Power grid and stations

Hitachi, GE to develop smaller nuclear reactors
There is a growing demand in countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand for midsize nuclear reactors; Hitachi and GE respond
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WHO, IAEA is simulated nuclear accident drill
The World Health Organization and the International Atomic Energy Agency collaborate in a nuclear accident drill at the Laguna Verde nuclear power plant in Mexico
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GAO strongly criticizes DoE over Hanford clean-up
More than 210 million liters of radioactive and chemical waste are stored in 177 underground tanks at Hanford in Washington State; most are more than fifty years old; GAO says there now “serious questions about the tanks’ long-term viability”
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French authorities ban water use following nuclear leak
Safety agencies in France are playing down the risk to public health from Tuesday’s uranium leak at the Tricastin nuclear plant, but water-usage bans have worried skeptical residents and environmental organizations
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U.K. critical infrastructure vulnerable
New report says last summer’s flood showed infrastructure’s vulnerability; funding for flood defenses was not sufficient or secure, undermining industry confidence, and there were not enough skilled engineers to deliver the protection from flooding needed
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Oversight of fire protection at U.S. nuclear reactors could be strengthened
GAO examined the oversight exercised by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission over fire protection procedures at U.S. commercial nuclear power plants, and says this oversight could be strengthened
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U.K. leads world in nuclear energy investment
Te United Kingdom attracts the world’s leading energy companies to build the country’s next generation of nuclear power stations
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Flood protection call for utilities
Twelve months after the devastating U.K. floods a government agency says much more must be done to tackle the vulnerability of buildings such as power stations and hospitals to flooding
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Cyber mishap causes nuclear power plant shutdown
Worries about critical infrastructure vulnerabilities: The move to SCADA systems boosts efficiency at utilities because it allows workers to operate equipment remotely, but experts say it also exposes these once-closed systems to cyber attacks
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UAE upgrades security of energy infrastructure
UAE is the third-largest oil exporter in OPEC; emirate wants to protect its oil and gas infrastructure
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Power plants open to hacker attack
Power plants, dams, and many other critical infrastructure assets are controlled by a system called supervisory control and data acquisition, or SCADA; a Boston technology specialist finds serious vulnerability in the system
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Smarter electric grid key to saving power, I
Power providers and technology companies are making the electric grid smarter; it will stop being merely a passive supplier of juice; installing smart controls in homes would allow consumers to decide how much energy they need at what price
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Modernizing the U.S. electrical grid
The U.S. Department of Energy will invest $50 million in demonstration project aiming to improve efficiency in the U.S. electricity grid
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NTR invests in SES
Irish renewable energy company buys controlling interest in SES; SES is developing two of the world’s largest solar generating projects in the Imperial Valley and Mojave Desert
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Paris airport first in Europe to use geothermal power
Paris-Orly airport sits on a hot water table where the water temperature reaches 74 degrees C (165 degrees F) at a depth of 5,500 feet; management thought it would be a good idea to build a geothermal station to exploit this source of energy
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