Nuclear Energy Consultants, Inc.’s Post

Congress just passed the ADVANCE Act, which aims to supercharge #nuclear energy development in the US. Fewer restrictions, less delays, more building. The bill, now awaiting Biden's signature, is designed to speed up the approval of next-gen reactors and keep old ones running, like Diablo Canyon pictured above. The bill also makes it easier and cheaper for companies to get licenses for advanced nuclear reactors and export American nuclear tech. https://lnkd.in/gpVP5shp Speaking of American nuclear leadership, the Department of Energy just announced $900 million in funding to support to development and deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs). https://lnkd.in/ga8TkqnU #ClimateTech #CleanEnergy

New FY2024 appropriations bills currently under review in the US Congress include a significant funding boost for nuclear energy. It is interesting to see funding to reestablish a low-dose radiation research program in coordination with the Office of Environment, Health, Safety, and Security, along with the Office of Nuclear Energy. This is a step in the direction of abolishing the LNT hypothesis and removing it from the US regulations. The LNT hypothesis has been proven wrong by the low effects of radiation on people exposed to the Chernobyl accident (https://lnkd.in/gKWRwG4g) or the radioactive apartments of Taiwan (https://lnkd.in/g8ADQM-Z) among many other examples, but this is the first time a coordinated effort is funded by the government to abolish that outdated framework. The bill provides $1.685 billion for nuclear energy research and development, 14.4% more than the previous year, including funding for microreactor development and accident-tolerant fuel, important for nuclear safety. It designates another $2.72 billion in repurposed supplemental emergency funding toward high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel development for the new generation of advanced reactors, an important step in making the U.S. less reliant on Russian fuel and Chinese solar and wind equipment.

⚛️ Historic Progress for U.S. Nuclear Energy! ⚛️ The U.S. Senate's decisive 88-2 vote in favor of the ADVANCE Act marks a watershed moment for nuclear energy policy. This bipartisan support, once unthinkable, reflects a crucial alignment of policy with scientific innovation. The ADVANCE Act aims to streamline licensing processes and create new incentives for advanced nuclear reactor technologies, crucial for decarbonizing our power sector and enhancing energy security. A major win for energy innovation and our commitment to a sustainable future. #NuclearEnergy #ADVANCEAct #EnergyInnovation #ClimateAction

Anybody remember Three Mile Island? Almost a half-century ago, Three Mile Island experienced the worst U.S. nuclear accident whereby the Unit 2 reactor (known as TMI-2, one of two nuclear reactors in the plant) suffered a partial nuclear meltdown and was subsequently closed permanently. The accident heightened anti-nuclear safety concerns among the general public and accelerated the decline of efforts to build new reactors. Fast forward to now, memory of the nuclear accident has faded and two newer generations reliant on energy weren’t even born at the time of the accident. Today, all forms of energy from carbon based electricity to natural gas to oil to coal to nuclear power is needed to supply power to data centers, electric vehicles, factories, homes and all sorts of equipment and devices that need the electricity we take for granted. Constellation Energy, the biggest U.S. operator of nuclear reactors is the current owner of the shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear plant near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and now plans to reopen the other reactor at Three Mile Island, which shut down in 2019. Constellation will place it into service by 2028, at a cost of $1.6 billion. However, Constellation is not just banking on expectations. It already has an agreement to sell all the output from the Three Mile Island reactor to Microsoft Corp. as the tech titan seeks carbon-free electricity for data centers to power the artificial intelligence boom. Microsoft has agreed to purchase the energy for two decades. This nuclear energy will be used to fuel Microsoft data-center expansion in areas like Illinois, Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio. This is the first time Microsoft has secured a dedicated, 100% nuclear facility for its use. Demand for real estate devoted to data centers are expected to continue to rise in the foreseeable future. Can you imagine a ghost mall completely redeveloped as a massive data center? Not too far-fetched. Microsoft spent more than $50 billion on capital expenditures in the fiscal year that ended June 30, largely on data-center expansion, and Apple just released its latest iPhone 16 dedicated to AI, which it calls Apple Intelligence. Growing demand for electricity is bringing back nuclear plants to provide carbon-free power around the clock. NextEra Energy, Inc. is also considering reviving a closed Iowa reactor, in part to supply data-center customers. According to Constellation, “there’s no version of the future of this country that doesn’t rely on these nuclear assets.”

The passing of the Atomic Energy Advancement Act among a few other pro-nuclear energy bipartisan bills in the US Congress is expected to speed up the deployment of new nuclear energy technology. While strict safety regulations must be upheld, the government is putting pressure on the NRC to modernize and approve innovative reactor designs to allow for new nuclear energy capacity to be rolled out quickly as a solution to the energy problem.

SMRs can be online in 2030 if approved today. https://lnkd.in/gcNVbAGT "...scientists and researchers have repeatedly reported that it is one of the safest forms of energy production. It is far safer than fossil fuels, which have negative effects on health and the environment. There are also strict regulations in place at the national and international levels to ensure that nuclear plants are held to the highest safety standards. Furthermore, nuclear power is more reliable than many renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power, as it can provide 24-hour stable electricity production." "As traditional nuclear reactors are prohibitively expensive for many companies to develop, several start-ups and energy firms are exploring the potential for small nuclear reactors (SMRs), which could be built at a fraction of the cost. Around a dozen companies are now developing SMR technology. If these reactors are successful in producing energy, they could be replicated to increase the site’s capacity.  The NRC has previously been criticized for failing to approve innovative new reactor designs, with many suggesting it is stuck in the past. SMRs could be key to boosting the U.S. nuclear power capacity, but without support from the NRC, companies across the country are unable to roll out the technology. The new legislation is aimed at making it easier for companies to gain approval to test new reactor technology for use on smaller sites across the U.S. However, those who opposed the passing of the bill are concerned that this will undermine reactor safety. "

The ADVANCE Act, a pivotal piece of legislation aimed at revolutionizing nuclear energy development in the U.S., has successfully passed through Congress and now awaits President Biden's signature to become law. This Act is designed to streamline processes for next-generation reactor development, enhance the U.S.'s leadership in the international nuclear market, and ensure the continued operation of aging reactors. #nuclear #energytransition

Best invest in Building and talking about Fusion power, space, and maritime propulsion systems and industry as data centres are. You talk about Nuclear (meaning Fission) and fail to discuss fusion. https://lnkd.in/ge_aeX7M The nuclear fission industry is, ignorant of what's happening around you. Pull your uranium heads out, start adjusting your industry to fusion energy and start preparing to enter the commercially growing fusion energy industry. As it dawns on Earth like the sun. Great Headline Guardian on Nuclear fission. https://lnkd.in/g8sMZtpR Fission is moving towards obsolescence at an accelerated pace, as it is "out of step, out of time, out of place," and merely a temporary industry globally. https://lnkd.in/gbd_mZqk Commercial fusion electrical generation is a promising innovative sustainable and clean energy method. By 2028, Helion is expected to start producing electricity from its first fusion commercial power plant, which will provide electricity to Microsoft. The plant will produce at least 50 MWe after an initial ramp-up period. https://lnkd.in/gY9J3MQY Now see what is happening in the Fusion industry in the world. https://lnkd.in/g9hMBD7a As fission trebles, fuel shortage is increasingly real,

Hopefully this marks a turning point along the path of clean, reliable and affordable energy

The Canadians for CANDU movement is growing. And this is just the start. Writing in The Globe and Mail, campaign co-chairs Jean Chrétien and Mike Harris make the case that not all nuclear reactors are created equal. There’s only one large reactor type that will create 25,000 jobs per unit built, preserve total energy security, and unleash innovation from a marquee Canadian engineering sector that has been responsible for so many cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs in the past. And that is CANDU technology; led by the new 1,000 MW CANDU MONARK. It’ll be the most advanced reactor in the world, and like current CANDU models, unique in its ability to use unenriched uranium as fuel, concurrently produce cancer-fighting medical isotopes, and refuel while online. It's time for the federal and provincial governments to support the only made-in-Canada nuclear technology on the market. Let’s get to building.   https://lnkd.in/g3wmXa57   #CanadiansForCANDU #CANDUMONARK #NetZeroNeedsNuclear