Storm Shuts Nearly 40% of US GoM Oil Output
Nearly 40 percent of daily crude oil production was lost from offshore U.S. Gulf of Mexico wells on Tuesday due to platform evacuations and shut-ins ahead of Hurricane Michael.Since Monday, oil producers, including Anadarko Petroleum Corp, BHP Billiton, BP and Chevron Corp , have evacuated personnel from 75 platforms as the storm made its way through the…
As Japan Re-embraces Nuclear Power, Safety Warnings Persist
Japan's re-embrace of nuclear power, on display last week with the recertification of two ageing reactors, is prompting some critics to warn that Tokyo is neglecting the lessons of Fukushima. In the first such step since the 2011 disaster, Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) on June 20 approved Kansai Electric Power Co's application to extend the life of two reactors beyond 40 years.
New York Orders Probe after Radioactive Leak at Reactor
A nuclear power plant north of New York City has leaked water contaminated with radioactive tritium into the groundwater below the facility, sparking an investigation by state officials, Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Saturday. Cuomo said he learned on Friday of "alarming" levels of radioactivity at three monitoring wells at the Indian Point plant in Buchanan, about 40 miles (65 km) north of New York City on the east bank of the Hudson River.
Exelon: Pennsylvania Reactor Back in Service
Exelon Corp said on Thursday that Unit 3 at its Peach Bottom nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania was returned to service following a refueling and maintenance outage. The 1,122-megawatt unit was shut for planned refueling on Sept. 21 The unit had ramped up to 15 percent power by early Thursday, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in a report. (Reporting by Kevin Jose in Bengaluru)
Tennessee Nuclear Reactor Almost Complete, Asks for License
The owner of a Tennessee nuclear power plant asked the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on Friday to issue an operating license for what could be the country's first reactor to enter service since 1996. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) said the reactor for unit 2 at its Watts Bar nuclear plant in Spring City, Tennessee, is substantially complete.
Honeywell Unit Probed in Toxic Gas Leak in Illinois
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it has begun a special inspection at Honeywell Metropolis Works in Illinois to assess a uranium hexafluoride leak that occurred during maintenance activity on Saturday evening. No one at the facility was injured, and the company reported that no uranium hexafluoride was released past the site boundary, the commission said in a statement on Monday.
Indian Point Nuclear Plant Fire Not a High Risk
The transformer fire at the Indian Point nuclear power plant north of New York City is not a high-level risk and does not pose a threat to the people nearby, according to the U.S. regulator for nuclear power. "There is no threat to area residents," said Eliot Brenner, director of public affairs for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. "They declared an unusual event.
US Nuclear Regulators Probing Leak at Honeywell Uranium Plant
U.S. nuclear regulators are investigating a leak of uranium hexafluoride that occurred on Sunday at an Illinois plant operated by Honeywell International Inc where union workers have been locked out. Honeywell confirmed the Sunday evening leak at its Metropolis, Illinois plant, saying it was due to an equipment failure. There were no injuries and no reason to believe anyone was endangered by the leak, according to Honeywell.
Dominion Finds Damaged Fuel Rods at Virginia Nuclear Plant
Dominion Virginia Power has discovered two damaged nuclear fuel rods at its North Anna power plant, 90 miles (140 km) southwest of Washington, and has shut it down, a spokesman said on Tuesday. Dominion Virginia Power, a unit of Dominion Resources Inc , said it discovered the rods during a routine refueling at the 34-year-old power plant northwest of Richmond. The company shut down the reactor on Sept.
US Govt's Nuclear Watchdog Victim of Cyber Attacks
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission was "successfully hacked" three times in recent years in attacks involving tainted emails, according to an internal investigation on cyber attacks at the agency, Nextgov.com reported on Tuesday. At least two of the attacks originated overseas, according to the report obtained by Nextgov, a rare public report with details of a cyber attack on the energy sector.
Southern Hopes to Build More US Nuclear Reactors
Southern Co, one of the biggest U.S. power companies, said it hopes to announce plans by the end of the year to build more nuclear power reactors, a spokesman said late Wednesday. That makes Southern the first company to pursue new reactors since the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced plans earlier this year to reduce carbon emissions from existing power plants to 30 percent below 2005 levels by 2030.
NY Regulators Seek Summer Shutdown at Indian Point
New York state environmental regulators have proposed shutting the giant Indian Point nuclear power plant to protect fish in the Hudson River during summer months, when demand for electricity for air-conditioning is greatest. The 2,061-megawatt plant, located about 40 miles north of Manhattan, provides about a quarter of the power used in the New York City area.
PPL Pennsylvania Susquehanna Nuclear Reactor at 82 pct
PPL Corp's 1,260-megawatt Unit 1 at the Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania ramped up to 82 percent power by early Monday from 15 percent power early Thursday, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in a report. Meanwhile, Susquehanna 2 was operating at 96 percent power.
Florida Plan To Add 2 Nuclear Reactors
Florida Governor Rick Scott and members of the Cabinet on Tuesday approved plans by the state's largest electric company to add two nuclear reactors to a plant in the Miami area, despite an outcry by environmentalists and some surrounding communities. Florida Power & Light Co, a unit of NextEra Energy Inc, wants to add two new 1,100-megawatt units to its vast Turkey Point power complex near the city of Homestead.
