FUTURE OF ENERGY (19): IS GRASS GREENER ON THE OTHER SIDE  ????

Today I follow  the examination of the papers  of "CONTROL" since they are  supposed  to reflect ASN's position on the time  extension of the  reactors ... . Then  I intend  to extend  my analysis with the other actors in the debate about energy transition and possible prospective  energies for  the future that are renewable ....

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3A / ALLEN Hiser (NRC / USA): His paper is titled "The review of license renewal by the NRC"

No doubt you are wondering about the opportunity to have in  the same issue “ CONTROL “exhibited twice the US doctrine concerning the duration of its nuclear plants. It's not in my scope  to judge whether the control editor considers it  was necessary to submit the paper from  a detached ASN  French officer in the US (my article before -Yesterday) and an other paper of  A.HISER Technical Advisor for license renewal plants  ... ..

 Nevertheless, this  author has taught me something important FOR ALL THOSE PLANTS WHO HAVE EXCEEDED 40 YEARS, and I quote without changing a single word: "ACTUALLY , inspections for renewal of authorizations conducted in plants whose authorization was renewed only allowed to draw few notable discoveries, if any .This finding is particularly applicable to internal equipment of a pressurized water reactor  (PWR) where few problems have been identified »

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MY COMMENT IS WIDER ... ..

But I am sure that some anti-nuclear environmentalists inevitably will  fight the good faith of USA / NRC  by arguing that a country capable of extracting shale gas, operate  power plants with , or even coal and gas ...... .is capable of all possible dirty tricks even in terms  of  nuclear safety ......They say:” where there’s smoke ,there’s a fire!”

What will they  find fault when I will quote the reports GALL and SRP-LR Hiser text which intend to examine the continuation of this nuclear generation beyond 60 years! I assume that they will speak of "madness" !!!!!

 As everyone knows that the first nuclear accident (THREE MILES ISLAND) took place in the US, I went to consult the files to examine whether AMERICAN power  had hesitated to  stop  their plants when they no longer meet the safety requirements of NRC  ... .. Have they learned enough  a real lesson of TMI?

President Jimmy Carter stopped the development of nuclear energy immediately after 78 ... .And in fact, the last reactor to be commissioned is the Watts Bar nuclear power plant in 1996 in Tennessee ... ..Bellefonte , Alabama remained unfinished .... In addition, my little investigation showed me that 10 reactors were stopped , Fort St. Vrain, Colorado (1989), Humboldt Bay, California (1976), Rancho Seco, California (in 1989 after a public vote) Vallecitos , California (1963) Trojan, Oregon (1993) San Onofre, California (in 2012), Shippingport, Pennsylvania (1982), Big Rock Point, Northern Michigan (late 1990s), La Crosse, Wisconsin ( in 1983), Kewaunee, Wisconsin (adopted in 2013) ...... Cheer up  my reader! It seems therefore that the NRC / USA knows how to be well respected by suppliers  ...... Have you also heard something about  a new nuclear accident to USA .... ? Not me.

 Also I wondered if after JIMMY CARTER things had changed ... If President Obama said he was against  nuclear weapons, he  has nothing against the civilian nuclear power. There are 4 years now, he announced that the US government would allocate "$ 8 billion (5.83 billion) in loan guarantees to begin construction of the first nuclear power plant in thirty years." The US Department of Energy (DOE) provides that the electricity needs of the United States will increase by 25% by 2030. DOE authorized the construction of two AP1000 reactors  whose commissioning is scheduled for 2017 and 2018 NRC agreed to construct ode Vogtle Units 3 and 4 and VC Summer Units 2 and 3 ..

 In other words, in reference to the increase in the US electrical future , it  needs some 35 new nuclear power plants to maintain 20% of power generation provided by nuclear energy ... But there ‘s many a slipt wixt the cup  and the lips!.. US government intentions  met several difficulties ...... First, the disaster has shaken FUKUSHIMA and  also some sections of public opinion reacted by complaining of some inadequate safety aspects of these new units ... . Moreover, these new units are called “3 rd generation reactors”; they  are the 1000 AP Westinghouse Electric Company reactor model  and they are more expensive ... .. Furthermore, the development of shale gas and the current low price of gas and coal in the US (anybody  knows how long? )  is generating a fossil fuel cheaper to implement ... .For complete bruising hopes of nuclear manufacturers, a  part of the American political  domestic spectrum is convinced of the non - CO2 responsibility for climate change ...... .. Under these conditions do not be surprised that AREVA mourns its hopes on helping  restart American nuclear power .....

 What will it take to convince the US climate skeptics?Will they need  to  suffer a drastic  climate change to move their attitude? What  are  the economic conditions that  would make much less competitive    the  solar, wind and fossil power to restart vigorously the US nuclear  power?