout the state, while opponents warn the unproven technology comes with safety risks and the potential for cost overruns. The bill passed with bipartisan support in the Senate, 44-7, and the House, 98-8. The opposition came exclusively from Democrats. Gov. JB Pritzker said in a statement that he would sign the bill. He worked with lawmakers on the new bill after vetoing a broader measure this summer. Leadership of the Illinois AFL-CIO umbrella labor organization released a statement Thursday calling the policy “important for our state's economy and our clean energy future.” It echoed a release from the Illinois Manufacturers Association, an industry advocacy group that testified in support of the proposal several times, saying that it would allow the state to “continue leading in energy and manufacturing innovation.”The legislation's sponsors, Republican State Sen. Sue Rezin, and Democratic State Rep. Lance Yednock said the bill has the potential to bolster Illinois' electric reliability as intermittent sources like wind and solar begin to make up a larger portion of the state's energy output. Sen. Rezin said she is particularly interested in the potential for SMRs to be developed at the sites of former coal plants in Illinois, avoiding the need to build new transmission lines. Because permitting nuclear energy takes many years at the federal level, the earliest a nuclear project could be brought online in Illinois would be in the 2030s.  But critics of the bill and of nuclear power are worried.David Kraft, an outspoken critic of nuclear energy and head of the Chicago-based advocacy group Nuclear Energy Information Service, urged lawmakers at a Thursday committee meeting to reject the bill. Kraft said he was concerned about the lack of existing SMR installations and the unproven nature of the technology. While some nuclear reactors of this scale do exist in other countries, no commercial SMRs have ever been built in the United States. In a follow-up interview, Kraft said that SMRs bring with them security concerns, as the smaller installations have different staffing requirements than traditional reactors and use a more highly enriched type of uranium. This relative abundance of this uranium, according to Kraft, could incentivize the further proliferation of nuclear weapons. Sierra Club Illinois chapter director Jack Darin called nuclear energy “at best, a distraction.” Sierra Club was one of the main advocacy organizations that sought Pritzker's veto of the previous bill. Since 2016, five other state legislatures have either repealed or weakened their bans on nuclear construction. Counting Illinois, bans on nuclear construction remain on the books in 11 states. Several of the states that have lifted their bans in recent years have done so to pave the way for SMR technology. But the biggest player in that industry has seen several upsets in recent weeks. As lawmakers debated the bill on Wednesday, NuScale Power – the only company with a federally approved SMR design – announced that it was canceling its highly watched “Carbon Free Power Project” in Utah, which would have been the first commercial project with a NuScale reactor. The project's cancelation comes after months of falling stock prices and criticism from trading firms. Still, its leaders say the company will continue with its other projects, which are at various steps of regulation and planning. Bill sponsor Sen. Rezin noted that “there's a lot to learn” from NuScale's canceled project, but hopes Illinois' and other states' moves to reverse their construction bans will encourage nuclear energy development in the U.S. She said “If we do not build out this technology with companies that are in the United States, there's other companies and countries such as Russia that are looking to sell that technology. We don't want that.” Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of print and broadcast outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/11/16/ohio-senate-gop-floats-idea-of-15-week-abortion-ban-despite-voters-saying-no/Ohio Senate GOP floats 15-week abortion ban despite voters saying noBY: MORGAN TRAU - NOVEMBER 16, 2023 5:00 AMThe Ohio Senate president has floated the idea of a 15-week abortion ban following voters decisively choosing to keep lawmakers out of their reproductive care.The debate over Issue 1 continues at the Statehouse. Some fringe and alt-right Republican House representatives are infuriated with the voters who stood up to secure abortion rights in the state.Issue 1, the proposal to enshrine abortion access into the state constitution, passed 57-43% on election night. Despite this large victory, Statehouse Republicans have been mulling over ways to combat it.State Rep. Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester) is seemingly leading this fight with other far-right representatives Bill Dean (R-Xenia), Melanie Miller (R-Ashland) and Beth Lear (R-Galena). The quartet is described by other Ohio Republicans as being on the extreme end of their caucus due to anti-vaccine beliefs, peddling of conspiracy theories, and attacks on the LGBTQ+ community.Describing a potential 15-week abortion ban, GOP Senate President Matt Huffman said “clearly there is a majority of people in Ohio” who want the ban - however, that would of course be the opposite of what the voters just said a week ago. ere are no statistics to prove this, and based on the language of Issue 1, the voters chose not to have any restrictions before viability.Statehouse reporter Morgan Trau asked President Huffman “Would 15 weeks be going against the will of the people?” He said he didn't know.After the election where Ohioans stood up to demand abortion rights, the Senate President said this “wasn't the end” and there would be a “revolving door” of repeal efforts.  This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2023/11/16/sec-frank-larose-misses-deadline-for-u-s-senate-financial-disclosures/Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose misses extended reporting deadline in U.S. Senate race. He's the only one who didn't file. BY: NICK EVANS - NOVEMBER 16, 2023 4:55 AM     The three Republican candidates hoping to topple U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-OH, go before voters in a few months, and by now should've disclosed information about their personal finances. Two of them, state Sen. Matt Dolan and entrepreneur Bernie Moreno, have done so. But after filing an extension through Nov. 14, though, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose still has not.In both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate, candidates and members have to regularly file disclosures that describe their financial positions, assets and liabilities. But the reports stick to broad strokes. Filers name their mutual funds, for instance, but the amount of their holdings are bracketed — $1,001-$15,000, $15,001-$50,000, etc.Current U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown reported about $27,000 in retirement income from his time as a state official. His U.S. Senate income doesn't need to be disclosed, nor do his U.S. Senate retirement accounts.Brown also reports serving as a trustee at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C. since 2008.Under U.S. Senate rules, candidates must file financial disclosure reports within 30 days of becoming a candidate. LaRose announced his candidacy July 17, and filed for a financial disclosure extension August 9. That extension gave him until November 14 to file his report.Despite that 90-day reprieve, LaRose still has yet to file. The Ohio Capital Journal reached out to his campaign to see if the report has been filed but not yet posted or if the campaign has requested a further extension. The campaign did not respond.Late filing carries a $200 penalty and failing to file or filing a false report carries a civil penalty of up to $50,000.LaRose's failure to file thus far is particularly notable given a $250,000 personal loan he made to his campaign in September. While his Republican opponents have loaned their campaigns significantly more money, LaRose's previous disclosures from his time as a state lawmaker don't suggest he'd have that much cash readily available.Chagrin Falls Republican Matt Dolan comes from a wealthy family that owns the Cleveland Guardians baseball team. In addition to serving in the legislature, Dolan has worked in the Geauga County prosecutor's office and as an Assistant Attorney General.The state senator's investment holdings are vast—including stocks from more than 250 companies, more than 50 mutual funds and bonds. He reports a Morgan Stanley money market account with more than $1 million alone as well as several mutual funds worth more than half a million dollars each.Dolan also reports a handful of retirement accounts, partial ownership of several LLCs and real estate. One residential building brought in more than $50,000 in rent.In addition to his income Dolan holds personal line of credit with Morgan Stanley worth at least $5 million. The interest rate for that credit line is just 5.96% according to Dolan's amended report — roughly 2.5 percentage points below the current prime rate.Dolan has loaned his campaign a total of $7 million.Next, there's Bernie MorenoIf anything, Moreno's disclosure is even more complex. The Westlake entrepreneur began his business career selling cars, and his report describes his role as director of 17 different automotive business entities, most of which are no longer operating. But from cars, Moreno has branched into several other lines of business including real estate and tech.Moreno's assets are held in a series of trusts, and the report includes several notes about partial ownership and recent sales. He owns 65% of Dryver, LLC, for instance, which the report values at between $5 million and $25 million. Moreno recently sold off his stake in a different company called Champ Titles, and reports making more than $5 million on the deal.He has investments worth at least half a million dollars in handful of Tel Aviv companies working technology, social media investing and healthcare AI. Moreno has also invested in Narya, the venture capital firm U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, R-OH, started before running for office. Vance has endorsed Moreno's senate bid.Moreno also reports owning millions in residential and commercial real estate. He owns 43% of a home in Ocean Reef, FL worth at least $5 million. It appears the property is a rental because it generated more than $50,000 in income. Moreno also owns a 1% stake condos located in Washington, D.C., and New York City, as well as a $1 million unimproved parcel in Zapotal, Costa Rica, and at least $1.5MM sitting in two checking accounts.Moreno has loaned his campaign $3 million.https://kansasreflector.com/briefs/veterans-health-care-coverage-expanded-by-biden-administration/Biden Administratoin expands Veterans' health care coverage BY: JACOB FISCHLER - NOVEMBER 10, 2023 4:01 AM     Officials said the Department of Veterans Affairs will expand health care coverage for certain groups of veterans and their families, and create new programs meant to make care more accessible.The VA will make coverage of certain toxic burn pit-related conditions available sooner than anticipated. Family members of veterans who served at North Carolina's Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune from between 1953 and 1987 will be eligible to have the costs of treating Parkinson's disease covered. And all living World War II veterans will be eligible for no-cost health care, including at nursing homes, the department said in a series of news releases.The administration will also create a new graduate medical education program to help expand health care availability for veterans in rural, tribal and other underserved communities. And the VA will spend $5 million on an advertising campaign aimed at having more veterans sign up for services.https://michiganadvance.com/2023/11/16/dan-kildee-dean-of-michigans-u-s-house-delegation-wont-run-for-reelection-in-2024/Dan Kildee, dean of Michigan's U.S. House delegation, won't run for reelection in 2024Retirement leaves open a key seat made more competitive with redistrictingBY: KEN COLEMAN - NOVEMBER 16, 2023 1:53 PM     Kildee, who is 65, said a cancer diagnosis this year caused him to reassess his career plans. Kildee's retirement from the 8th Congressional District including Genesee, Bay and Saginaw counties and portions of Midland County, leaves open a seat made more competitive during the last redistricting process. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter has moved the seat from “leans Democratic” to a “tossup.”A number of candidates could line up to run in 2024 from both parties. Republican Martin Blank, a surgeon, has already declared. Other Republicans who could run are last year's nominee Paul Junge, former House Speaker Tom Leonard and state Rep. Bill G. Schuette (R-Midland).On the Democratic side, potential candidates could include former Senate Minority Leader Jim Ananich (D-Flint), Flint Mayor Sheldon Neely, state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City), former state Rep. Pam Farris (D-Clio) and state Sen. John Cherry (D-Flint).In a 2020 interview with the Michigan Advance, Kildee recalled having only been in Congress for a few years when news of the Flint water crisis broke.“That was one of those moments where I knew why I was there. I knew exactly why I was in Congress. I had to go to bat for my hometown because they only had one member of Congress, and I had to persuade a whole bunch of people to help me out with Flint.”Kildee has served as a leader in the House Democratic caucus and has been a close ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). He is the co-chair of the House Democratic Steering Committee. Pelosi told the Advance in 2020 that Kildee “has proudly carried on his family's long legacy of service, becoming a tremendous champion for the people of Flint and all Michiganders” as part of leadership.“As a powerful member of the Ways and Means Committee, his persistent, dissatisfied leadership has delivered critical resources to strengthen and develop his community and ensure that our budget remains a reflection of our nation's values. Congressman Kildee's bold vision and expert guidance as chief deputy whip has been invaluable to House Democrats as we work to advance progress that make a difference in the lives of hard-working families in Michigan and across the country.”Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said through a statement that “no one fights harder for his constituents than Dan Kildee.“Congressman Kildee knows the Bay region like the back of his Michigan mitten, and I am so grateful for our productive partnership,” Whitmer said. “I am grateful for our collaboration to bring progress to areas of Michigan that too many left behind. We brought good-paying, middle-class manufacturing jobs back to Flint, worked to lower the cost of prescription drugs with President Biden, and delivered on the issues that make a real difference in people's lives.”   U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) called Kildee's retirement “a huge loss for Congress, for Michigan, and for me personally. The center of his work is and always has been his hometown of Flint, for which he has fiercely advocated especially in the darkest hour of the Flint water crisis,” Slotkin said. “While I'm thankful I have another year to work with him, and thrilled that he is moving on to his next chapter, this departure stings.”U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) said that Kildee “will be missed. His deep knowledge of many issues and his concern for others has made a difference in countless lives, and his years of service have benefited our country in many ways,”Advance Editor Susan J. Demas contributed to this story.We will definitely have more on the developing primary picture for this open seat in Michigan, as well as the new open seat in Virginia as Abby Spanberger runs for Governor, and everything else that happens as we are now just a couple of short months from the 2024 primary season.Well that's it for me. From Denver I'm Sean Diller. Stories featured in today's show appeared first in the Kansas Reflector, Michigan Advance, Ohio Capitol Journal, Missouri Independent and Capital News Illinois. Thanks for listening, see you next time. 

Factor This!
This Week in Cleantech (11/17/23) — Nuclear setback, U.S.-China climate talks, EV dealer hesitations

Factor This!

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2023 18:23


This Week in Cleantech is a new, weekly podcast covering the most impactful stories in cleantech and climate in 15 minutes or less.This week's episode features Washington Post climate reporter Shannon Osaka, who reports why car dealer skepticism could be one of the biggest threats to electric vehicle adoption. This week's "Cleantecher of the Week" is Sarah Chatterjee, Director of Electrification Strategies and Programs at Electric Power Engineers. Send your nominations for "Cleantecher of the Week" to thisweekincleantech@tigercomm.us. This Week in Cleantech — Nov. 17, 20231. Is advanced nuclear in trouble? What's next after NuScale cancellation — E&E News2. Alarmed' By Climate Change, U.S. And China Forge New Partnership To Tackle Fossil Fuels — HuffPost3. Plug Power Shares Tank Most in a Decade on Hydrogen Crunch — Bloomberg4. China's Spending on Green Energy Is Causing a Global Glut — Wall Street Journal5. Electric vehicles are hitting a road block: Car dealers — Washington PostWatch the full episode on YouTubeHelp make This Week in Cleantech the best it can be. Send feedback and story recommendations to ThisWeekInCleantech@tigercomm.us. And don't forget to leave a rating and review wherever you get your podcasts.Register for the GridTECH Connect Forum - Southeast event taking place in Orlando on Feb. 26 using promo code "PODCAST" to receive 10%. Take advantage of this unique opportunity for developers, utilities, and regulators to collaborate on the critical issue of interconnection. All GridTECH Connect attendees also receive complimentary access to DISTRIBUTECH International.

Solartopia Green Power & Wellness Hour
Solartopia Green Power & Wellness Hour - 11.16.23

Solartopia Green Power & Wellness Hour

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2023 118:55


MAKE SURE YOU DOWNLOAD THE 2D HOUR, WHICH GOES FOR TWO HOURS.   THE FIRST HOUR IS JUST A SINGLE HOUR, & WE WON'T USE IT ON TODAY'S PRN.LIVE BROADCAST.  THANKS!! > > A COMPREHENSIVE DEEP DIVE INTO A SMALL MODULAR RENEWABLE SOLARTOPIA WITH AMORY LOVINS et. al. > > > Our Earth-Shattering GREEP zoom #157 takes us on a unique two-hour journey into the brave new world of renewable energy. > > We start with LINDA SEELEY of the Mothers for Peace, who updates us on the multi-front fight to shut California's Diablo Canyon Nukes. > > The great SCOTT DENMAN then takes us through monumental collapse of NuScale's Small Modular Reactor scam.  > > NuScale has been at the center of the so-called “Nuclear Renaissance” for large reactors which collapsed 2007-2012. > > That fantasy gave way to a “resurgence” of Small Modular Reactors which has just collapsed. > > NuScale went to Utah municipal utilities to buy into the SMR scam. > > But this past week, as Scott tells us, the SMR scam has collapsed. > > Great green guru AMORY LOVINS follows with a magnificent overview of the global conversion to renewable energy. > > Carbon + cost + speed are the keys to the green transition, he says. > > Renewables have added 986x net capacity than nuclear in 2022, he says. > > In September 2022-October 2023, solar is running way faster than anybody can keep up with, he adds. > > With an “integrate design,” and an “unimaginably big” cornucopia of renewables, we can meet our de-carbonization goals. > > New grid materials brighten the equation. > > Big reactors now cost 5-8x renewables; small reactors are 20-32x more expensive than renewables, even with mass production. > > Solar and wind generate “variably” in predictable ways, widening the cost gap nukes must overcome to match renewables. > > “Baseload” from nuclear has now become both obsolete and detrimental. > > Lovins cites ten means of firming supply/demand reliability at extremely low cost compared to fossil/nukes. > > JUSTIN LEBLANC, RON LEONARD, WENDI LEDERMAN and MYLA RESON join in on the discussion. > > We also hear from ROY MORRISON on how to do community-owned renewable power. > > Amory also recommends X-Change at RMI.org and Applied Hope on renewables and cars. > > At the end we learn it's Amory's birthday, contributing to the truly beautiful, powerful spirit of this gathering. > > Don't miss it!!!  & we'll see you in Solartopia…..

Catalyst with Shayle Kann
The cost of nuclear

Catalyst with Shayle Kann

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2023 47:48


Nuclear construction costs in the U.S. are some of the highest in the world. Recent estimates put it at more than $6,000 per kilowatt, as measured by overnight capital cost. But high costs are a problem for new small modular reactors (SMRs) too, killing what was going to be the country's first small modular reactor before it got built. On the other hand, South Korea has some of the lowest costs in the world. Estimated overnight capital costs for reactors in South Korea are closer to $2,200 per kilowatt. And then there are countries like China, France, and the United Arab Emirates that fall between those extremes. So why the wide range in costs?  In this episode, Shayle talks to Dr. Jessica Lovering, co-founder and executive director at the Good Energy Collective, a non-profit that researches and promotes policies that support nuclear power. A former director of energy at the Breakthrough Institute, she also authored a comprehensive study of nuclear construction costs in 2016.  Shayle and Jessica talk about things like: What goes into the cost of construction and South Korea's secret sauce for low-cost nuclear reactors Why Jessica thinks we should manufacture and regulate reactors like large aircraft Driving down costs with modularity, small reactors, passive safety features, and more construction  Why changing regulations might be necessary, but not a silver bullet  Why the pro- and anti-nuclear camps talk past each other — and why Jessica says she's somewhere in between  Recommended Resources: Energy Policy: Historical construction costs of global nuclear power reactors National Academy of Engineering: Chasing Cheap Nuclear: Economic Trade-Offs for Small Modular Reactors Joule: Evaluating the Role of Unit Size in Learning-by-Doing of Energy Technologies Science: Granular technologies to accelerate decarbonization Canary: Future of small reactors at stake as NuScale deal flops If you want more news and analysis like this in your inbox, subscribe to Latitude Media's newsletter and Canary Media's newsletter. Catalyst is a co-production of Latitude Media and Canary Media. Catalyst is brought to you by BayWa r.e., a leading global renewable energy developer, service supplier, and distributor. With over 22GW in their project pipeline, BayWa r.e. is rethinking energy every day and at every level. Committed to being a solid partner for the long run, BayWa r.e. wants to work with you to help shape the future of energy. Learn more at bay.wa-re.com. Catalyst is brought to you by Sungrow. Now in more than 150 countries, Sungrow's solutions include inverters for utility-scale, commercial, and industrial solar, plus energy storage systems. Learn more at us.sungrowpower.com.

The Clean Energy Show
12 years to decarbonize the grid; 12 years of success

The Clean Energy Show

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2023 59:02


Looking back 12 years to see how far we've come with clean energy, knowing that we have 12 to go before grids need to be decarbonized. The only SMR in North America to have a contract with a utility, just ended that contract due to skyrocketing prices and lack of subscriptions from utilities. Kim Kardashing creates a bra with built-in nipples as a response to climate change. Keep cool, Kim!  Brian goes on Canadian public radio to talk heat pumps and has a solution to all the confusion. Brian recalls the seven second delay in radio from his DJ days Using Chevy Bolts in Saskatoon's parking enforcement Dunkelflaute What to say to someone who says, "Canada only produces 2% of the world's emissions." SaskPower's EV Rewards debackle Looking back 12 years in clean energy shocks Brian. How far we've come! Cruise robotaxi problems Kardashian's nipple bra for climate change New Jersey and Kentucky grid updates Tony Seba's modelling for north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska. Only 4.25 days of storage needed. Tesla to sell Superchargers to Gas stations Diablo Canyon Nuclear update NuScale's problems with their SMR development The Lighning Round! The Clean Energy Show is released every week so be sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get new episodes delivered to you free! Support the Show Make a small donation to our podcast today! PayPal Donate!https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=VMDCRPHLNR8YE E-transfer: cleanenergyshow@gmail.com Thanks for listening to our show! Consider rating The Clean Energy Show on iTunes, Spotify or wherever you listen to our show. Our Store Visit our T-Shirt and Merch Shop! https://my-store-dde61d.creator-spring.com Contact Us! Email us at cleanenergyshow@gmail.com Follow us on TikTok! @cleanenergypod  Check out our YouTube Channel! @CleanEnergyShow Follow us on Twitter or Threads @CleanEnergyPod James Whittingham https://twitter.com/jewhittingham Brian Stockton: https://twitter.com/brianstockton Leave us an online voicemail at http://speakpipe.com/cleanenergyshow Copyright 2023 with some rights reserved. You may share and reproduce portions of our show with attribution. All music is copyright with all rights reserved.  

City Cast Portland
Wait, There's a Nuclear Reactor Company in Portland?

City Cast Portland

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2023 15:43


Portland-based NuScale Power has been leading the way for a new generation of nuclear power plants, called small modular nuclear reactors. Last week, the company was in the headlines because it called off plans to build those reactors in Idaho. But what exactly does NuScale intend to do? And why was this news such a big deal? We're listening back to a conversation between executive producer John Notarianni and Reuters energy and environment correspondent Tim Gardner about NuScale's push for a nuclear future. Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Still want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: The Storm Large Holiday Ordeal at the Aladdin Theater Nov. 24 & 25 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Redefining Energy - Minutes
92. NuScale and Plug Power (the end for SMR and Fuel Cells), Portugal, EQT batteries

Redefining Energy - Minutes

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2023 5:53


Every Sunday, Gerard and Laurent debrief last week's news in the Energy Transition.On the menu:Final implosion for SMR and Fuel Cells: NuScale and Plug Power are on their way to oblivion Lithium and Hydrogen corruption cases bring down the Portuguese PMEQT invests in a 16 GW pipeline of batteries, and that's the good news of the week

Revenue Builders
Focusing on the Fundamentals with Paul Ohls

Revenue Builders

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2023 64:24


Paul Ohls is the Chief Revenue Officer at Sprinklr. He has had a successful career in sales leadership, working at companies like Aerotech, Ariba, NuScale, Zillent, Lattice Engines, Medallia, Fuse, tenfold, and now Sprinklr.In this conversation with John McMahon, Paul shares his insights on sales leadership and the importance of hiring the right people. He emphasizes the need for intelligent, driven, and coachable individuals who can ask insightful questions and think critically. Paul also discusses the challenges of forecasting and the importance of focusing on the fundamentals. He highlights the value of understanding the customer's pain points and aligning the solution with their objectives. Additionally, Paul emphasizes the need for a strong pipeline and the importance of conversion rates in driving sales success.HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT[00:02:11] - Overview of Sprinkler and its purpose[00:07:16] - Testing for key characteristics in potential hires[00:24:23] - Focus on testing and optimizing fundamentals in the sales process[00:30:06] - Enabling the team to have a realistic view of their forecast[00:35:45] - Considering the stage of new deals and their likelihood of closing[00:38:56] - Diagnosing reasons for consistently high forecasts.[00:40:12] - Implicated pain and alignment with decision criteria indicate a committable deal.[00:42:07] - Differentiating recruiting process through sales manager pipeline generation.[00:44:35] - Using a simulation exercise to assess candidate skills and fit.[00:54:40] - Key KPIs for decision-making: leading indicators and conversion rates.ADDITIONAL RESOURCESLearn more about Paul Ohls: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulohls/overlay/about-this-profile/Download our Sales Transformation Guide for Leaders: https://forc.mx/3sdtEZJHIGHLIGHT QUOTES[00:19:38]  "If you've done the right things and you truly are connected to a corporate objective, if you think about the concept of a value pyramid, those handful of things that are at the top of that value pyramid, oftentimes the things that the C level CEO has promised Wall Street, has promised investors. We aspire to go from X to Y. We are making acquisitions. We got to monetize those acquisitions, those acquisitions, these, these big things. If you have started there and your solution is you can make a direct correlation between what you are working with your champion on. To the inability of a company to deliver upon those things at the top of the value pyramid, the CFO meeting should be relative, like a relatively easy thing to do." - Paul Ohls[00:55:34] “What we ask our leaders to do is we call it sales manager or sales leader PG. So we're asking pipeline generation. For those that don't know what that means. We ask sellers and other people in the ecosystem to dedicate time. To go build their pipeline on future deals, block out the world, spend your time doing this set of work in a defined period every single week." - Paul Ohls

A Positive Climate
A Positive Climate #Wrapped 2023

A Positive Climate

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2023 58:56


That's a wrap! It's our annual review episode, with Alex and Nick covering all the climate technology news from 2023. The hottest year on record brings a reminder that we need to be doubling down on the right solutions, so we hope you enjoy our reflections about what we think matters. Thanks again to all you listening out there! It's been a big year for us - where we hit the Top 5 in tech podcasts (in Malawi) -  and we've loved hearing from many of you throughout the season.  Chapters (00:00) Intro (01:20) We announce the Pitch Fest Winner! (02:23) Our Years Reviewed (05:32) Large Scale Solar, Batteries and Global Developments (including Alex's strange love of steel mills) (21:32) Nuclear Energy (!) (27:55) APC Season Portfolio Review (38:41) BIG PREDICTIONS Companies mentioned: Microtau, All G Foods, Samsara, Uluu, Novalith, SunDrive, Jolt Charge, Infravision, Nourish Ingredients, Goterra, Antora Energy, ahem Positive Ventures, JET Charge, Sicona, AMSL Aero, Renewable Metals, SeaForest, GridMo, Hysata, MGA Thermal, Eku Energy, Akaysha Energy, Zenobe, Raygen, Vast Solar, ThyssenKrupp, NuScale, and the EV company formerly known as “Build Your Dreams”  See you next year! *** As always if you don't want to miss any eps, hit that follow button! We'd also love it if you gave us a review / rating on Apple or Spotify! It helps other listeners find us. You can sign up to our mailing list, say hello@apositiveclimate.com or follow us at www.instagram.com/apositiveclimatepodcast and https://au.linkedin.com/company/a-positive-climate.  ** About the podcast A Positive Climate is an uplifting podcast about tackling climate change. An entertaining look at the products, people and technologies making a real difference.  Hosted by Australian climate technology experts Alex McIntosh and Nick Zeltzer, two friends on a mission to find the solutions to keep our existential crises at bay. Previous guests have included innovators from JET Charge, 5B, Amazon, Zoomo, V2Food, All G Foods, Vow, Sea Forest, Great Wrap, Infravision, Zero Co, Hysata, Sicona, OneSmallStep, Tenacious Ventures, CarsGuide, AMSL Aero, Nori, EnergyLab, MicroTau and many more. Music by the late, great Nick Weaver Production by our hero Mark Spencer from Here.Media Social Media, Comms and PR by Alistair PerkinsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The POWER Podcast
142. Nuclear Power, Electrification, and Carbon-Free Fuel Are Key to INL Achieving Net-Zero by 2031

The POWER Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2023 45:41


In 2021, Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Director John Wagner set a lofty goal for the lab to achieve net-zero carbon emissions within 10 years. An uninformed observer might think that would be an easy task for an organization as focused on energy as INL, but it's important to recognize that the lab is spread over nearly 900 square miles—about three-quarters the size of the state of Rhode Island. To shuttle the lab's nearly 5,400 employees everywhere they need to go across that vast territory, INL has a fleet of about 85 motor coaches with an operating schedule that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week. With all the transportation and 357 buildings to heat and cool throughout the year, achieving net-zero is a significant challenge. Jhansi Kandasamy, INL's net-zero program director, explained that more than half of the lab's carbon emissions come from purchased electricity. That means INL has to work with Idaho Power to cut much of its emissions. “Probably 60 to 80% is already pretty clean—carbon-free—because they have hydro as a majority electricity generation,” Kandasamy said as a guest on The POWER Podcast, but that still leaves a fairly large gap to fill. “With my background in nuclear and nuclear being dependable, secure, 24/7, we've worked with Idaho Power to say, ‘We'd like to include nuclear as the generation,' ” Kandasamy said. “If we accomplish that—if we get nuclear—that addresses the 54% of carbon emissions that we get from purchasing electricity. Without doing anything else, we would have reduced our carbon emissions by 70%.” The Carbon Free Power Project, spearheaded by Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS), with NuScale Power's VOYGR small modular reactor technology at its heart, seems like a logical fit for Idaho Power's needs. The six-module plant will be built on INL property. Kandasamy said INL helped get some potential project partners, including folks from UAMPS, NuScale, Idaho Power, Idaho Falls Power, and the Department of Energy (DOE), in a room to talk about the project and what needed to be done to ensure it is operational within the next decade. “It's a collaboration effort instead of competition. It's all collaboration—getting all the people that are the experts in the room and kind of working through it. And it's been great in that they're all coming up with these different ideas,” she said. In addition to motor coaches, INL also has more than 600 other vehicles in its transportation fleet. Kandasamy suggested there are plans to electrify much of INL's fleet, as well as adding some hydrogen-fueled vehicles and using carbon-free fuels, such as R99 (renewable diesel), in others, which will all help to cut carbon emissions. Still, getting the vehicles poses a challenge. INL is required to source its vehicles through the DOE, and the DOE's supply of electric and hydrogen-fueled models is lacking. “The Executive Order says by 2027 we need to have all of our light-duty vehicles transition to electric. That's not far away. We have 240 vehicles—light-duty vehicles—that we need to transition. We've gotten 24,” Kandasamy said. Yet, employees may be the real key to success. Kandasamy said the staff at INL has really gotten behind the initiative. “The big push is really the cultural shift across the entire laboratory. So, the communication becomes a really huge part of saying, ‘Here's what we're doing for each scope. Here's how each of the employees contributes to getting us to net-zero,' ” she said. “We've been putting in all these communications about how we're transitioning. The other part is for the employees to tell their story on how they are achieving net-zero,” said Kandasamy. “That has been huge. Now, it's like, everybody wants to have their story. So, they start talking about how they are transforming in their personal life, as well as how they're commuting to work, and so on, with net-zero stories.”

The Energy Markets Podcast
S3E14: The Nuclear Energy Institute's Matt Crozat discusses new nuclear and SMRs as part of nuclear power's role in the clean-energy transition

The Energy Markets Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2023 45:10


There's something like a couple dozen proposals now for development of small modular reactors (SMRs), widely seen as the future of nuclear power as a participant in the clean-energy transition. Publicly traded NuScale* is at the vanguard of this trend. We spoke with the Nuclear Energy Institute's Matt Crozat about the prospects for SMRs and nuclear's role in the clean-energy transition at a time when we thought the first of Georgia Power's new Vogtle nuclear power units would have already been brought online. But a "degraded hydrogen seal" was only the latest delay for the $35 billion expansion project funded by ratepayers captive to a monopoly utility supplier. We also spoke at a time when Putin's invasion of Ukraine became even more fraught amid reports Russian troops may have planted explosives at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant they've commandeered. Crozat sees the prospect of new nuclear technologies and the growing acceptance among the public and policy makers of nuclear's critical role in the clean-energy transition as reasons for optimism on nuclear's future."We have as a starting point all of these utilities that have commitments to be carbon-free by mid-century. And that's creating a lot of pressure looking for technologies that can help bring low-carbon solutions into the portfolio, which also requires making sure you have the ability to provide the reliability and resilience to the grid that we need to have that be successful. And nuclear is standing out as one of the possible technologies that can do a lot of the roles alongside of wind and solar and batteries and these others, but it's really becoming something – it needs something that looks like nuclear to make the system work," Crozat says. "A lot of people are coming to this conclusion. At the same moment, we have new technologies that are offering nuclear in different packages than before. And it's really changing the calculus as people are approaching this as a possibility."Our conversation touches on new nuclear, the apparent lack of investor interest in NuScale despite its regulatory progress, carbon taxes, nuclear waste disposal, competitive markets versus monopoly regulation, exporting U.S. nuclear technology, and the prospects for sabotage at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia plant. As for Zaporizhzhia, Crozat doubts Russia will sabotage the plant: "Russia itself has a very long-term strategic interest in having nuclear energy being a viable strategic outcome. They want to sell reactors, too." Support the show

Wieder was gelernt - Ein ntv-Podcast
SMR? Traum günstiger Minireaktoren verpufft in Idaho

Wieder was gelernt - Ein ntv-Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2023 12:12


Für ihre Energiewende wollen die USA ihre Atomkapazität bis 2050 verdoppeln. Die Lösung sind neuartige Minireaktoren. Doch beim Modellprojekt von SMR-Branchenführer NuScale in Idaho zeigt sich ein bekanntes Muster: Bereits viele Jahre vor der Fertigstellung liegt es weit im Zeitplan zurück, die Kosten explodieren. Und schon heute steht fest, dass der Strom des vermeintlichen Minikernkraftwerks deutlich teurer sein wird als die Konkurrenz aus Sonne und Wind.Mit? David Schlissel, Director of Resource Planning Analysis am Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis (IEEFA)Sie haben Fragen, Anmerkungen oder Ideen? Schreiben Sie eine E-Mail an podcasts@n-tv.deSie wollen keine Folge mehr verpassen? Dann abonnieren Sie "Wieder was gelernt" ab sofort als Push-Nachricht in der ntv App.Sie wollen den Podcast abonnieren? RTL+ Musik, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify oder über den RSS-Feed+++ Weitere Infos zu unseren Werbepartnern finden Sie hier: https://linktr.ee/wiederwasgelernt +++Unsere allgemeinen Datenschutzrichtlinien finden Sie unter https://datenschutz.ad-alliance.de/podcast.htmlUnsere allgemeinen Datenschutzrichtlinien finden Sie unter https://art19.com/privacy. Die Datenschutzrichtlinien für Kalifornien sind unter https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info abrufbar.

Wieder was gelernt - Ein ntv-Podcast
SMR? Traum günstiger Minireaktoren verpufft in Idaho

Wieder was gelernt - Ein ntv-Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 12, 2023 12:12


Für ihre Energiewende wollen die USA ihre Atomkapazität bis 2050 verdoppeln. Die Lösung sind neuartige Minireaktoren. Doch beim Modellprojekt von SMR-Branchenführer NuScale in Idaho zeigt sich ein bekanntes Muster: Bereits viele Jahre vor der Fertigstellung liegt es weit im Zeitplan zurück, die Kosten explodieren. Und schon heute steht fest, dass der Strom des vermeintlichen Minikernkraftwerks deutlich teurer sein wird als die Konkurrenz aus Sonne und Wind.Mit? David Schlissel, Director of Resource Planning Analysis am Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis (IEEFA)Sie haben eine Frage an uns? Dann schreiben Sie Christian Herrmann gerne eine E-Mail.Sie wollen keine Folge mehr verpassen? Dann abonnieren Sie "Wieder was gelernt" ab sofort als Push-Nachricht in der ntv App.Sie wollen den Podcast abonnieren? RTL+ Musik, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify oder über den RSS-Feed+++ Weitere Infos zu unseren Werbepartnern finden Sie hier: https://linktr.ee/wiederwasgelernt +++Unsere allgemeinen Datenschutzrichtlinien finden Sie unter https://datenschutz.ad-alliance.de/podcast.html

Let Me Sum Up
EU academy adjudicates hydrogen vs. electrification smackdown!

Let Me Sum Up

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 8, 2023 79:28


Is the recently announced Australia-US Climate, Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Transformation Compact going to mean Australia gets to ride the wave of the subsidy superbonanza Inflation Reduction Act rather than get dumped by it? Perhaps too soon to tell, but your intrepid hosts can always be relied on for a hot take! *Shirtfranking with Frontie* includes a PSA for the very excellent app for ethical brand ratings,  Good On You, and a rundown on known forced labour and modern slavery risks in cotton t-shirt supply chains. And because all roads lead to climate chat on this pod, there is an intersection with the manufacture of solar panels. Of course there isThis week's deep dive is a GAS! Specifically, ‘The Future of Gas', according to the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC). This paper found us heavily referencing our back catalogue (but neglecting to actually properly point to the episodes), so  newer Summerupperers might want to check out these gems:On GWP20 v GWP100 - “Measure twice, cut nunce? Tackling methane from Aussie coal mines”On learning rates - “Ka-ching! Act now for huge learning rate savings!”On gas transition in Australia - “Infrastructure Victoria presents: A Very December 2021 Gas Report”On transport of hydrogen - “Elementary, my dear IRENA: Hydrogen transport”Frankie's One More Thing is the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis article on the latest cost estimates of the small modular nuclear reactor from NuScale and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems. Hint: it's gotten *way* more exxy, mostly due to construction supply chain cost increases. Prediction: it won't be the last cost increase!Tennant's One More Thing is “Victoria's 2035 Climate Action Target: Driving Growth And Prosperity”, the final report from the independent expert panel that recommended a 2035 target of an 80% emissions reduction on 2005 levels for Victoria. Hat tip to Tennant who served on the panel and to the Victorian Government for adopting their recommended target!Luke's One More Thing is the smorgasbord of climate stars who visited Australian shores to participate in the Energy Efficiency Council's recent National Conference. Hear from heat pump aficionado Jan Rosenow by revisiting his appearance on ABC Radio doing energy technology: hot or not? And Jacques Morris from the UK's Transition plan Task Force talking net zero transition plans at an Australian Sustainable Finance Institute event. Oh and Rob Murray-Leach's literal swan song at the Conference's Gala dinner after 14 years at the Energy Efficiency Council. We'll miss you Rob!And that's all from us this week Summerupperers! We shall see you next time and until then, please keep tweeting your thoughts to us at @LukeMenzel, @TennantReed and @FrankieMuskovic and if you would like to weave some golden threads through our back catalogue, give us your feelpinions or suggest papers to read we are always here for that - hit us up at mailbag@letmesumup.net.

City Cast Portland
How a Portland Company Is Bringing Back Nuclear Power

City Cast Portland

Play Episode Listen Later May 17, 2023 17:01


A Portland area company is leading the way for a new generation of nuclear power plants. Earlier this year, the U.S. government approved NuScale Power's design for a small modular nuclear reactor. But what does that mean, exactly? How could it change the world's energy future? And are they safe? Today on City Cast Portland, lead producer John Notarianni talks with Reuters energy and environment correspondent Timothy Gardner about NuScale's push for a nuclear future. Who would you like to hear on City Cast Portland? Shoot us an email at portland@citycast.fm, or leave us a voicemail at 503-208-5448. Still want more Portland news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Portland, and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram.  Looking to advertise on City Cast Portland? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Energy Cast
165 | Clean Colors | UNC CleanTech '23 (Live)

Energy Cast

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2023 41:05


For a panel on "The Many Colors of Hydrogen, " we discuss how multiple energy families can produce carbon-free H2, with guests from Black & Veatch, Monolith Corp., and NuScale. Recorded live at UNC CleanTech. For PPTs, pictures and more info, visit http://www.energy-cast.com/165-unc.html

Energy News Beat Podcast
Daily Energy Standup Episode #75 U.S. Maritime Industry needs Nuclear Power - China demand? - Godzillia will not return on Fukushima water release

Energy News Beat Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2023 20:10


Daily Standup Top StoriesAdvanced Nuclear Power Could Transform U.S. Maritime IndustryMarch 6, 2023 Mariel AlumitThe US maritime sector has suffered a steep decline since its peak in the immediate post-WWII era with the number of American flagged and constructed vessels plummeting. The advent of marinized nuclear power offers an […]Oil Price Rally Unravels On China's Underwhelming GDP Growth TargetMarch 6, 2023 Mariel AlumitChina's GDP growth target of roughly 5% for 2023 was lower than last year's target and lower than the average forecast from a cross-section of economic experts. After China relaxed its strict Covid-19 rules, oil […]The Inflation Reduction Act Is Very Good At One Thing: Making Billionaires RicherMarch 6, 2023 Mariel AlumitThe nation's biggest solar-panel maker, First Solar, sells $3.5 billion a year of its “thin-film” solar panels made with exotic “cadmium telluride” semiconductors that work well in hot and humid regions and in low light. […]No, the Fukushima water release is not going to kill the Pacific OceanMarch 6, 2023 Mariel AlumitJapanese authorities are preparing to release treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, nearly 12 years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. This will relieve pressure on more than 1,000 storage tanks, creating much-needed space for […]Western US cities vote to move ahead with novel nuclear power plantMarch 5, 2023 Allen Santos​ NuScale plans to build a demonstration small modular reactor (SMR) power plant at the Idaho National Laboratory. If successful, the six-reactor, 462 megawatt Carbon Free Power Project will run in 2030. NuScale said in […]US natgas up 3% to 5-week high on record LNG feedgas, colder weather forecastsMarch 4, 2023 Allen Santos​ U.S. natural gas futures rose about 3% to a five-week high on Friday, with the amount of gas flowing to U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) export plants set to hit a daily record high […]Highlights of the Podcast00:00 – Intro02:31 – Advanced nuclear power could transform U.S. maritime industry05:16 – Inflation Reduction Act is very good at one thing making billionaires richer08:54 – Fukushima water release is not going to kill the Pacific Ocean12:22 – Western cities vote to move ahead with novel nuclear power plant17:05 – LNG demand still in U.S. hits fresh high nat gas prices tumbled to $2.50, six off $320:01 – OutroFollow Stuart On LinkedIn and TwitterFollow Michael On LinkedIn and TwitterENB Top NewsENBEnergy DashboardENB PodcastENB Substack

The Power Hungry Podcast
Brett Rampal: Director of Nuclear and Power Strategy at Veriten

The Power Hungry Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2023 72:03 Transcription Available


Brett Rampal is the director of nuclear and power strategy at Veriten, a Houston-based energy advisory firm. In this episode, Brett, a nuclear engineer, talks about the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's recent approval of NuScale Power's reactor design, why the agency could soon be overwhelmed by the number of companies trying to get permits for their reactors, the emerging fuel-supply challenges, and why the “biggest opportunity for nuclear in the U.S. might be for thermal output, not electricity.” (Recorded January 25, 2023.)

Changing Energy
Episode 15: News of December 2022 – Part 3

Changing Energy

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2023 29:08


In this episode, the final of a three-part series about energy news of December 2022, Don, Kirk and Shawn begin with some Lightning Box discussion, as well as news about an Oregon company, NuScale, that has received design approval for a Small Modular Reactor (SMR). For the main topic, the group discusses the achievements on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) on December 5, with soundbites of the announcement that the laboratory reached nuclear fusion ignition, stating that we a step closer to commercial fusion technology. Story Links: U.S. approves design for NuScale small modular nuclear reactor Nuclear Fusion: Inside the breakthrough that could change our world | 60 Minutes EP: 15 Timeline 00:17 – Intros 06:08 – The News 15:17 – Main Topic: Discussion of the National Ignition Facility's achievements 26:41 – Outro How to reach us: Twitter: @ChangingNRG Facebook: @ChangingNRG Email: changingenergy@wemc.com Phone: 919-863-6331

Energy Policy Now
Will New Technology and Climate Change Save Nuclear Power?

Energy Policy Now

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2023 45:57


Daniel Poneman, former U.S. Deputy Energy Secretary and current CEO of Centrus Energy, explores resurgent interest in nuclear power a decade after Fukushima. --- Growing concern over energy security and climate change has revived interest in nuclear power in some of the world's most energy-intensive economies. In Japan, nuclear generators that closed following the 2011 Fukushima disaster are reopening, while Germany has extended the operating life of the country's remaining nuclear facilities. And in the United States recent legislation, including the Inflation Reduction Act, earmarks billions of dollars to support economically struggling nuclear power plants and the development of next-generation nuclear technology. Yet the future of nuclear energy remains far from certain as challenges around cost, complexity, and spent fuel disposal persist. Daniel Poneman, chief executive of nuclear fuel supplier Centrus Energy and former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy, discusses the political and market dynamics underpinning the nuclear industry's resurgence in developed economies. He also examines the potential for small modular reactor technology to deliver economic, and carbon free, electricity in the future. Related Content The Net Zero Governance Conveyor Belt https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/the-net-zero-governance-conveyor-belt/ Wholesale Electricity Justice https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/wholesale-electricity-justice/ Can Nuclear Hit Its Stride in Africa? https://kleinmanenergy.upenn.edu/research/publications/can-nuclear-hit-its-stride-in-africa-power-to-the-people-evaluating-nuclear-as-a-bridge-to-sustainable-energy-in-africa/   Energy Policy Now is produced by The Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania. For all things energy policy, visit kleinmanenergy.upenn.eduSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Todd Herman Show
 Why are nations are rushing to buy gold, how electric vehicles will drive inflation higher and could the US losing ... Ep_607_Hr-2

The Todd Herman Show

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2023 59:19


There's been a rebound in demand for gold from India and China, says Standard CharteredPatrick Moore, PhD, co-founder of Greenpeace and reformed leftist stooge: First Small Modular Nuclear Reactor has been certified for operation by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The NuScale reactor will produce 50 megawatts, 12 of them can be at one site, enough for 780,000 homes. This is revolutionary:

Value Investing FM
252. Consultorio Bursátil - Diciembre 2022

Value Investing FM

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2022 43:09


Consultorio bursátil de diciembre de 2022 en el que Adrián Godás y Paco Lodeiro respondemos a las preguntas de los oyentes. Las preguntas generales de este mes son sobre tributación de las spin-offs, tener posiciones pequeñas en cartera, invertir en países de divisa débil, órdenes que no entran en el bróker, sacar informes tributarios de Interactive Brokers, operar desde fuera de España, regalar la Formación Avanzada por Navidad, indexarse a la bolsa polaca, inversores congeladas en rusas, y sobre la situación de DeGiro. Las dudas sobre empresas y sectores son sobre CRODA, LSI Software, Mo-Bruk, Toya, Karelia Tobacco, NuScale, Pepco, ZIM y empezar en el shipping. Enlace para la sesión de preguntas y respuestas: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/sesin-de-preguntas-y/register

YPE Podcast
Karin Feldman - VP, Program Management Office, NuScale Power

YPE Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2022 38:30


Show notes: 01:16 Karin's nuclear & aerospace backgrounds 09:04 What makes the NuScale small modular reactor (SMR) unique? How has the SMR space evolved over time? 13:22 NuScale's path to regulatory license and the trajectory for the company 18:02 Timelines and challenges to implementing the first modules 23:24 Inherently safe features & advantages of the design 27:27 Where Karin sees the nuclear industry in the coming decade; the benefits of gaining a license in the United States 33:08 Karin's advice for young professionals in energy Karin's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karin-feldman-634b81a/

Cowen
Small Modular Reactors with NuScale Power

Cowen

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2022 44:22


Recorded on 10/13/22 Chris Colbert, Chief Financial Officer of NuScale Power (SMR), joins Marc Bianchi to discuss NuScale's small modular reactor technology, outlook for cash flow generation, customer prospects, and potential impact of the Inflation Reduction Act. For Disclosures, click here bit.ly/3cPHkNW

Technopolitik
#31 Reacting to the Future

Technopolitik

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2022 15:48


Cyberpolitik: The Internet of Yesterday and Tomorrow— Bharath ReddyThe foundation of the internet was built on three pillars:Reliance on the private sector, Light regulatory oversight, Free speech and a free flow of information. The hope was that these values would also be accepted as the internet would be accepted across the world. However this utopian vision is far from the reality of today’s internet. Gradually the internet has become less secure, more fragmented and less free. Authoritarian regimes across the world have been able to leverage control of the internet to shape narratives that strengthen their control. The US needs to recalibrate and adapt to this new reality. So begins the Council on Foreign Relations report titled “Confronting Reality in Cyberspace: Foreign Policy for a Fragmented Internet”. The authors propose a three-fold approach to confronting the new reality in cyberspace. Firstly, they recommend that allies need to come together to preserve a trusted and secure internet based on international standards. This includes working towards a shared policy on digital privacy, tackling cybercrime, and helping developing nations build cyber capacity. Secondly, there should be discussions and negotiations with adversaries to avoid cyber operations against nuclear command, control and communications systems, election systems and financial systems. This includes holding states accountable for cyber threats originating from their territory. The last recommendation involves getting the domestic house in order, which includes building cyber security talent, minimising domestic cyber security risks and prioritising digital interests in national security strategies.The predictions of the end of the global internet are growing quite common. The predictions for a fragmented internet range from a splinternet to a bifurcation between a Western and a Chinese internet. With these possibilities appearing more likely each day, India needs to rethink its own approaches to cyber security.Matsyanyaaya #1: Fission Factor: The Big Bet on Small Reactors— Aditya RamanathanWhile the world’s attention is drawn to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, where Russian and Ukrainian forces are facing off, there are potentially more significant developments underway for the future of nuclear power. In July, the United States’ Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)  announced that it would certify the NuScale 50 MWe small modular reactor. NuScale’s reactor is only the seventh design which the NRC has ever approved in the history of nuclear power. It is also the first small modular reactor (SMR) that has received the green light in the United States. China is presently ahead of the US in SMRs. A couple of weeks before the NRC announcement, the China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) began the construction of an SMR demonstration plant in Hainan Province. CNNC calls the project the first “commercial onshore small modular reactor” in the world. Once the 125 MWe reactor is up and running, CNNC claims it will be capable of powering 526,000 households. The SMR PromiseThe International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) defines SMRs as reactors with up to 300 MWe capacity. As the name indicates, SMRs are much smaller than traditional reactors and modular in their design. For instance, the NuScale design is touted as being only  “about 1 per cent the size of a traditional power plant’s containment chamber, though it delivers 10 percent of a plant’s power output.” SMRs are modular for two reasons. Firstly, assemblies and components can be pre-fabricated on a factory floor and then put together on site. Secondly, additional units to t can simply be added on site to increase capacity.Proponents of SMRs have advocated their widespread adoption for several reasons. For one, SMRs need much lower initial investments and fewer operators and specialists to run them. Two, unlike traditionally large nuclear plants, finding the right patch of real estate for an SMR is much simpler. Three, proponents say SMRs are well suited to serve small communities and provide a reliable base-load for renewables. Four, the modularity of SMRs allows them to be easily scaled up as the needs of a community grow. SMR proponents argue that these reactors are safer because they are far less susceptible to human error and rely on passive safety features. For instance, NuScale designs don’t require external power sources to operate the cooling systems for their cores. Finally, if an accident occurs, the consequences with an SMR are likely to be much less severe than in previous nuclear accidents. While both the CNNC and NuScale reactors feature novel designs, they nevertheless draw from proven technologies. CNNC describes its Linglong-1 design as being a pressurised water reactor, while the NuScale design is a light water reactor. Both reactors appear to use clever design and engineering to simplify traditional reactors. This is a sensible approach to getting SMRs approved and operational. However, other companies are experimenting with more radical designs. The Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC) has designed what it calls a Micro Modular Reactor (MMR). The MMR eschews water altogether, using helium as a coolant and transferring heat through molten salt. MMRs also use a ‘Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated’ (FCM) fuel, in which small kernels of Uranium fuel, each about 1 mm across, are encased in layers of ceramic and silicon carbide. According to USNC, this makes the fuel much safer to use and transport, gives it greater temperature stability, and makes it impossible to repurpose for military purposes. In April, the company started running a pilot plant for the production of FCM fuel. USNC expects demonstration units of the reactor itself to be operational by 2026.  Besides these there are several other SMRs under development, including so-called micro-reactors from start-ups like Oklo and NuGen as well as designs from established giants like General Atomics. Finally, there are companies pursuing larger reactors like the so-called pebble-bed design as well as the Bill Gates-backed TerraPower’s molten salt design.Nuclear RealitiesFor all the promises of SMRs, it’s worth keeping in mind that they are still a long way off. Even if SMRs are all they claim to be, it may be another two decades before they dramatically impact the global energy mix. Until then, renewables and traditional nuclear plants will remain important sources of low-carbon energy. There also remain many uncertainties around SMRs, many of which feature completely unproven designs. As with every other means of power generation, there are also likely to be some downsides. For example, a Stanford-led study concluded that SMRs could produce much more nuclear waste than traditional reactors. The study looked at designs from NuScale, Terrestrial Energy, and Toshiba and concluded that these small reactors would experience greater neutron leakage, which would, in turn, create more radioactive material. While such studies are by no means conclusive, they highlight how little we will really know until prototype SMRs run for years. SMRs are also likely to be subject to the same political and social uncertainties that afflict traditional nuclear power. The supply of Uranium fuel remains highly politicised and dominated by the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). And popular perceptions of nuclear power appear to be poor. Nuclear engineers may point out that the chances of a major radiation event at the Zaporizhzhia plant are very low, despite the ongoing fighting in its vicinity. However, popular perceptions are unlikely to make much allowance for expert opinion. Matsyanyaaya #2: How can the US-India iCET Succeed?— Arjun GargeyasI know we talk about the intersection of technology and international affairs in this newsletter. This time I’m trying something different, elucidating the possibility of a new technology in India which can become the global standard and shake things up in the international E-commerce arena if implemented perfectly.Over the last few weeks, we met with Mr Sanjay Jain, a member of iSPIRIT and an engineer closely working on developing the India Stack applications. This was to understand better the newly launched Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and how it functions. The ONDC was launched by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India as an e-commerce aggregator. The primary objective was to challenge the monopoly of E-commerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart while providing the local sellers a platform to be equally competitive. After having a couple of conversations with Mr Jain, who brilliantly explained the system’s backend, India had a sense of opportunity to set a global standard through which E-commerce operates. What is it?ONDC is a massive network that acts as a facilitator for buyers and sellers. It is not a platform such as Amazon. It is built on leveraging the network effects and positive externalities of E-commerce platforms, while aggregating all existing platforms to be on the same network. It is currently developed on the Beckn Protocol, an open-source software protocol. Now, for comparison's sake, it is similar to the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which handles all UPI transactions. Why has it been introduced?One of the main reasons for introducing ONDC in India is the movement toward E-commerce while making it inclusive and accessible to the country’s large population. There is also the movement from platform-based to network-based technology in the E-commerce domain so that users are not locked into a particular platform only and can choose from multiple options. Including local merchants, sellers and buyers to make the network have over 15,000 retailers is another key objective of the platform itself. Increasing the share of Indians using E-Commerce (from 9 crores to 25 crores) and improving geographic coverage of E-Commerce (covering 75% of PIN codes) remains the core idea behind ONDC.How can it become the E-commerce domain standard?ONDC mainly revolves around two principles: Bundling and Interoperability. It helps separate the buyers and sellers while aggregating both on a single network. It addresses lock-in and unbundles E-commerce’s buying, selling and logistics aspects. Sellers need not register on an existing app but can come together with others to create seller apps with other retailers (location-specific retailer aggregation or delivery-specific services can have their platforms for end users to choose from). There’s no centralised payment processor, but seller-side apps determine the commission for whoever decides to get onboarded.Can India use ONDC and implement it in different countries just like its digital payments system? ONDC can soon be a perfect solution for preventing monopolies in the E-commerce domain. It can also provide local entrepreneurs with a perfect opportunity to reach the end users directly without being bullied by big firms who prefer to prop their own businesses.  The US has long been talking about breaking up Big Tech. Now, in the E-commerce space, ONDC has a shot (albeit a very long one currently) to become a credible alternative to the existing model (concentrated with a few giants who have captured the market) that other nation-states can use. With that, ONDC has the possibility of improving India’s own international reach (like UPI), thus helping the country gain some diplomatic heft in the E-commerce space. Our Reading Menu[Book] From Space to Sea : My ISRO Journey and Beyond by Abraham E. Muthunayagam.[Report] Green energy depends on critical minerals. Who controls the supply chains? by Luc Leruth, Adnan Mazarei, Pierre Régibeau and Luc Renneboog.[Article] Technology and the construction of oceanic space: Bathymetry and the Arctic continental shelf dispute by Daniel Lambach This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hightechir.substack.com

Public Power Underground
More Wealth, Better Living, and Greater Happiness

Public Power Underground

Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2022 75:40


Ben Serrurier, Jason Fordney, Arin Guillory, and Paul Dockery talk about the latest in public power, public-power-adjacent news and exciting acronyms, including BPA in the EIM, CREPC-WIRAB, all-things Tx, NuScale IPO, and another WSJ article!04:07 - a new merch idea coming from the FDR speech Ben quotes in the cold open08:19 - Arin Reports14:21 - BPA joined the EIM on May 3rd BPA press release CAISO press release 20:28 - Committee on Regional Electric Power Cooperation // Western Interconnection Regional Advisory Body (CREPC-WIRAB) Ben's live tweet of the event CREPC WIRAB agenda Jason Fordney's article 34:53 - Ari Peskoe's Utility Dive guest article Jim DiPeso's coverage of FERC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Keegan Moyer's (Energy Strategies, Partner) presentation on Transmission Planning from CREPC-WIRAB 43:13 - NuScale starts trading on the NYSE Coverage from The Oregonian (link from Joel Myer's Energy News Digest, thanks Joel) Stock tracking 49:19 - WSJ's Katherine Blunt covers Electricity Shortage Warnings the February article by Katerine Blunt on the “increasingly unreliable” power grid Bloomberg's coverage of California state officials warning Dan Catchpole's coverage of PNUCC's Northwest Regional Forecast (NRF) The EI/GridLab/Telos report on CA 2030 1:02:31 - TL;DR the rest of the news in “Energy West, lite” Rick Adair K.C. Mehaffey K.C. Mehaffey Linda Dailey Paulson Jim DiPeso “News Roundup” You can find our merch on shopify. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Remember to share this with any friends you have that are electric utility enthusiasts like us!Public Power Underground, for electric utility enthusiasts! Public Power Underground, where you're valued and appreciated.

News Updates from The Oregonian
Oregon in strong position to protect abortion access if Roe is overturned

News Updates from The Oregonian

Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2022 5:05


COVID-19 cases rise for fifth straight week in Oregon. FBI agents arrest man on insider trading charges as he tries to fly overseas with 5 kids. Another Oregon-based company goes public, this time it's NuScale.

The IJGlobal Podcast
Infra Dig – NuScale Power fireside with Chris Colbert

The IJGlobal Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2022 28:25


Chris Colbert – Portland, Oregon-based chief strategy officer and CFO at NuScale Power – joins IJGlobal editorial director Angus Leslie Melville for today's podcast to talk about nuclear energy.The latest in the Infra Dig podcast series, sees discussion centre on small modular reactors – SMRs – a subject that NuScale Power is more than qualified to discuss given it will have its first unit operational before the end of this decade… and if you want one sooner, Chris reckons he could line you up with one before then!As things stand, the first NuScale SMR power plant will be in Idaho Falls as a front-runner for the Carbon Free Power Project (CFPP), an initiative spearheaded by the public power consortium Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems (UAMPS). The NuScale Power Module will start generating power in Utah in 2029, with the remaining modules coming online for full plant operation by 2030.This is an exciting company at the forefront of a revolution in baseload, low-carbon energy generation and Chris has a lot to say on the matter…

ASME TechCast
NuScale's Jose Reyes and Small Modular Reactors

ASME TechCast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2022 20:09


The so-called Nuclear Renaissance of the 2000s may have fizzled, but the small modular reactor concept is still going strong. Jose Reyes, co-founder and chief technology officer at NuScale Power, has been working on SMRs for almost 20 years, and his company is making progress toward building the first commercial SMR before the end of the decade. In this episode, he describes the evolution of the small modular reactor concept and how it fits into an electric grid being shaped by wind and solar power.

Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy
Ep 350: Scott Bailey - Vice President of Supply Chain, NuScale Power

Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 24, 2022 67:44


1) Scott Bailey shares how his journey through merchant marines and traditional nuclear brought him to small modular reactors  2) Why simplicity in design and supply chain are some of NuScale's greatest assets  3) A deep dive on NuScale's manufacturing, assembly, and deployment strategies  4) Two key deliverables to get from vendors to mitigate risk in the design for the manufacturing stage

IpX True North Podcast
Empowering Ecosystem Traceability within Complex Regulated Industry with Neil Olivier, NuScale Power

IpX True North Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2021 25:44


Don't miss this week's IpX True North Podcast episode with Neil Olivier, NuScale Power's Director of Corporate Services, as he and IpX President Joseph Anderson discuss Nuscale's revolutionary nuclear technology and their journey to complete enterprise ecosystem traceability.Neil shares:Challenges experienced in design, certification requirements, and maintaining configuration management in an industry with thousands of requirements NuScale's vision for defining, management tracking of, and associating requirements to the actual product components and the systems How training his team in and using the CM2 methodology as well as implementing a CM2-based PLM system laid the foundation for an integrated change control process with dynamic traceability of requirements to their highest levelHow communication of a change and regulatory requirement is made more visible to vendors, suppliers, and the operator owner using the CM2 change processThe future possibility of nuclear as a paperless industryLearn more about how NuScale Power is changing the nuclear industry: https://www.nuscalepower.com/.  Connect with IpX to hear from more industry thought leaders and to learn about the True North service model for improving your organization. https://ipxhq.com/ https://ipxhq.com/

Jacobs: If/When
Small and Advanced Modular Reactors: A Clean Energy Solution

Jacobs: If/When

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2021 19:38


Rich Deakin was recently appointed as UKRI's Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) Low Cost Nuclear Challenge Director.  He has in excess of 35 years of experience of leading across international boundaries, complex stakeholder networks and delivery in industrial programs in organizations such as British Nuclear Fuels, Rolls Royce, NuScale and the Department of Business Energy and Industrial Strategy.  Rich has significant experience of leading change and developing supply chain capability at a Nuclear Licensed Site in the role of General Manager and “agent of the licensee” for a UK based site during a period of regeneration, change and growth. He routinely represents the nuclear sector at both UK and International events and is increasingly engaged in the support of bringing diversity to the sector and encouraging the development of those new to the sector. Rich joined UKRI from a role of Policy Adviser, Nuclear Directorate at BEIS where he was developing enabling policies for small nuclear.  Andrew Bailey leads Sales and Strategy for the CMS-I Technology and Innovation business. He has led Jacobs strategic work in Small and Advanced Modular Nuclear Reactors since 2015. Prior to joining the Jacobs Nuclear business in 2011, Andrew held several Director positions over 15 years in the Process Industry and prior to that had a background in Management Consultancy.Andrew has held P & L and Strategy responsibility within Jacobs and has direct experience of the Nuclear Fission and Fusion market. His current role requires taking a wider view of the clean energy landscape to determine how nuclear energy integrates with other relevant forms of clean energy.

The POWER Podcast
88. Looking for Carbon-Free Energy Resources? Don't Forget Nuclear Power

The POWER Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2021 26:34


Looking for Carbon-Free Energy Resources? Don't Forget Nuclear Power As leaders around the world take steps to decarbonize energy supplies, many people have focused their attention specifically on wind and solar power. What they may fail to recognize is that nuclear power provides more electricity in the U.S. than all other carbon-free sources combined. This is true in some other countries, such as France, Sweden, and Ukraine, as well. “I think it's a really exciting time to be in [the nuclear power] industry, not only because of all the technology that is starting to really be leveraged and come all together into a system to deploy a new reactor concept, for example, but the fact that our product has always been a clean energy source,” Dr. Rita Baranwal, former head of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Nuclear Energy, who now serves as vice president of Nuclear Energy and Chief Nuclear Officer with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), said as a guest on The POWER Podcast. “It can be a solution to decarbonization, not only for states and countries, but the world as a whole. And so, to me, it's a very exciting time and a great time to be in the business,” she said. EPRI is an independent nonprofit organization that conducts research, development, and demonstration projects in collaboration with the electricity sector and its stakeholders. It focuses mainly on electricity generation, delivery, and use, with a goal of benefiting the public, and the organization's U.S. and international members. EPRI has many programs designed to support the nuclear industry including in the areas of materials management, fuels and chemistry, plant performance, and strategic initiatives. “Some of the things that we're working on are deployment of small modular reactors—SMRs—and other advanced technology. We at EPRI have partnerships in this area with Kairos, NuScale, and LucidCatalyst. That's one area. The other is around workforce opportunities and development. EPRI does a lot of work in developing training and delivering that kind of training,” Baranwal said. While most of the world's existing reactors are large units with capacities as high as 1,000 MW and greater, advanced designs, such as the SMRs Baranwal mentioned, may open up opportunities to use nuclear power in new applications. For example, microreactors with capacities under 10 MW may be suitable for use in very remote areas or on islands. They could also be important for Department of Defense installations. “Let's talk about Alaska,” said Baranwal. “Right now, they rely on extensive diesel to be driven in to help generate electricity for them. If you can envision a microreactor instead, you are reducing the reliance on that fossil fuel and also creating small communities that can have a microgrid and a microreactor, and be very self-sustained.” She suggested a similar arrangement could be used in places like Puerto Rico. Baranwal said what keeps her enamored with the nuclear industry is its clean-energy attributes. “I want to leave our environment as good or better than what we are experiencing today, and I know that nuclear—it being a clean energy source—will absolutely have a vital role to play in the decarbonization efforts that we're all experiencing and trying to accomplish,” she said.

The Atomic Show
Atomic Show #291 – Kalev Kallemets, Fermi Energia

The Atomic Show

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2021 50:42


Fermi Energia is an Estonian company whose mission is to provide its home country with an independent, clean, safe and affordable electricity production system by 2035. That system will be anchored by base supply from small modular nuclear reactors. It is a lofty mission for a small company in a country whose land mass and population is roughly the size of the state of Maine and whose current electricity supply system is dependent on oil oil shale burning power plants with a small, rapidly varying portion of energy from wind turbines. On the web page where Fermi Energia explains why it believes Estonia needs nuclear, there is a graph of its wind power generation as measured each hour during 2018 and an explanation for the mismatch between this pattern and electricity consumption. Kalev Kallemets, born and raised in the Estonian countryside during its days as a Soviet satellite, has a keen understanding of his country's history and its people. He has significant experience as a political leader and broad education in engineering and business. He joined me for lively, informative and entertaining Atomic Show. Kallemets has gathered a compact group of like-minded people; there are about a dozen members of the team. They working with numerous partners to create an fertile environment for new nuclear plant development, including a regulatory system and strong public interest and acceptance of nuclear energy. They are leading with the benefits, but also helping people to understand the responsibilities that come with becoming a country whose power comes from atomic fission. Fermi Energia is led by people who have a keen understanding of the value of nuclear energy and a realization that there are a wide range of technological capabilities under development. The four currently leading the evaluation process are GE-Hitachi's BWRX-300, NuScale's NuScale Power Module, Terrestrial Energy's IMSR, and a high temperature gas reactor being developed by Ultra Safe Nuclear Corporation (USNC). The company knows that no matter which technological choice is made, the key to success will be the planning and development effort that must be invested to create effective projects with the kind of social license needed to support superior cost and schedule performance. One measure of Fermi Energia's early success is its recent social media-enabled fund raising round to provide the seed capital needed for the important planning stage. Kalev describes how the early goal for its Funderbeam campaign was doubled to €1 million after they obtained an early indication of interest in their development effort. When that campaign was officially opened, it was completely subscribed in less than an hour. That indication of real, committed interest led the company to double its goal again before closing the finance round with what it considers to be an adequately strong balance sheet. The successful financial raise has not changed the company's frugal spending habits; the founders have a keen sense of corporate responsibility and personal ownership. They know they still have a long way to go before they are producing revenue from the products of the nuclear power systems they are planning to build. During Atomic Show 291, Kalev talks about the Estonian energy supply situation, its relationships with its Baltic neighbors, the importance of Lithuanian and Poland, the still fresh memory of Soviet occupation, and the vision of a clean, safe, affordable, secure, and reliable power system anchored by modern atomic power stations. As always, I encourage you to comment, ask questions, and engage in productive discussion. I think you will enjoy hearing Kalev talk about his company's exciting efforts to produce a bright future for his country.

Coffee with Cascade
Oregon legislators should vote yes on nuclear power

Coffee with Cascade

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 23, 2021 1:50


Oregon is home to NuScale Power, the nation's leading small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) developer. However, our state isn't able to take advantage of NuScale's innovative technology because it is illegal to site a nuclear plant in Oregon. Three bills being considered in Oregon's current legislative session could change that. HB 2332 would repeal current legal provisions requiring that there be a permanent storage site for waste and that voters approve the proposal before a nuclear power plant could be issued a site certificate. Instead of repealing these provisions, HB 2692 would carve out an exemption for SMRs and would require the Oregon Department of Energy to develop a program to educate the public about the new technology. SB 360 would also offer an exemption for SMRs. However, cities or counties first would have to approve the siting of SMRs in their jurisdiction before they could be located there. While HB 2332 would grant the most amount of freedom for siting nuclear plants, any of these three bills would be a step in the right direction for our state. Recent blackouts in California and Texas demonstrate that the grid needs baseload energy resources capable of backing up renewables when they fail to produce power. If Oregon officials are serious about operating the grid with 100% renewable power, they need to bring SMRs into the discussion. Legislators should vote in favor of these three bills to bring reliable power to Oregon. For Cascade Policy Institute, I'm Rachel Dawson. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coffeewithcascade/message

Should This Exist?
Nuclear Power in a Six-pack

Should This Exist?

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2020 34:26


When you think of nuclear power, what do you envision? For many people, the answer is Chernobyl or Fukushima: massive meltdowns that turned vast areas into radioactive wastelands. But those were meltdowns — and without meltdowns, nuclear power could be a valuable source of clean energy. Dr. Jose Reyes, the co-founder of NuScale, has designed a small, modular reactor that, he claims, cannot melt down. A six-pack of these reactors could power a good-size city, and though that power comes at a higher price than natural gas or renewables, the cost might be offset by the gains in climate goals. Bottom line: How safe is safe enough for nuclear power?

Still To Be Determined
48: Supergreatpodcast, Inc. - Talking Small Modular Nuclear Reactors

Still To Be Determined

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2020 44:16


Matt and Sean discuss how "small" modular nuclear reactors may be a retro-futurist dream, why building your own computer isn't as much fun as it sounds, and another holiday film to lighten what might be a difficult holiday season.

Still To Be Determined
47: Title Confusion or Tidal Confusion - Talking Hydropower

Still To Be Determined

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2020 43:55


Matt and Sean discuss the very wide range of hydro-electric power production methods and tidal energy, and why some of them need more attention (from Matt) in the future. Also: super-hero shows that are better than expected, the return of Zach at Bayside, and massive changes that may mean doom for the movie theater industry.

Energy Cast
99 | Fissile First | NuScale Power (Live)

Energy Cast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2020 35:47


We discuss NuScale Power’s plans following the announcement of their historic design permit approval with Director of Sales Dom Claudio. Recorded at NAYGN’s virtual conference. For the PPT, pictures and additional info, visit http://www.energy-cast.com/99-nuscale.html

Engineering News Online Audio Articles
Nersa to consider nuclear-determination consultation request at upcoming meeting

Engineering News Online Audio Articles

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2020 3:27


The National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (Nersa’s) electricity subcommittee (ELS) will consider a request for consultation on concurrence with a Section 34 Ministerial determination for the procurement of 2 500 MW of nuclear capacity when it meets on Wednesday November 11. Fulltime member of the regulator for electricity regulation Nhlanhla Gumede tells Engineering News that the ELS “will be considering the request [from Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe] for consultation on the Section 34 determination for the nuclear build programme”. He notes that ‘table 5’ in the Integrated Resource Plan of 2019 (IRP 2019) does not include an allocation for nuclear, as it “only talks to [the] electricity build programme of up to 2030.” Table 5 includes allocations for new coal, imported hydro, gas or diesel to power, wind, solar photovoltaic, battery energy storage and includes an allocation for distributed generation. It also caters for the 1 860-MW life extension of the Koeberg nuclear power station, in the Western Cape. “Nuclear build would only happen after 2030, assuming that all approvals are obtained on time. IRP 2019 talks to preparation for the nuclear programme,” Gumede said in response to an Engineering News enquiry. “Please note that this is the first step in the process. This allows the Minister to make a determination, which he can only make ‘in consultation with the regulator’,” he added. In terms of the Electricity Regulation Act, Section 34 determinations are required before any new generation can be procured and such determinations are drafted by the Energy Minister with the ‘concurrence’ of Nersa. In 2017, the Western Cape High Court declared “unlawful and unconstitutional” government’s 2013 and 2016 determinations relating to nuclear on the basis that they had not been subjected to Nersa-led public consultations. Then Energy Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane refrained from appealing the judgment, but nevertheless raised questions of judicial overreach. In June, Mantashe issued a request for information (RFI) relating to a possible 2 500 MW new nuclear build programme, which he justified on the basis of the long lead-time involved. Reference was also made to ‘Decision 8’ in the IRP 2019 which states: “Commence preparations for a nuclear build programme to the extent of 2 500 MW at a pace and scale that the country can afford because it is a no-regret option in the long term.” The closing date for the RFI was September 15 and it is not yet clear how many responses were received and by which vendors, but Bloomberg reported recently that the US International Development Finance Corporation had pledged to support NuScale, an American nuclear energy technology firm, to develop 2 500 MW of power in South Africa. It is speculated that interest may also have been expressed by entities from Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the UK.

The Mind Killer
Episode 16 - One Week Left!

The Mind Killer

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2020 67:42


Support us on Patreon!   We're going to be doing a live show on election night! Join The Bayesian Conspiracy Discord server to listen live!   News discussed:   Europe catches COVID Another study says government policy didn't affect transmission rates The US Government has given up trying to contain the virus FDA allows AstroZeneca trial to resume SSC's story about medical ethicists Twitter banned any links to unfavorable news article on Hunter Biden Justice Department Sues Google for antitrust    Happy News!   The DoE has approved a cost-share award for construction of the first NuScale reactor in the USA.  Solar power is now the cheaper than all other energy Libertarian Mayor of Plymouth, Ohio dismisses all speeding tickets (is this happy news?)(yes) Blooomington, Indiana Captain Kathryn Janeway monument THE CHOSEN ONE IS FOUND! WE'RE SAVED!   Got something to say? Come chat with us on the Bayesian Conspiracy Discord or email us at themindkillerpodcast@gmail.com. Say something smart and we'll mention you on the next show!   Follow us! RSS: http://feeds.feedburner.com/themindkiller Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mind-killer/id1507508029 Google: https://play.google.com/music/listen#/ps/Iqs7r7t6cdxw465zdulvwikhekm Pocket Casts: https://pca.st/vvcmifu6  Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-mind-killer  Intro/outro music: On Sale by Golden Duck Orchestra This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mindkiller.substack.com/subscribe

SciTech Review
Failing Reactor project gets lifeline.

SciTech Review

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2020 12:46


We talk about the NuScale modular reactor project getting a lifeline and the place of Nuclear power now and in the future. #electricity #energy #windturbine #powerplant #windenergy #refinery #nuclear #radiation #chernobyl #geoscience #oilindustry #hydroelectric #nuclearreactor #nuclearenergy #powerplants #mitigation #engineeringinsights #naturalgas #backuppower #nuclearpowerstation #nuclearengineering #nuclearphysics #nuclearengineer #nuclearmuseum #reactor

GizmoSapiens Podcast
GizmoSapiens Show 153 - Fall Festival

GizmoSapiens Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2020 55:03


Chris, Paul and Matt discuss the Windows XP source code leak, Computers moving to ARM, California banning new combustion vehicles after 2035 and NuScale's nuclear power trial.   We want to hear from you!  Please send us feedback to gizmosapiens@gmail.com.   See you on the digital Flipside!

Bakes Takes
Bakes' Takes Podcast E28--Trump likely to win, buckle up! Watch out for zombies! Sell vaccine news?

Bakes Takes

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2020 31:20


Bakes’ Takes Podcast Show Notes SundaySeptember 27, 2020 :38 1) Trump likely to win, buckle up!2) Watch out for zombies!3) COVID-19 vaccines-buy rumor, sell news? Bakes’ Takes—My/Our Portfolio 2:40 Clean Power, No Thanks to Al GoreNuclear energy took a leap toward being cost-effective. Yet the green lobby hasn’t noticed.By Andy KesslerSept. 20, 2020 4:29 pm ET One NuScale cluster on 30 acres replaces 11 square miles of solar panels.NuScale is not alone. Bill Gates has reportedly invested $500 million or more in TerraPower, which started in 2006 and was hoping to build SMRs in China before Trump trade tensions put the kibosh on those plans.No one likes nuclear bombs and nuclear accidents—the industry needs a marketing makeover. The HBO series “Chernobyl” was haunting but overblown. How about some rebranding? Instead of nuclear, call it carbon-free heavy metals. No? Maybe particle power? Quark spark? Anything but nukes.Either way, this sets up a great test. Joe Biden has promised to spend $2 trillion on clean energy and “achieve a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035.” If there is a Biden administration and it doesn’t encourage the rollout of nuclear power, then, like Messrs. McKibben and Gore and other alarmists, that’s proof they’re not really serious about climate change. So what is their agenda?Write to kessler@wsj.com. Long term positive for uranium.  Bakes’ Take—Fan Mail! Calls! Questions! Mike! 5:41 John, NJ—ETF’s vs. mutual fund? Mutual fund I like? Not really. I believe stocks move in groups, try to find best. Bakes’ Take—FD, algos have made it tough to outperform, if you find one that does so consistently, invest. I want our themes (SUE-Silver, Uranium, eSports) to be layered on top of SPY and international index fund base. Ideas, services you’d like me to add, etc. Please!                            9:10 Bakes’ Take—Podcasts of the Week! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/algorithmic-commerce/id1498802610?i=1000492345242Scott Galloway—at 9 minutes or so, ACOM, WMT, why Tik Tok, no click vs. AMZN’s 1-click, include what you like and maybe didn’t know you would, return what you’d like, fascinating perspective imo https://podcasts.voxmedia.com/show/pivotw/ Kara Swisher, recommend highly, at 48 minutes ACOM mentioned here too https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/635-what-is-the-state-of-us-economy-with-jim-mckelvey/id794030859?i=100049176537012:02 The James Altucher Show, big fan, almost weekly, Jim McKelvey’s, co-founder Square, Fed vice-chair, Invisibly, clever digital poll taking, my description not his, 3/3 digital primaries within a point! 55 minutes, Trump wins, vs. traditional polls showing Biden lead. Stock market predicts Trump, his to lose with month to go. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/637-who-is-going-to-win-election-what-should-you-do/id794030859?i=100049221469514:09 Altucher again, 22 minutes w/ Philip Stutts, 34 minutes—no new normal, 44 minutes 10% distrust government 3/20, 53% now, 101 minutes aggregate of public polls—electoral votes Biden 353, Trump 185 in the bank, aggregate of prediction markets Biden 290 Trump 248 need 270, PA “ground zero” right now. If win PA Trump 84% wins Presidency, 93% if Biden wins PA. Trump FL, NC PA if win those, re-elected. Trump African-American 15% vs. 8% ’16. Hispanics in FL Trump, especially Cubans. PA, WI key. Trump door-to-door 10 million doors, 1 mil doors PA, Biden phone. Fascinating debates. 96% turnout dems, 98% republicans, turnout likely record. Vaccine, economy, debates, RBG, last minute scandals ie. Access Hollywood, Woodward book, violence, etc. Trump wins. https://adamanddrdrewshow.com/18:50 Participation trophies=no losers, election outcome will not be accepted by half the country, worse than ’16 imo Bakes’ Take—Losing side won’t accept it, will drag for weeks at least. Volatility has to increase. Doesn’t seem net bullish. Bakes’ Take—Reporters of the Week! https://www.barrons.com/articles/how-to-recognize-the-growing-ranks-of-zombie-companies-5160108894020:02 Alexandra Scaggs https://www.barrons.com/articles/10-stocks-to-buy-as-the-health-care-revolution-races-ahead-5160108066221:36 10 Stocks to Buy as the Health-Care Revolution Races Ahead, According to Experts By Lauren R. RublinUpdated September 28, 2020 / Original September 25, 2020 Geoffrey Porges: We have spent a lot of time trying to figure out whether drug companies will make any profit from Covid-19 treatments or vaccines. The investment community has swung from thinking the virus would be a windfall for pharma and biotech companies to more or less discounting the expected value of Covid vaccines and therapeutics. Companies like Gilead Sciences [ticker: GILD], for example, have seen their shares round-trip. I don’t think we have ever had a more challenging forecasting assignment because we don’t know who the buyers of these products will be, what the prices will be, what the competitive landscape will look like, and even whether the products will work. The medical professionals I talk to are profoundly skeptical about the basis for EUA approval. If you map out the timeline for a more general recommendation, or what I would consider adequate safety characterization, that doesn’t happen until the second quarter of next year.  Bakes’ Take—Buy the rumor, sell the news bigger risk than many believe.  25:00 Bakes’ Take—Charts/Tweets of the Week! SPAC $’s match stock market highs. Some may be great, but…26:20In our view, looking out 5-7 years there is a large disconnect between rosy electric vehicle sales forecasts and the commodity infrastructure needed to fuel this much talked-up run. Next, think about the $3T of capex reductions which came out of the commodity space in recent years and left us with dramatically LESS of a supply threat. This crucial fact dramatically improves the risk/reward in the commodity and resource space looking out over the next 3 years.The risk-reward setup is very attractive looking out to 2021-2023. ETFs in the metals / materials space include; XME, PICK, DBB, and CPER.  With inflationary pressures on the rise, we must realize the asymmetric pay-off in being long commodities. Relative to equities they are at multi-decade lows. Commodities cycles are historically much longer than the business or credit cycle, in our view, we are at the bottom of a generational super-cycle. Soybeans--$13.27 to $16+, now consolidating   Please also subscribe to my Bakes’ Takes YouTube Channel, the audio is the same but the charts that I reference are on the screen. Follow us on Twitter @BakesTakes_ and other social media. Please use your voice memo app, tape your question(s) and email to bakes@bakestakespodcast.com or write if you prefer. I will also keep you anonymous is you’d like. Thank you for listening, Mike Wilson is my producer. Have a great week. Bakes 30:00 Much needed levity— https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4r-2emIpQUAnthony Jeselnik, Trump roast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-jeselnik-rosenthal-vanity-project/id143490450930:25 Anthony, Gregg Rosenthal, Erica Tamposi, every podcast worthwhile imo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-FltLJ2hvM30:57 Christopher Titus, Loser TrophyNew episode

Investable Universe
Investing in Small Modular Nuclear (SMR) Energy with NuScale Co-Founder and CTO, Dr. José Reyes

Investable Universe

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 2, 2020 27:59


In August, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) granted its first-ever design certification of a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) designed by Oregon-based NuScale power. This regulatory milestone--a key safety certification to commercializing and deploying the technology for clean energy production in the U.S. and globally--comes after a rigorous and costly multi-year process that was largely supported by NuScale's corporate backer, Fluor Corporation. We talked with NuScale's co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, José N. Reyes, PhD, a pioneer in next-generation nuclear engineering who actually designed the NuScale SMR, about what NRC certification means to NuScale's ability to enter new markets and draw new investors, nuclear energy's role in the renewables transition, and emerging new areas of application, such as space technology.

SciTech Review
Mini Nuclear Reactors, Green Energy and Great Big Bertha!

SciTech Review

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2020 11:01


We talk about NuScale's modular small nuclear reactor design, the future of green energy and big honkin impact wrenches......  

Coffee with Cascade
Oregon has a chance to adopt the newest in clean, renewable energy

Coffee with Cascade

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2020 1:42


Oregon's very own NuScale Power, a nuclear company developing small-modular reactors (SMRs), has officially received a final safety evaluation report from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. NuScale is the first company to be issued a report for an SMR by the Commission, and receiving one serves as a technical review and design approval for the new technology. This is a major milestone for NuScale which originally submitted its certification application in 2016, and puts it one step closer to installing its first 720-megawatt plant in Idaho Falls. This is also good news for the Northwest, which is in need of reliable baseload energy in the future based on predictions that we'll experience insufficient energy resources by the mid-2020s. The Northwest Power and Conservation Council estimates the earliest commercial online date for an SMR plant in our region is 2030. The Council forecasts its potential maximum build-out to be 3,420-megawatts, produced by five reference plants. However, no new SMR plant can currently be built in Oregon due to a moratorium passed by voters in 1980. Legislation was considered in 2017 to carve-out an exception for SMRs, however, it never made it out of House Committee after passing through the Senate. Recent blackouts in California and upcoming coal-plant retirements in the Northwest have established unique circumstances that call for additional reliable resources. Oregon officials should reintroduce legislation that would allow us to take advantage of NuScale's new nuclear technology. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coffeewithcascade/message

うがんじんラジオ
アメリカNuScale Power社、原子力発電用小型原子炉の新デザインが最終審査を合格【2020.08.31記事解説】

うがんじんラジオ

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2020 3:56


アメリカNuScale Power社、原子力発電用小型原子炉の新デザインが最終審査を合格【2020.08.31記事解説】 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ugandhin/message

sustainabiliME
Sustainable Stories - August

sustainabiliME

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2020 24:14


On today's episode, Jason and I will discuss some of the sustainable stories from the month of August 2020. In particular, we will talk about Fat Tire beer becoming carbon neutral, Australia turning beer into energy, Earthly Labs making carbon capture a reality for small breweries, the usefulness of seabird poop, Greenpee's technology in Amsterdam, and finally an update with NuScale.   Follow us on social media @sustainabiliME.pod Sources: https://www.thrillist.com/fat-tire-carbon-neutral-new-belgium-beer https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/beer-unsold-during-australias-lockdown-provides-renewable-energy/ https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/21/business/breweries-produce-capture-co2/index.html https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/seabird-poop-worth-more-1-billion-a https://www.cnn.com/style/article/amsterdam-sustainable-urinal-scli-intl/index.html https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200828005299/en/NuScale-Power-History-Small-Modular-Reactor-Receive https://durapik.co/

De Praattafel Podcast
Praatafel-042 W.O.W. – VAn hersenschokbrekers tot alchemie in kippen.

De Praattafel Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2020 55:20


Orgaan vd week:De Plexus choroideusVerguisde wetenschapper: Peter Debye Volgende week omgedraaid!IG Nobel: Koude Fusie in Kippen!! Small nuclear reactor is first to get US safety approvalhttps://arstechnica.com/science/2020/09/first-modular-nuclear-reactor-design-certified-in-the-us/The design comes from NuScale, a company birthed from research at Oregon State University that has received some substantial Department of Energy funding. It’s 23 meters by 5 meters capable of producing 50 megawatts of electricity. (The company also has a 60-megawattiteration teed up.) They envision a plant employing up to 12 of these reactors in a large pool like those used in current nuclear plants.https://www.scientias.nl/gif-van-honingbijen-maakt-korte-metten-met-borstkankercellen/Sprinkhaan radio 15000.ton eten per dag 2mlrdhttps://elemental.medium.com/a-supercomputer-analyzed-covid-19-and-an-interesting-new-theory-has-emerged-31cb8eba9d63 Verguisde wetenschapper:  Peter Debye (Maastricht, 1884 – 1966) kreeg de Nobelprijs voor de Chemie van 1936 Orgaan van de week: De Plexus choroideus, een schokkende functie! IG Nobel: Koude Fusie in Kippen!!

Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy
Ep 270: Chris Colbert - Chief Strategy Officer, NuScale Power

Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 21, 2020 54:23


Chris Colbert joins Jadwiga on the latest episode of Titans of Nuclear. 1) Experiences in construction of fossil fuel plants and US-EPR project 2) The partnerships and new markets that NuScale is exploring 3) The position of NuScale and Light Water Technologies in the future nuclear industry 4) The optimization of manufacturing and future goals of NuScale Find more episodes on iTunes, Spotify, and here on our Titans of Nuclear YouTube. You can follow us on Twitter at @NuclearTitans.

Battery Metals Podcast
Small reactors could be a big deal for nuclear industry

Battery Metals Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2020 20:01


States developing long-term plans to zero out carbon emissions by mid-century are key to driving adoption of advanced nuclear technology, Dr. José Reyes, a co-founder of NuScale Power said on S&P Global Market Intelligence's Energy Evolution podcast. NuScale is developing a new design for nuclear small modular reactors, or SMRs, which could be useful for states moving toward a system in which "firm" carbon-free power generation technology is needed to complement renewables. Co-hosts Dan Testa, Allison Good and Taylor Kuykendall are veteran journalists with broad expertise covering the utility, oil and gas and mining sectors. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to catch upcoming episodes!

Energy Evolution
Small reactors could be a big deal for nuclear industry

Energy Evolution

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2020 20:01


States developing long-term plans to zero out carbon emissions by mid-century are key to driving adoption of advanced nuclear technology, Dr. José Reyes, a co-founder of NuScale Power said on S&P Global Market Intelligence's Energy Evolution podcast. NuScale is developing a new design for nuclear small modular reactors, or SMRs, which could be useful for states moving toward a system in which "firm" carbon-free power generation technology is needed to complement renewables. Co-hosts Dan Testa, Allison Good and Taylor Kuykendall are veteran journalists with broad expertise covering the utility, oil and gas and mining sectors. Subscribe to Energy Evolution to catch upcoming episodes!

Breakthrough Dialogues
What went wrong with big nuclear?

Breakthrough Dialogues

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2020 26:15


A more innovative nuclear sector will require tilting the playing field away from large, incumbent firms and toward small, entrepreneurial startups. Today we sit down with Lenka Kollar, director of strategy and external relations at one of those innovators: NuScale, an advanced nuclear company widely considered to be the furthest along among its competition. NuScale designs and commercializes small modular reactors, the first of which is planned to open in Idaho by 2026. On today’s episode: what went wrong with big nuclear, the reception of advanced nuclear within the broader clean tech community, and how to engage the general public (hint: it requires community agency, and begins far before the tech is deployed).

Spazio Informazione Libera
Iniziamo l’anno con NuScale

Spazio Informazione Libera

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 1, 2020 10:26


Anno nuovo, vita nuova e...tecnologia nuova. Parleremo di una possibile rivoluzione nel campo dell'energia nucleare. NuScale è un reattore grande un centesimo rispetto ad un modello tradizionale e secondo i suoi creatori è rivoluzionario, ma ci sono dei dubbi. Fonti: www.esquire.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/silpodcast/message

WIRED Science: Space, Health, Biotech, and More
The Next Nuclear Plants Will Be Small, Svelte, and Safer

WIRED Science: Space, Health, Biotech, and More

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2019 7:39


For the last 20 years, the future of nuclear power has stood in a high bay laboratory tucked away on the Oregon State University campus in the western part of the state. Operated by NuScale Power, an Oregon-based energy startup, this prototype reactor represents a new chapter in the conflict-ridden, politically bedeviled saga of nuclear power plants. NuScale's reactor won't need massive cooling towers or sprawling emergency zones.

SmithWeekly Discussions
Discussion with Jay Surina | NuScale Power, LLC

SmithWeekly Discussions

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2019 72:01


sustainabiliME
NuScale Power

sustainabiliME

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2019 20:54


On today's episode, I will be speaking with Lenka Kollar who is the Director of Strategy and External Relations at NuScale Power. She will be discussing the innovative technology of small modular reactors which NuScale specializes in. I believe that this technology will be the future of nuclear power which is an important carbon free source of energy! Learn more about NuScale at their website: https://www.nuscalepower.com/about-us Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @sustainabiliME.pod

Energy Cast
63 | Fission's Future | Office of Nuclear Energy (DOE)

Energy Cast

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2019 27:14


We speak to Department of Energy’s Ed McGinnis about the potential of both Small Modular Reactors and the next generation of large-scale commercial facilities in the United States. For pictures and additional info, visit http://www.energy-cast.com/63-doe.html

RadioNuclear
RNE22: HBO’s Chernobyl: Setback or Opportunity? Tom Bergman from NuScale Guests!

RadioNuclear

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2019 35:33


Thank you for joining us on Episode 22 of RadioNuclear! Today, we discuss the recent miniseries “Chernobyl”, which recently concluded on HBO. We discuss opinions on it, and debunk some of the more egregious articles written in the wake of the show. We also discuss good ways to engage with individuals who are captivated with...

Think Out Loud
Historian Daniel Pope On The Northwest’s Past Experience With Nuclear Energy

Think Out Loud

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2019 21:07


Following last month’s announcement of a new construction project by NuScale, an Oregon company focused on modular nuclear reactors, we talked to an energy consultant Scott Montgomery about the NuScale technology — and the perils and promise of nuclear power in the context of climate change. We get another perspective, including the history of the region’s experience with nuclear energy from University of Oregon emeritus history professor Daniel Pope, and author of “Nuclear Implosions: The Rise and Fall of the Washington Public Power Supply System.”

Think Out Loud
Nuclear Energy

Think Out Loud

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2019 14:58


The Corvallis-based company NuScale has been working on creating a small nuclear reactor to generate low-carbon power for years now, and it’s finally coming together. Energy consultant and University of Washington faculty Scott Montgomery explains the advantages of nuclear power and why so many other countries are already so invested in it as an energy source.

SmithWeekly Discussions
Discussion with Jay Surina | Nuscale Power

SmithWeekly Discussions

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 31, 2018 92:42


Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy

Episode Content: John's start working with Fluor Corporation and his transition to NuScale.   A discussion about the potential of NuScale's SMR in the global market.   The necessity of forging public-private relationships.   An overview of constraints nuclear start-ups face.   The importance of having a sustainable supply chain.   The impact of driving down costs on demand.   What the next generation of reactors will look like and the future of the environmental movement.   How economics trump politics with the SMR design.   The benefit of youth development and cultivating passions.    Applications of SMRs and what the world will look like in the future.  

Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy

Episode Content: Growing up as an environmentalist and making the transition to the nuclear industry.   The importance of humanizing nuclear technology.   International Safeguards and Policy.   Taking a state-level approach v. facility-level approach when it comes to safeguards.   The community-based approach and applications of SMRs.   How important it is to train and provide opportunities for the next generation.   Perceptions of nuclear energy in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and the US.   How to best learn about nuclear if you're not already familiar with it. 

Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy

Episode Content:​ Tom's start as a Shift Technical Advisor implementing transient response implementing procedures.   Nuclear Liability law.   The importance of educating and familiarizing others with nuclear terms.   Factors that determine whether technology is commercially attractive.   Tom clarifies: who buys power plants?   The features that make the NuScale's SMR design stand out.   Segmenting the market: what to look for in domestic and international buyers.   Levelized cost of electricity and the significance of acknowledging it through purchase.   Domestic v. International Competition and an in-depth look at the international market.   Painting a picture of the nuclear world in the future.  

Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy

Episode Content: Tom's unexpected interest in nuclear through the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Directorate.   Reliability inspect and reliability engineering.   An explanation of and the reasoning behind risk-informed categorization Rule 50.69.   Tom's transition from the NRC to NuScale and the private sector.   A detailed description of the content and tribulations of the licensing application.   The formulation of management topics.   The benefits of applying for and obtaining limited work authorization.   Short-term challenges and long-term aspirations of the company.  

Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy

Episode Content: Jose's captivation with the nuclear industry during high school and college.   The history, description, and findings of Counter Current Flow Limitation Testing.   An overview of Jose's time as the Department Head of Nuclear Science and Engineering.   Passive safety systems, the Bleed and Feed Approach, and the AP 600.   Embodying full-scale behavior into a small-scale system.   MASLWR: The Multi-Application Small Light Water Reactor.   The importance of simplicity in design.   How international competition and  natural gas empowered domestic unity.   Future implications of NuScale's groundbreaking design on an international scale.  

Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy

Episode Content: Pete's start in the weapons testing and Star Wars Program at Los Alamos National Lab.   An in-depth look at the relationship between nuclear energy and nonproliferation.   Pete's work with Senator Domenici to craft legislation for essential nuclear programs.   A discussion of the Nuclear Cities and Lab to Lab Initiatives.    Efforts Pete spearheaded at the NRC.   The importance of mitigating Station Blackouts and implementing safety measures.   Catalyzing a wave of innovation efforts through investment in research and development.   Highlights about and the ingenuity of NuScale's small modular reactor design.   Reflections upon the importance of US nuclear leadership in the global sphere.  

Grounded: a Podcast by the Oregon Department of Energy
Episode 14: NuScale's New Scale For Nuclear

Grounded: a Podcast by the Oregon Department of Energy

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2018 29:56


Grounded is back with a new season – and we are jumping right in with the fascinating, innovative work NuScale Power is doing in Corvallis, Oregon. NuScale was borne from research funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through Idaho National Environment & Engineering Laboratory, with support from Oregon State University. Today, the company is nearing certification from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for its small modular nuclear reactor technology. Dr. Jose Reyes, NuScale co-founder and Chief Technology Officer, joins us for today’s episode to talk about NuScale’s work and what it means for worldwide energy – and what it could mean for Oregon. Visit http://energyinfo.oregon.gov for helpful links. Learn more about our work at www.oregon.gov/energy. Music: “If” by Broke for Free. http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Layers/If

Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy
Ep. 09 - George Griffith, Small Modular Reactor Coord, INL (4/5)

Titans Of Nuclear | Interviewing World Experts on Nuclear Energy

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2018 35:16


Episode Content: ​ The basics of fuel fabrication What it’s like to live in the community around and to work at a Nuclear Power plant A description of what happens when you reload fuel in a reactor His work with the Light Water Reactor sustainability program and how they design ways to extend the life of the existing fleet The function of the Advanced Test Reactor, the largest test reactor in the US The role that Small Modular Reactors play in the future of the nuclear power industry Nuscale’s efforts in commercializing SMR technology and INL’s role in hosting a demonstration version of this technology and others

Engineering Out Loud
Partners in nuclear power, S4E3

Engineering Out Loud

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2017 18:02


Is it possible to revolutionize nuclear power in the United States? Oregon State Nuclear Engineering Professor Jose Reyes co-founded NuScale Power to do just that. He's joined by fellow Oregon State Nuclear Engineering Professors Qiao Wu and Todd Palmer to discuss NuScale's revolutionary reactor design and its test facility here on campus.