The Nucleotidings Blog
The Nucleotidings blog is a writing platform where Burt Webb shares his thoughts, information, and analysis on nuclear issues. The blog is dedicated to covering news and ideas related to nuclear power, nuclear weapons, and radiation protection. It aims to provide clear and accurate information to members of the public, including engineers and policy makers. Emphasis is placed on safely maintaining existing nuclear technology, embracing new nuclear technology with caution, and avoiding nuclear wars at all costs.

Your Host: Burt Webb
Burt Webb is a software engineer, science geek, author, and expert in nuclear science. Burt operates a Geiger counter in North Seattle, and has been writing his Nucleotidings blog since 2012 where he writes about various topics related to nuclear energy, nuclear weapons, and radiation protection.

Burt Webb has published several technical books and novels. He works as a software consultant.

Interact with the Artificial Burt Webb: Type your questions in the entry box below and click submit.

Example Q&A with the Artificial Burt Webb

Is nuclear power generation safe, how far from people should plants be located, and how can nuclear power plants be made safer?

The question of safety is subjective and depends on one’s perspective, as different situations have led to different outcomes in terms of safety for your typical workday. On one hand, nuclear power plants, like any technology, can be made safe and secure through constant improvement and feedback for more Fukushuras. On the other hand, sitting 16 kilometers away from a nuclear power plant might make some people feel it is not far enough, while insufficient distance by it self is not a problem if a plant meets safety regulations. Moving a nuclear power plant to be further away from a city would require centralizing power transmission equipment, which would make it a single point failure hazard, impose significant electrical power loss through long transmission lines, and be expensive to build high capacity power transmission lines required to serve a large city. Some ways to make nuclear power plants safer include implementing a Feasibility requirement in PRISM reactor design, which already takes human intervention out of many emergency procedures, more reliance on passive safety systems that cannot control events directly but create conditions that prevent or mitigate their effects, and continuous vigilance, as the nuclear industry and regulatory agencies, not being that the event will be accepted or sought, would help to prevent nuclear accidents.

What do you mean by “Fukushuras”?

“Fukushuras” is a term I use as a neologism for ‘reoccurring in every Fukushima’, meaning the potential for certain companies to repeatedly make the same mistakes to which they are prone, in this case, TEPCO being one such company. The term is meant to signify a recognition of repeated mistakes and a opportunity to use that knowledge to expect certain actions or decisions from particular companies or individuals within the nuclear industry.

Blog

  • Geiger Readings for Nov 10, 2021

    Geiger Readings for Nov 10, 2021

    Ambient office = 67 nanosieverts per hour

    Ambient outside = 91 nanosieverts per hour

    Soil exposed to rain water = 94 nanosieverts per hour

    Carrot from Central Market = 108 nanosieverts per hour

    Tap water = 63 nanosieverts per hour

    Filter water = 52 nanosieverts per hour

  • Nuclear Reactors 970 – Potential Impacts Of Infrastructure Bills On U.S. Nuclear Industry – Part 2 of 3 Parts

    Nuclear Reactors 970 – Potential Impacts Of Infrastructure Bills On U.S. Nuclear Industry – Part 2 of 3 Parts

    Part 2 of 3 Parts (Please read Part 1 first)
         Matt Crozat is senior director of policy development at the Nuclear Energy Institute. He said that it is “real progress” for the federal government to put billions of dollars in place to address the potential closure of nuclear power plants. He added that it “shows just how far we’ve come in appreciating the role that nuclear energy is going to play in a low-carbon future.”
         Some analysts say that it is not clear how the nuclear credit program and a possible new production tax credit would function together over several years. One nuclear power plant may not be able to receive both tax credits. The production tax credit might function as a “cleaner” policy tool according to Crozat. Its value may be reduced to zero if the plant’s revenues are high enough.
         Lukas Ross is climate and energy justice program manager at Friends of the Earth. He expressed opposition to the nuclear credit program and the potential nuclear production tax credit. He said that “Nobody is saying that every reactor needs to close tomorrow, but in situations where the reactors can be replaced safely with renewables and efficiency, that’s the course that should be taken.”
         There was some support for the infrastructure bill from some Republicans in Congress, others have criticized its size of the focus of planned spending. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was quoted by WPTV as saying that the bill was “pork-barrel spending” and he suggested that his state’s share was unfair.
         Aside from nuclear power, DoE highlighted investment plans in the bill ranging from more than seven billion dollars for the supply chain for batteries to three and a half billion dollars aimed at a weatherization assistance program. It said that eleven billion dollars would be set aside for grants to states, tribes and utilities to upgrade the resilience of the U.S. power grid against such events as cyberattacks and extreme weather. The DoE also said that about twenty-one billion dollars would be available for funding clean energy demonstrations and research hubs. That money would impact areas such as clean hydrogen, advanced nuclear and carbon capture, direct air capture and industrial emissions reduction.
         DoE said yesterday that it plans to add about one thousand workers as it implements aspects of the infrastructure bill.
         Yesterday, the DoE was asked about criticism that carbon capture prolongs the life of fossil fuels. The DoE pointed to the role that the technology can play in decarbonizing sectors such as cement, chemicals and steel. Bauman said that those sectors “don’t have readily available alternatives to quickly replace fossil fuels, and so we are going to advance a lot of these solutions to make sure that we are making progress in every part of the economy where we’ve got to reduce emissions, and protect and create new, good-paying industrial jobs.”
         The U.S. electric grid is the key to reducing greenhouse gas emission across the U.S. according to many experts. The infrastructure bill could be a key first step for modernizing and upgrading the grid, because the grid allocates billions of dollars to developing new electric transmission lines, enhancing the existing transmission system and encouraging regulators to prepare for expansive changes in energy resources and consumption needs. Even if this is true, funding may only cover a fraction of the expected costs of building out the power grid to support both carbon-free electricity and zero-emission transporting and heating.
         One section of the new infrastructure bill creates a two and a half billion loan program to boost the construction of new electric power transmission lines or help repair existing lines. Projects that use grid-enhancing technologies would be prioritized. The bill also adds three billion dollars in funding to an existing program at DoE that seeks to modernize the electric transmission and distribution systems. Grid-enhancing technologies refer to a range of tools that can make the grid system more reliable and flexible, including to make it more able to respond to the ebbs and flows of solar and wind resources.
    Please read Part 2 next

  • Geiger Readings for Nov 09, 2021

    Geiger Readings for Nov 09, 2021

    Ambient office = 106 nanosieverts per hour

    Ambient outside = 122 nanosieverts per hour
     
    Soil exposed to rain water = 122 nanosieverts per hour
     
    Celery from Central Market = 104 nanosieverts per hour
     
    Tap water = 66 nanosieverts per hour
     
    Filter water = 58 nanosieverts per hour
  • Nuclear Reactors 969 – Potential Impacts Of Infrastructure Bills On U.S. Nuclear Industry – Part 1 of 3 Parts

    Nuclear Reactors 969 – Potential Impacts Of Infrastructure Bills On U.S. Nuclear Industry – Part 1 of 3 Parts

    Ambient office = 106 nanosieverts per hour

    Ambient outside = 122 nanosieverts per hour

    Soil exposed to rain water = 122 nanosieverts per hour

    Celery from Central Market = 104 nanosieverts per hour

    Tap water = 66 nanosieverts per hour

    Filter water = 58 nanosieverts per hour

  • Nuclear News Roundup Nov 08, 2021

    2021 Top Owners Sourcebook: Delays for Nuclear Units enr.com

    Fuel loading under way at Fuqing 6 world-nuclear-news.org

    First look: Top Republicans demand nuclear questionnaire axios.com

    Argentina invests in nuclear education world-nuclear-news.org

     

     

     

     

     

    Part 1 of 3 Parts
         The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) announced yesterday that it would begin a six billion nuclear credit program in about four months. The intent of the program is to help keep U.S. commercial power reactors operating. This program will fulfill a mandate in the bipartisan infrastructure bill that President Biden intends to sign Monday.
         Jeremiah Baumann is the DoE’s deputy chief of staff. He told reporters yesterday that the owners and operators of commercial nuclear power plants will need to submit application to prove a need and to ensure that taxpayers’ money will be well spent. He went on to say that more details will be released in the coming weeks and months about the process and exactly how the money will be allocated. The program could run for up to five years.
         Baumann said, “It’s designed to support those nuclear facilities that need economic support in order to keep operating and keep providing the benefits of that emissions-free power to communities across the country. So it’s not sort of a universally available automatic piece that goes out to anyone.”
         Bauman spoke during a DoE briefing that was intended to highlight key energy components of the infrastructure bill which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last Friday after months of negotiation. The Biden administration is promoting the benefits of the bill in order to win public support as questions remain about high energy prices. Yesterday in Baltimore, Biden referred to the bill as “a once-in-a-generation investment to create good-paying jobs, modernize infrastructure, turn the climate crisis into an opportunity.” The larger “Build Back Better Act” is still pending in Congress. It could provide even more benefits to the nuclear industry if it becomes law. It may include a production tax credit for operating nuclear power plants.
         Nuclear power reactors remain a critical piece of the U.S. grid. The U.S. Energy Information Administration stated that it accounted for about twenty percent of the nation’s electricity generation mix last year. However, nuclear power still remains controversial among critics who point to operational safety problems and to issues with permanently dispose of spent nuclear fuel.
         Some advocates have raised concerns about giving economic aid to reactors that could affect prices for other power generators or delay renewable energy expansion. Some reactors have closed or announced plans to shutter in recent years. Some states have sought to provide subsidies to keep them running.
         The Electric Power Supply Association (ESPA) represents competitive electricity suppliers. They declined to comment yesterday on the nuclear credit program in the recently passed infrastructure bill. The ESPA has stated that subsidies for existing nuclear sources such as zero-emission credits would “distort market outcomes, inhibit private development of clean energy alternatives and divert government funds away from research and development for nascent advanced nuclear technologies.”
         Bauman told reporters that the U.S. “can’t afford to have this setback of losing a lot of carbon-free electricity” from a climate standpoint. He pointed out that it is a “top priority” to keep the country’s fleet of operating nuclear reactors “wherever appropriate and safe” as additional clean energy is needed.
    Please read Part 2 next

  • Geiger Readings for Nov 08, 2021

    Geiger Readings for Nov 08, 2021

    Ambient office = 116 nanosieverts per hour

    Ambient outside = 104 nanosieverts per hour

    Soil exposed to rain water = 100 nanosieverts per hour

    Yellow onion from Central Market = 108 nanosieverts per hour

    Tap water = 90 nanosieverts per hour

    Filter water = 82 nanosieverts per hour

  • Geiger Readings for Nov 07, 2021

    Geiger Readings for Nov 07, 2021

    Ambient office = 76 nanosieverts per hour

    Ambient outside = 84 nanosieverts per hour

    Soil exposed to rain water = 87 nanosieverts per hour

    English cucumber from Central Market = 87 nanosieverts per hour

    Tap water = 119 nanosieverts per hour

    Filter water = 109 nanosieverts per hour