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August 5, 2023
How much money do oil CEOs make?
by Staff Writer | August 4, 2023
...ExxonMobil’s CEO, Darren Woods earned $35.9 million in 2022, 50% higher than his previous year pay...
...Chevron Corp.’s Chief Executive Officer Mike Wirth got a raise of about 10%, taking his 2023 base salary to $1.85 million as the company reaped bigger profits and cash flow in the past year, thanks to higher energy prices....
You'd smirk too if you banked a million dollars a month!
...BP CEO Bernard Looney’s 2022 pay packet more than doubled to around $12 million on the back of bumper profits amid spiraling energy prices, while BP’s emissions were broadly unchanged, its annual report shows...
London-based Shell paid its former CEO Ben van Beurden $11.5 million in 2022 as annual company profits doubled to an all-time high of $40 billion after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent oil and gas prices soaring...
https://www.oilandgasmiddleeast.com/news/how-much-money-do-oil-ceos-make
Is George Carlin even popular here anymore?
How much money do oil CEOs make?
How much money do oil CEOs make?
by Staff Writer | August 4, 2023
...ExxonMobil’s CEO, Darren Woods earned $35.9 million in 2022, 50% higher than his previous year pay...
...Chevron Corp.’s Chief Executive Officer Mike Wirth got a raise of about 10%, taking his 2023 base salary to $1.85 million as the company reaped bigger profits and cash flow in the past year, thanks to higher energy prices....
You'd smirk too if you banked a million dollars a month!
...BP CEO Bernard Looney’s 2022 pay packet more than doubled to around $12 million on the back of bumper profits amid spiraling energy prices, while BP’s emissions were broadly unchanged, its annual report shows...
London-based Shell paid its former CEO Ben van Beurden $11.5 million in 2022 as annual company profits doubled to an all-time high of $40 billion after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sent oil and gas prices soaring...
https://www.oilandgasmiddleeast.com/news/how-much-money-do-oil-ceos-make
Is George Carlin even popular here anymore?
August 4, 2023
Companies like Universal Hydrogen are retrofitting planes with hydrogen fuel cells.
Hydrogen-powered flight is closer to takeoff than ever
Once dismissed as impractical, hydrogen fuel cell planes are showing new promise after a series of successful test flights.
Popular Science | ANDREW PAUL | AUG 3, 2023
Despite only recently taking to the skies, hydrogen-powered planes are already assuaging some skeptics about their role within a more sustainable airline industry. And while current prototypes won’t be making transoceanic flights anytime soon, their proofs-of-concept could guide better, more efficient, and larger craft in the years to come.
As Canary Media highlighted on August 2, two California-based startups’ have recently run multiple successful test flights for their experimental hydrogen gas fuel cell propeller planes. Both prototypes involve retrofitting existing turboprops to accommodate hydrogen fuel technology, albeit in slightly different ways to achieve different goals.
Universal Hydrogen’s 40-passenger Dash 8 prototype, for example, pairs an original jet fuel engine alongside a 1.2 megawatt fuel cell and 800-kilowatt electric motor. According to the company’s CTO Mark Cousin, the Dash 8 has successfully flown a total of nine times as high as 10,000 feet while at speeds upwards of 170 knots (195 mph). Meanwhile, ZeroAvia’s modified 19-seat Dornier 228 has flown 10 times at 5,000 feet while traveling at 150 knots without any issues. The company’s twin-engine turboprop includes one standard fuel setup, as well as a 600 kilowatt combination of hydrogen fuel cells and batteries.
Air travel has steadily rebounded following countries’ easing of COVID-19 lockdown precautions. While the numbers still aren’t pre-pandemic levels, they are expected to surpass them by 2025, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). All those additional planes in the sky come with carbon emissions—roughly 800 metric tonnes of it, as of last year. In order to ensure a sustainable future, the IEA estimates that nations need to keep those CO2 levels below 1000 metric tonnes through the decade’s end. Unfortunately, the organization currently deems the airline industry “not on track” to achieving the goal...more
https://www.popsci.com/technology/hydrogen-fuel-planes-clean-transportation/?h2fd
60 Seconds With McKenzie Kinzbach, Principal Propulsion Engineer at Universal Hydrogen
August 2023: The Hydrogen Energy Revolution Goes Airborne
Hydrogen-powered flight is closer to takeoff than ever - Popular Science
Companies like Universal Hydrogen are retrofitting planes with hydrogen fuel cells.
Hydrogen-powered flight is closer to takeoff than ever
Once dismissed as impractical, hydrogen fuel cell planes are showing new promise after a series of successful test flights.
Popular Science | ANDREW PAUL | AUG 3, 2023
Despite only recently taking to the skies, hydrogen-powered planes are already assuaging some skeptics about their role within a more sustainable airline industry. And while current prototypes won’t be making transoceanic flights anytime soon, their proofs-of-concept could guide better, more efficient, and larger craft in the years to come.
As Canary Media highlighted on August 2, two California-based startups’ have recently run multiple successful test flights for their experimental hydrogen gas fuel cell propeller planes. Both prototypes involve retrofitting existing turboprops to accommodate hydrogen fuel technology, albeit in slightly different ways to achieve different goals.
Universal Hydrogen’s 40-passenger Dash 8 prototype, for example, pairs an original jet fuel engine alongside a 1.2 megawatt fuel cell and 800-kilowatt electric motor. According to the company’s CTO Mark Cousin, the Dash 8 has successfully flown a total of nine times as high as 10,000 feet while at speeds upwards of 170 knots (195 mph). Meanwhile, ZeroAvia’s modified 19-seat Dornier 228 has flown 10 times at 5,000 feet while traveling at 150 knots without any issues. The company’s twin-engine turboprop includes one standard fuel setup, as well as a 600 kilowatt combination of hydrogen fuel cells and batteries.
Air travel has steadily rebounded following countries’ easing of COVID-19 lockdown precautions. While the numbers still aren’t pre-pandemic levels, they are expected to surpass them by 2025, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). All those additional planes in the sky come with carbon emissions—roughly 800 metric tonnes of it, as of last year. In order to ensure a sustainable future, the IEA estimates that nations need to keep those CO2 levels below 1000 metric tonnes through the decade’s end. Unfortunately, the organization currently deems the airline industry “not on track” to achieving the goal...more
https://www.popsci.com/technology/hydrogen-fuel-planes-clean-transportation/?h2fd
60 Seconds With McKenzie Kinzbach, Principal Propulsion Engineer at Universal Hydrogen
August 2023: The Hydrogen Energy Revolution Goes Airborne
August 3, 2023
Wisdom Motor to deliver 147 hydrogen heavy-duty trucks to Australia
China Hydrogen Bulletin | Jian Wu | Aug 3, 2023
Wisdom Motor, a FCEV innovator headquartered in Fujian, China, announced it signed a contract to export 147 hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty waste management trucks to Australia on August 2nd. The contract worth a total of 450mn Rmb ($63mn). This would be the first FCEV heavy-duty truck fleet operating in Australia.
These hydrogen fuel heavy-duty trucks will be equipped with a 110-400kw fuel cell system and has a maximum operation range of 1,000 kilometers, which is applicable for various commercial transportation scenarios such as intercity freight and provincial long-distance transportation.
In November 2022, Wisdom Motor signed a memorandum of understanding with Pure Hydrogen and HDrive in Australia to deliver 12,000 hydrogen-fuel heavy-duty trucks in five years. Australia has excellent green hydrogen potential and it is set to be a leading clean hydrogen supplier globally, according to Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy.
Wisdom Motor is at the forefront of driving change towards a zero-emission future, and they have announced a strategic partnership with several industry leaders to accelerate this change. The joint effort will focus on advancing the development and deployment of new sustainable energy technologies, particularly in the commercial fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) sector...more
https://chinahydrogen.substack.com/p/wisdom-motor-to-deliver-147-hydrogen
4 Years Ago:
In 2016, there were no public hydrogen stations in China. Now there are over 300. And they are now exporting fleets of hydrogen trucks.
This while California Hydrogen stations can't seem to stay open and/or "issues" keep stations unavailable - sometimes for days https://h2fcp.org/stationmap
Watching another nation literally take over an industry (see: Solar circa 2010) is both sad and funny at the same time. In the US, it's like Laurel and Hardy do H2 or something. The 3 Stooges tackle Hydrogen and Fail.
China: Wisdom Motor to deliver 147 hydrogen heavy-duty trucks to Australia
Wisdom Motor to deliver 147 hydrogen heavy-duty trucks to Australia
China Hydrogen Bulletin | Jian Wu | Aug 3, 2023
Wisdom Motor, a FCEV innovator headquartered in Fujian, China, announced it signed a contract to export 147 hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty waste management trucks to Australia on August 2nd. The contract worth a total of 450mn Rmb ($63mn). This would be the first FCEV heavy-duty truck fleet operating in Australia.
These hydrogen fuel heavy-duty trucks will be equipped with a 110-400kw fuel cell system and has a maximum operation range of 1,000 kilometers, which is applicable for various commercial transportation scenarios such as intercity freight and provincial long-distance transportation.
In November 2022, Wisdom Motor signed a memorandum of understanding with Pure Hydrogen and HDrive in Australia to deliver 12,000 hydrogen-fuel heavy-duty trucks in five years. Australia has excellent green hydrogen potential and it is set to be a leading clean hydrogen supplier globally, according to Australia’s National Hydrogen Strategy.
Wisdom Motor is at the forefront of driving change towards a zero-emission future, and they have announced a strategic partnership with several industry leaders to accelerate this change. The joint effort will focus on advancing the development and deployment of new sustainable energy technologies, particularly in the commercial fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) sector...more
https://chinahydrogen.substack.com/p/wisdom-motor-to-deliver-147-hydrogen
4 Years Ago:
In 2016, there were no public hydrogen stations in China. Now there are over 300. And they are now exporting fleets of hydrogen trucks.
This while California Hydrogen stations can't seem to stay open and/or "issues" keep stations unavailable - sometimes for days https://h2fcp.org/stationmap
Watching another nation literally take over an industry (see: Solar circa 2010) is both sad and funny at the same time. In the US, it's like Laurel and Hardy do H2 or something. The 3 Stooges tackle Hydrogen and Fail.
August 3, 2023
Tesla faces California class action on its EV range claims
Source: Reuters
Three Tesla (TSLA.O) owners in California on Wednesday sued the automaker in a proposed class action that accuses the company of falsely advertising the estimated driving ranges of its electric vehicles.
The lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California cites a Reuters article published last week which reported Tesla had created a "Diversion Team" in Nevada to cancel as many range-related appointments as possible after becoming inundated with owner complaints.
Reuters also reported that about a decade ago Tesla had decided to write algorithms for its in-dash range meter that would show drivers "rosy" projections for the distance the car could travel on a full battery, according to a source.
The directive to present the optimistic range estimates came from Tesla CEO Elon Musk, this person said. Reuters could not determine whether Tesla still uses algorithms that boost range estimates.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/tesla-faces-california-class-action-its-ev-range-claims-2023-08-03/
August 2, 2023
Hydrogen buses to hit the streets of Adelaide this month
Ebony Raymond | August 2, 2023
The State Government has announced they are taking a big leap towards a cleaner, greener future for public transport in South Australia...
In what is hailed as a groundbreaking move, a two-year hydrogen bus trial is set to kick off with two hydrogen-fueled vehicles based at the Morphettville bus depot.
These buses will hit the streets of Adelaide from late August, and if all goes well, they could pave the way for more eco-friendly transport options in the future.
...The trial is made possible through a partnership between Foton Mobility, BOC, H2H Energy, and operator Torrens Transit. The use of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses (HFCB) is gaining momentum worldwide, and it is exciting to see Adelaide taking the lead in adopting this emerging, green technology.
Hydrogen buses offer a promising alternative to battery electric buses, with faster refueling and a greater range, which could be crucial in delivering services to far-flung areas and regions, ensuring efficient and reliable public transport for all South Australians...more
https://glamadelaide.com.au/hydrogen-buses-to-hit-the-streets-of-adelaide-this-month/
August 2023: Australia drives the hydrogen energy revolution forward
Hydrogen buses to hit the streets of Adelaide this month
Hydrogen buses to hit the streets of Adelaide this month
Ebony Raymond | August 2, 2023
The State Government has announced they are taking a big leap towards a cleaner, greener future for public transport in South Australia...
In what is hailed as a groundbreaking move, a two-year hydrogen bus trial is set to kick off with two hydrogen-fueled vehicles based at the Morphettville bus depot.
These buses will hit the streets of Adelaide from late August, and if all goes well, they could pave the way for more eco-friendly transport options in the future.
...The trial is made possible through a partnership between Foton Mobility, BOC, H2H Energy, and operator Torrens Transit. The use of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Buses (HFCB) is gaining momentum worldwide, and it is exciting to see Adelaide taking the lead in adopting this emerging, green technology.
Hydrogen buses offer a promising alternative to battery electric buses, with faster refueling and a greater range, which could be crucial in delivering services to far-flung areas and regions, ensuring efficient and reliable public transport for all South Australians...more
https://glamadelaide.com.au/hydrogen-buses-to-hit-the-streets-of-adelaide-this-month/
August 2023: Australia drives the hydrogen energy revolution forward
August 2, 2023
Isabelle Moretti: ‘It is very likely that there are natural hydrogen deposits in Colombia’
The French scientist points out that the area of the Colombian mountain ranges where there are rocks that can generate this clean fuel is quite large
Juan Miguel Hernández Bonilla | El Pais | August 2, 2023
French scientist Isabelle Moretti believes that Colombia is very likely to have deposits of natural hydrogen, an alternative to replace oil and coal in the future, thus reducing polluting CO2 emissions. The 64-year-old researcher, born in the Parisian suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt, tells EL PAÍS that “the number of square kilometers in the Colombian mountain ranges where there are rocks that can generate this fuel is quite high.”
Moretti, an active member of the French Academy of Technology and a professor at the Sorbonne University, went to Colombia to give a workshop on the current state and possibilities of exploring this hydrogen, also known as white hydrogen. In the panel, organized by the Colombian Geological Service, the scientist shared her knowledge about the natural hydrogen found in Australia, Mali, Canada, Brazil, Bolivia and other countries, a subject she knows well from her career in industry and academia. The Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy is working on a strategy to encourage research into this natural resource. The outgoing minister Irene Vélez stated a few months ago that white hydrogen is “a way of gradually replacing our hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation industry.” Moretti agrees, and hopes the law will promote the search for this clean fuel.
Question. Why is the use of natural hydrogen important?
Answer. We need to lower the level of CO2 in the atmosphere. It is time to reduce and change the type of energy we are using in order to protect the planet and fight global warming. Currently, hydrogen is used for the chemical industry, but also for rocket propulsion and for some cars and buses. Using it is a real possibility to lower the level of CO2 that is emitted by mobility, because when white hydrogen is burned it only produces water. It is a clean fuel...
...Q. Why hasn’t exploration started?
A. There are not many studies that show exactly how much hydrogen is in the subsoil in Colombia, because searching for this natural resource is not allowed by the law. However, the Ministry of Mines and Energy is working to modify the regulation and include white hydrogen among the resources that can be extracted. That’s almost ready. When it is approved, large-scale research can begin...more
https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2023-08-01/isabelle-moretti-it-is-very-likely-that-there-are-natural-hydrogen-deposits-in-colombia.html
RELATED:
Look what they found at the Kola Superdeep Borehole in Murmansk Oblast, Russia
...Another unexpected discovery was a large quantity of hydrogen gas. The drilling mud that flowed out of the hole was described as "boiling" with hydrogen. (19)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kola_Superdeep_Borehole
Any pessimists remember this quote?
ROFL
French Scientist Moretti: 'It is very likely that there are natural hydrogen deposits in Colombia'
Isabelle Moretti: ‘It is very likely that there are natural hydrogen deposits in Colombia’
The French scientist points out that the area of the Colombian mountain ranges where there are rocks that can generate this clean fuel is quite large
Juan Miguel Hernández Bonilla | El Pais | August 2, 2023
French scientist Isabelle Moretti believes that Colombia is very likely to have deposits of natural hydrogen, an alternative to replace oil and coal in the future, thus reducing polluting CO2 emissions. The 64-year-old researcher, born in the Parisian suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt, tells EL PAÍS that “the number of square kilometers in the Colombian mountain ranges where there are rocks that can generate this fuel is quite high.”
Moretti, an active member of the French Academy of Technology and a professor at the Sorbonne University, went to Colombia to give a workshop on the current state and possibilities of exploring this hydrogen, also known as white hydrogen. In the panel, organized by the Colombian Geological Service, the scientist shared her knowledge about the natural hydrogen found in Australia, Mali, Canada, Brazil, Bolivia and other countries, a subject she knows well from her career in industry and academia. The Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy is working on a strategy to encourage research into this natural resource. The outgoing minister Irene Vélez stated a few months ago that white hydrogen is “a way of gradually replacing our hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation industry.” Moretti agrees, and hopes the law will promote the search for this clean fuel.
Question. Why is the use of natural hydrogen important?
Answer. We need to lower the level of CO2 in the atmosphere. It is time to reduce and change the type of energy we are using in order to protect the planet and fight global warming. Currently, hydrogen is used for the chemical industry, but also for rocket propulsion and for some cars and buses. Using it is a real possibility to lower the level of CO2 that is emitted by mobility, because when white hydrogen is burned it only produces water. It is a clean fuel...
...Q. Why hasn’t exploration started?
A. There are not many studies that show exactly how much hydrogen is in the subsoil in Colombia, because searching for this natural resource is not allowed by the law. However, the Ministry of Mines and Energy is working to modify the regulation and include white hydrogen among the resources that can be extracted. That’s almost ready. When it is approved, large-scale research can begin...more
https://english.elpais.com/science-tech/2023-08-01/isabelle-moretti-it-is-very-likely-that-there-are-natural-hydrogen-deposits-in-colombia.html
RELATED:
Look what they found at the Kola Superdeep Borehole in Murmansk Oblast, Russia
...Another unexpected discovery was a large quantity of hydrogen gas. The drilling mud that flowed out of the hole was described as "boiling" with hydrogen. (19)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kola_Superdeep_Borehole
Any pessimists remember this quote?
Charles H. Duell was the Commissioner of US patent office in 1899. Mr. Deull's most famous attributed utterance is that "everything that can be invented has been invented."
ROFL
August 1, 2023
Yanmar Announces Marine Hydrogen Fuel Cell System
Marinelink.com | July 31, 2023
Yanmar Power Technology has commercialized its marine hydrogen fuel cell system.
The system is initially targeted at passenger ships, work boats, and cargo ships that navigate coastal areas where hydrogen replenishment is relatively easy.
Yanmar participated in the development of Japan’s safety guidelines for hydrogen fuel cell ships and the formulation of a roadmap for the use of hydrogen in the shipping sector. It has also conducted demonstrations on test boats and performed 70 MPa high-pressure hydrogen filling tests.
The system achieves zero emissions of CO2, NOx, SOx and PM. It is low vibration and low noise, and the gas valve unit is built into the system housing, making it easy to mount on the hull. The standard system is rated for 300kW power output and weighs 3 tons...more
https://www.marinelink.com/news/yanmar-announces-marine-hydrogen-fuel-506891
Imagine no more diesel or petrol contaminating our harbors and oceans
Here's a 70kW EODev Hydrogen Genset for portable green power, 70,000 watts and barely any noise. Ever hear a 70kW petrol generator? How about a 5kW petrol generator? It's loud. I have one.
An extremely quiet demo of the future of Marine energy. The H2 energy revolution continues in August, 2023
Yanmar Announces 300kW Marine Hydrogen Fuel Cell System
Yanmar Announces Marine Hydrogen Fuel Cell System
Marinelink.com | July 31, 2023
Yanmar Power Technology has commercialized its marine hydrogen fuel cell system.
The system is initially targeted at passenger ships, work boats, and cargo ships that navigate coastal areas where hydrogen replenishment is relatively easy.
Yanmar participated in the development of Japan’s safety guidelines for hydrogen fuel cell ships and the formulation of a roadmap for the use of hydrogen in the shipping sector. It has also conducted demonstrations on test boats and performed 70 MPa high-pressure hydrogen filling tests.
The system achieves zero emissions of CO2, NOx, SOx and PM. It is low vibration and low noise, and the gas valve unit is built into the system housing, making it easy to mount on the hull. The standard system is rated for 300kW power output and weighs 3 tons...more
https://www.marinelink.com/news/yanmar-announces-marine-hydrogen-fuel-506891
Imagine no more diesel or petrol contaminating our harbors and oceans
Here's a 70kW EODev Hydrogen Genset for portable green power, 70,000 watts and barely any noise. Ever hear a 70kW petrol generator? How about a 5kW petrol generator? It's loud. I have one.
An extremely quiet demo of the future of Marine energy. The H2 energy revolution continues in August, 2023
July 30, 2023
There’s no such thing as a new nuclear golden age–just old industry hands trying to make a buck
Fortune.com | Stephanie Cooke | Fri, July 28, 2023
Since the turn of the millennium, at least $50 billion has been spent on a frantic effort to create a new Golden Age for nuclear energy in the U.S. Billions more are being lavished on an even more desperate effort to launch small reactors as supposedly safer, cheaper alternatives to yesteryear’s elephant-sized versions. Most of the money comes from ratepayers and taxpayers, accompanied by an avalanche of public relations that rivals the 1950s “Atoms for Peace” campaign with its claims of “too cheap to meter” electricity.
So far, the effort has produced little in tangible assets: roughly one gigawatt of capacity from the Watts Bar-2 reactor completed after decades of on-and-off-again construction and the promise of 2 GW from the long-delayed Plant Vogtle in Georgia. So far, not a single molecule of CO2 emissions has been avoided by a new reactor, and the primary beneficiaries are not the people who paid but publicly-owned utilities, reactor design companies, and PR and law firms. They are part of a chorus of advocacy groups and government agencies, led by the Department of Energy (DOE), advancing the idea that low-carbon nuclear is essential to any long-term climate change solution.
The story is selling well but the push for more and more money—in direct subsidies, ratepayer financing, and government grants or loans–has a dark side. To cite just a few examples, former state officials and utility executives in Illinois and Ohio face lengthy prison terms for bribery schemes linked to subsidies for unprofitable nuclear plants. In South Carolina, two former Scana executives received prison sentences after pleading guilty to criminal charges in 2020 and 2021 over a nuclear project that ultimately collapsed. Two Westinghouse executives also charged are facing a similar fate, with one still awaiting trial in October.
When it comes to costs and schedules, the lack of honesty surrounding nuclear projects is often breathtaking. In Georgia, where two Westinghouse reactors at Vogtle have been under construction since 2009, only one is completed and is now struggling to achieve commercial operation after multiple unplanned reactor and turbine trips, according to recent Georgia Public Service Commission staff testimony. That testimony also included allegations that utility executives have been providing “materially inaccurate” cost estimates over the project’s life. Vogtle’s estimated total $33 billion cost, as outlined in the testimony, versus $13.3 billion originally estimated makes it the most expensive power plant ever built in the United States. Most of the tab is being footed by ratepayers, with the US taxpayer, via DOE, providing $12 billion in loans...more
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/no-thing-nuclear-golden-age-152936625.html
ALT: https://fortune.com/2023/07/28/no-new-nuclear-golden-age-just-old-industry-hands-trying-to-make-a-buck-energy-politics-stephanie-cooke/
Stephanie Cooke is the former editor of Nuclear Intelligence Weekly and author of In Mortal Hands: A Cautionary History of the Nuclear Age.
And some Nuclear advocates try to paint anyone and everyone that dares advocate a different path "grifters" LOL Hilarious. To use a familiar bunch of words: "It has not worked, it isn't working and it will not work in the future."
To those who create mountains of radioactive waste so they can juice up their tablets and iphones and then pass that radioactive waste on to future generations to deal with: History should not forgive you
There's no such thing as a new nuclear golden age-just old industry hands trying to make a buck
There’s no such thing as a new nuclear golden age–just old industry hands trying to make a buck
Fortune.com | Stephanie Cooke | Fri, July 28, 2023
Since the turn of the millennium, at least $50 billion has been spent on a frantic effort to create a new Golden Age for nuclear energy in the U.S. Billions more are being lavished on an even more desperate effort to launch small reactors as supposedly safer, cheaper alternatives to yesteryear’s elephant-sized versions. Most of the money comes from ratepayers and taxpayers, accompanied by an avalanche of public relations that rivals the 1950s “Atoms for Peace” campaign with its claims of “too cheap to meter” electricity.
So far, the effort has produced little in tangible assets: roughly one gigawatt of capacity from the Watts Bar-2 reactor completed after decades of on-and-off-again construction and the promise of 2 GW from the long-delayed Plant Vogtle in Georgia. So far, not a single molecule of CO2 emissions has been avoided by a new reactor, and the primary beneficiaries are not the people who paid but publicly-owned utilities, reactor design companies, and PR and law firms. They are part of a chorus of advocacy groups and government agencies, led by the Department of Energy (DOE), advancing the idea that low-carbon nuclear is essential to any long-term climate change solution.
The story is selling well but the push for more and more money—in direct subsidies, ratepayer financing, and government grants or loans–has a dark side. To cite just a few examples, former state officials and utility executives in Illinois and Ohio face lengthy prison terms for bribery schemes linked to subsidies for unprofitable nuclear plants. In South Carolina, two former Scana executives received prison sentences after pleading guilty to criminal charges in 2020 and 2021 over a nuclear project that ultimately collapsed. Two Westinghouse executives also charged are facing a similar fate, with one still awaiting trial in October.
When it comes to costs and schedules, the lack of honesty surrounding nuclear projects is often breathtaking. In Georgia, where two Westinghouse reactors at Vogtle have been under construction since 2009, only one is completed and is now struggling to achieve commercial operation after multiple unplanned reactor and turbine trips, according to recent Georgia Public Service Commission staff testimony. That testimony also included allegations that utility executives have been providing “materially inaccurate” cost estimates over the project’s life. Vogtle’s estimated total $33 billion cost, as outlined in the testimony, versus $13.3 billion originally estimated makes it the most expensive power plant ever built in the United States. Most of the tab is being footed by ratepayers, with the US taxpayer, via DOE, providing $12 billion in loans...more
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/no-thing-nuclear-golden-age-152936625.html
ALT: https://fortune.com/2023/07/28/no-new-nuclear-golden-age-just-old-industry-hands-trying-to-make-a-buck-energy-politics-stephanie-cooke/
Stephanie Cooke is the former editor of Nuclear Intelligence Weekly and author of In Mortal Hands: A Cautionary History of the Nuclear Age.
And some Nuclear advocates try to paint anyone and everyone that dares advocate a different path "grifters" LOL Hilarious. To use a familiar bunch of words: "It has not worked, it isn't working and it will not work in the future."
To those who create mountains of radioactive waste so they can juice up their tablets and iphones and then pass that radioactive waste on to future generations to deal with: History should not forgive you
July 29, 2023
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) speaking at the Capitol. Alex Brandon/AP Photo
The coming Manchin-Biden feud over ‘clean hydrogen’
Eenews.net | Nico Portuondo | 07/28/2023
West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin is gearing up for yet another fight with the Biden administration, this time over how to implement a tax subsidy for “clean hydrogen,” a key part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
There’s a big difference this time around: He has allies on his left.
Unlike his feud with President Joe Biden over electric vehicle tax credits, the Energy and Natural Resources chair has the backing of leading Senate Democrats who want to see a nascent energy industry succeed and not be hamstrung by regulation.
“We need hydrogen,” said Senate Environment and Public Works Chair Tom Carper (D-Del.). “We need hydrogen to decarbonize, among other things, big trucks, big buses, and there may be some use to address aviation emissions.” It all comes down to a still-unresolved question: What exactly is clean hydrogen? ...more
https://www.eenews.net/articles/the-coming-manchin-biden-feud-over-clean-hydrogen/
An excellent and detailed article about the coming Green H2 fight
Meanwhile, China is becoming the global leader in the hydrogen industry - in just ~6 years.
Lead, Follow or GTF out of the way.
The coming Manchin-Biden feud over 'clean hydrogen'
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) speaking at the Capitol. Alex Brandon/AP Photo
The coming Manchin-Biden feud over ‘clean hydrogen’
Eenews.net | Nico Portuondo | 07/28/2023
West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin is gearing up for yet another fight with the Biden administration, this time over how to implement a tax subsidy for “clean hydrogen,” a key part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
There’s a big difference this time around: He has allies on his left.
Unlike his feud with President Joe Biden over electric vehicle tax credits, the Energy and Natural Resources chair has the backing of leading Senate Democrats who want to see a nascent energy industry succeed and not be hamstrung by regulation.
“We need hydrogen,” said Senate Environment and Public Works Chair Tom Carper (D-Del.). “We need hydrogen to decarbonize, among other things, big trucks, big buses, and there may be some use to address aviation emissions.” It all comes down to a still-unresolved question: What exactly is clean hydrogen? ...more
https://www.eenews.net/articles/the-coming-manchin-biden-feud-over-clean-hydrogen/
An excellent and detailed article about the coming Green H2 fight
Meanwhile, China is becoming the global leader in the hydrogen industry - in just ~6 years.
Lead, Follow or GTF out of the way.
July 29, 2023
The vast majority of nuclear waste is stored at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation facility at Lucas Heights in Sydney. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/AAP
Australia’s nuclear waste is scattered in ‘cupboards and filing cabinets’ – and the pile is growing
Courts have quashed a decision to store water in Kimbra, meaning there is still no centralised repository in the country
The Guardian | Tory Shepherd | Fri 28 Jul 2023
More than 20 tonnes of reprocessed nuclear fuel will stay at Australia’s only reactor in southern Sydney, while nuclear waste will remain scattered in “cupboards and filing cabinets” around the country, after the federal court blocked plans for a long-term storage site in outback South Australia.
The site in Kimba was selected more than 40 years after Australia started planning for a centralised repository. But this month, that decision was quashed by the courts...
The inventory predicted that the 2,490 cubic metres of low-level waste will more than quadruple to 13,287 within the next five decades...
Lowe says only Finland and Sweden have managed to solve the issue with long-term waste storage, and they did it by finding communities who are keen to have the waste in return for investment...more
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/29/nuclear-waste-australia-how-much-why-kimba-lucas-heights
Barngarla Traditional owners protest outside the Federal Court in Adelaide. Photograph: Matt Turner/AAP
Australia's nuclear waste is scattered in 'cupboards and filing cabinets' - and the pile is growing
The vast majority of nuclear waste is stored at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation facility at Lucas Heights in Sydney. Photograph: Tracey Nearmy/AAP
Australia’s nuclear waste is scattered in ‘cupboards and filing cabinets’ – and the pile is growing
Courts have quashed a decision to store water in Kimbra, meaning there is still no centralised repository in the country
The Guardian | Tory Shepherd | Fri 28 Jul 2023
More than 20 tonnes of reprocessed nuclear fuel will stay at Australia’s only reactor in southern Sydney, while nuclear waste will remain scattered in “cupboards and filing cabinets” around the country, after the federal court blocked plans for a long-term storage site in outback South Australia.
The site in Kimba was selected more than 40 years after Australia started planning for a centralised repository. But this month, that decision was quashed by the courts...
The inventory predicted that the 2,490 cubic metres of low-level waste will more than quadruple to 13,287 within the next five decades...
Lowe says only Finland and Sweden have managed to solve the issue with long-term waste storage, and they did it by finding communities who are keen to have the waste in return for investment...more
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jul/29/nuclear-waste-australia-how-much-why-kimba-lucas-heights
Barngarla Traditional owners protest outside the Federal Court in Adelaide. Photograph: Matt Turner/AAP
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