HEARING
Hearing on "The Fiscal Year 2022 DOE Budget"
House Committee on Energy & Commerce | 5/18/21
The Subcommittee on Energy of the Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold a hearing on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, at 10:30 a.m. via Cisco Webex. The hearing is entitled, "The Fiscal Year 2022 DOE Budget."
NUCLEAR POWER
Nuclear Industry Warns World Leaders Reactor Shutdowns Could Derail Net-Zero Plans
NuclearNet | 5/14/21
Key groups representing the global nuclear industry have written an open letter to world leaders warning that the proposed retirement of existing nuclear plants could derail the net-zero transition and calling for the technology to have the same access to
climate finance as renewables.
The Canadian Nuclear Association, Foratom, the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, the Nuclear Energy Institute, the Nuclear Industry Association and the World Nuclear Association have jointly called on countries to accelerate nuclear investment as part of the net-zero movement.
The groups warn that planned retirements of nuclear plants represent “the single greatest loss of clean power in world history” and that without additional capacity and investment into the sector, the need to reach net-zero could be derailed. The groups estimate that more than 100GW of nuclear capacity will retire globally within 20 years.
Specifically, the letter calls for equal access to climate finance for nuclear technologies alongside low-carbon and renewables and for new nuclear plants to replace retiring capacity to maintain current generation levels. It urges the expansion of civil nuclear energy across the world and the inclusion of nuclear in individual countries’ emissions reduction plans.
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WIPP
Utility shaft at Waste Isolation Pilot Plant debated during first day of State hearings
Carlsbad Current-Argus | 5/18/2021
A new exhaust shaft could be built at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant nuclear waste repository near Carlsbad, which supporters argued would improve airflow and access to the underground section of the facility where waste is permanently disposed of in an underground saltbed.
Opponents of the project argued the shaft was also intended to extend WIPP’s operations beyond the previous closure date of 2024 prescribed in the facility’s permit with the New Mexico Environment Department.
A new permit was being drafted and the closure date was likely to be pushed back, but to build the shaft the U.S. Department of Energy must acquire a modification of the current permit from NMED.
Previously, NMED granted the DOE and WIPP’s primary contractor Nuclear Waste Partnership a temporary authorization to begin constructing the shaft and later denied an extension of that authorization citing rising COVID-19 infections at the facility.
Read "NWP awards contract to complete construction of WIPP ventilation system" press release here.
NUCLEAR FUEL
SMALL MODULAR REACTOR
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
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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