Resurgence of nuclear power not likely to happen

After the disasters at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, years passed before anyone took seriously the idea of a nuclear revival. Then our friend the atom started making a comeback.

Rising demand for energy provided a boost. And the outpouring of concern about climate change put fossil fuels and their carbon emissions at center stage as environmental enemy No. 1. Utilities across the country began laying the groundwork for new reactors, following the lead of Europe and Asia.

Yet talk of a “nuclear renaissance” has run into a financial meltdown.

Nuclear plant proponents overlook drought’s reality

Two recent Express-News articles were highly predictive of South Texas’s future: “This dry spell may be the drought of record” and “Energy giant wants to keep Guadalupe River water rights.” The two highlight the relationship between nuclear power and water.

Global warming studies predict South Texas will experience longer and more severe droughts.

The future is here and its reality is staring us in the face.

Exelon Nuclear will close Victoria office, eliminate local community outreach position

Exelon Nuclear’s local office will close and Bill Harris’ position as manager of community outreach for Texas will be eliminated, Harris announced Tuesday.

“I was not laid off,” he said to about 60 people at the Victoria Economic Development Corporation’s Victoria Partnership meeting. “I still have a job, just not here.”

Exelon Still Holding On To Guadalupe Water

Exelon Energy’s plans to build two nuclear reactors near Victoria may be on hold, but it hasn’t stopped the power company from reserving the rights to 75,000 acre-feet of precious Guadalupe River water for another year - and maybe longer.

The deal, which the Chicago-based energy behemoth inked with the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, has worried some Victoria-area residents.

They argue the river doesn’t hold enough water to quench the region’s current thirst, let alone feed the massive reservoir needed to cool nuclear reactors.

As Guadalupe River Reaches Critical Levels, TSEPA Contends: Not Enough Water for Exelon

With the Guadalupe River reaching critical levels, members of Texans for a Sound Energy Policy Alliance (TSEPA) today question how the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority (GBRA) and Exelon continue to believe that there is enough water for the proposed Exelon nuclear power plant near Victoria.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that much of the Guadalupe River was running at less than 10 percent of its normal flow. On June 22, 2009 the Victoria Advocate reported that a city official confirmed the Guadalupe River dropped so low over the weekend that the city of Victoria had to stop pumping water for a few hours.

NRG Argues Exelon Hostile Takeover Not A Done Deal

NRG, the US power generator, is objecting to talk by Exelon that it will have its hostile takeover of NRG completed by the end of the year to form the largest US power producer.

NRG, which has been pushing back against the $6.2bn bid, notes that the approval from FERC (Federal Regulation and Oversight of Energy) regulators, granted last week, in no way guarantees the deal will go through. Indeed, NRG says, numerous approvals still must be obtained:

Exelon: Tritium leak found early

Exelon Nuclear is digging deep today for the source of a tritiated water leak at Dresden Generating Station at Morris.

The incident – discovered via a monitoring well on Tuesday, June 2, and officially confirmed Thursday, June 4 – is confined within the station site. This is the second incident of its kind for Dresden, which successfully capped off and replaced a leaking pipe in December 2006.

NRG Energy, Inc. Sends Letter to NRG Stockholders

PRINCETON, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NRG) today filed its preliminary proxy statement and sent the following letter to NRG stockholders regarding Exelon Corporation’s (NYSE: EXC) attempt to expand NRG’s Board of Directors from its current 13 directors to 19 directors and elect a slate of its nine directors to NRG’s Board of Directors, all to impose on NRG’s stockholders its wholly inadequate, highly conditional and risky unsolicited proposal to acquire NRG by means of its offer to exchange 0.485 of its shares for each share of NRG stock.

Exelon opts for resurgent ABWR

A GE Hitachi reactor should be built by Exelon at Victoria after all. The utility dropped the ESBWR design in November last year, but will now use the ABWR design instead.

NRG Energy Asks Exelon To Withdraw Board Expansion Plan

NRG Energy Inc.’s (NRG) board and management asked Exelon Corp. (EXC) to withdraw its proposal to expand NRG’s board, saying changes could cause the acceleration of the company’s debt.