NUCLEAR WASTE
Premature Nuclear Reactor Retirements Could Effect Nuclear Waste Disposal
Forbes | 12/29/2020
Nuclear power has accounted for 20% of electricity generated in the U.S. each year since 1990. But even with climate concerns and a worldwide movement to reduce CO2 emissions, the market is not rewarding nuclear power’s zero-carbon generation nor its unrivaled reliability. More than a quarter of U.S. nuclear power plants don’t make enough money to cover their operating costs, raising the threat of more
early retirements.
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NATIONAL LABS
Los Alamos National Laboratory may get boost in nuclear funding
Santa Fe New Mexican | 12/29/2020
Los Alamos National Laboratory will get a hefty funding boost — including for its work on plutonium pit production — in the military spending bill held up by a presidential veto.
Many predict the veto will be overridden, and if it is, the lab’s budget will increase to $3.3 billion from the $2.3 billion allocated last year.
The bill puts $837 million into the lab’s plutonium operations, more than double the previous year’s $308 million, as Los Alamos pursues production of 30 nuclear bomb cores by 2026 — a goal critics have questioned.
Plans call for the Savannah River Site in South Carolina to make an additional 50 plutonium pits by 2030, so the two facilities will produce a combined 80 pits per year as stated in the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review.
TRANSPORTATION
New Mexico Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation Symposium
NEI | 12/31/2020
Join NEI’s free webinar, "New Mexico Spent Nuclear Fuel Transportation Symposium," where you will have the opportunity to engage industry experts regarding spent fuel transportation in New Mexico.
The U.S. nuclear industry is anticipating the completion of consolidated interim storage facilities in New Mexico and Texas with the ability to receive spent nuclear fuel as early as 2024. As the U.S. prepares for the transportation of the spent fuel, this symposium provides an opportunity for New Mexico elected officials, state and local first responders, emergency management, as well as state regional
and tribal organizations to engage industry experts and join the ongoing conversation.
NUCLEAR
LEGISLATION
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT
Read about DOE's High Level Waste Interpretation
Have questions about DOE’s recent high-level waste (HLW) interpretation? Download ECA’s Key Points and FAQs on the issue to better understand what ECA believes are the potential benefits of implementation.
Interested in learning more? Read the ECA report “Making Informed Decisions on DOE's Proposed High Level Waste Definition” at www.energyca.org/publications
Stay Current on Activities in the DOE World
Read the latest edition of the ECA Bulletin, a regular newsletter providing a detailed brief of ECA activities, legislative news, and major events from across the DOE complex. Have suggestions for future editions? Email bulletin@energyca.org.
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Learn More about Cleanup Sites with ECA's DOE Site Profiles
ECA's new site profiles detail DOE's 13 active Environmental Management cleanup sites and national laboratories, highlighting their history, missions, and priorities. The profiles are a key source for media, stakeholders, and the public to learn more about DOE site activities, contractors, advisory boards, and their surrounding local
governments.
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