Georgia Power orders first fuel load for Vogtle Unit 4
Georgia Power has ordered the first nuclear fuel load for Vogtle Unit 4, completing the initial fuel order needed to operate the first newly designed reactors in the U.S. in 30 years. Fuel for Unit 3 was ordered last summer, and completing the fuel order for Unit 4 marks another significant milestone at the Vogtle nuclear expansion near Waynesboro, Georgia.
Consisting of 157 fuel assemblies measuring 14 feet tall each, the fuel will be loaded into the reactor vessels to support startup once the reactors begin operating. After the initial fueling, approximately one-third of the total fuel assemblies will be replaced during each refueling outage, similar to the process used at existing Vogtle Units 1 & 2. In addition, workers have successfully installed 10 of the 16 shield building courses of panels that surround the Unit 4 containment vessel, providing an additional layer of safety to protect the structure from any potential impacts.
For more information, visit www.georgiapower.com or call (888) 660-5890.
U.S. leads world in power sector CO2 emission reductions
Emissions trends for 2019 suggest clean energy transitions are underway, led by the power sector. In advanced economies, CO2 emissions are now at levels not seen since the late 1980s (when electricity demand was one-third lower).
Economic growth in advanced economies averaged 1.7 percent in 2019, but total energy- related CO2 emissions fell by 3.2 percent. The power sector led the decline and now accounts for 36 percent of energy-related emissions across advanced economies, down from a high of 42 percent in 2012. The average CO2 emissions intensity of electricity generation declined by nearly 6.5 percent in 2019, a rate three times faster than the average over the past decade.
The U.S. saw the largest decline in energy- related CO2 emissions in 2019 on a country basis. U.S. emissions are now down almost a metric gigaton from their peak in 2000, the largest absolute decline by any country over that period.
For more information, visit www.iea.org or call +33 (0)1 40 57 65 00.
DOE funding $50 million in fusion energy R&D
DOE plans to grant up to $50 million in crosscutting departmental funding for programs to support fusion energy R&D.
DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) and the Office of Science's Fusion Energy Sciences program (FES) will award up to $30 million in funding to research and develop a range of enabling technologies required for commercially attractive fusion energy.
"The successful development of fusion energy systems has the potential to create an abundant, safe, carbon-free power source for a wide range of uses," said ARPA-E Director Lane Genatowski. "We're excited to partner with the Fusion Energy Sciences program ... Together, we are equipping America's energy researchers with the funding, technical assistance, and market readiness to create the energy systems of the future."
For more information, visit www.energy.gov or call (202) 586-5000.
GE completes first battery-assisted black start of heavy-duty gas turbine
GE has successfully completed a battery energy storage-assisted black start of a GE 7F.03 gas turbine at the 150-megawatt (MW) simple-cycle unit at Entergy Louisiana's Perryville Power Station. This is the first time GE has achieved a black start of a GE heavy-duty gas turbine using energy storage. A "black start" consists of rebooting an idle power plant without support from the grid in the event of a major system disruption or system-wide blackout.
The Perryville Power Station is supported by GE's 7.4-MW battery-based energy storage system, paired with the plant's simple-cycle gas turbine.
For more information, visit www.ge.com or call (617) 443-3000.
New study finds nuclear energy key for clean energy goals
Energy Northwest has unveiled a new study by Energy + Environmental Economics that lays out a path to reliably achieve 100-percent carbon- free energy by 2045. The study identifies pathways to reduce carbon emissions that include preserving current nuclear plants through second license renewals and deploying innovative small modular reactors (SMRs). These findings build on a consensus that nuclear energy will be needed to meet climate goals because it provides reliable carbon-free electricity, 24/7.
Nuclear Energy Institute President and CEO Maria Korsnick commented that the study "clearly demonstrates the important role of nuclear energy in a carbon-free future," adding that the cost feasibility of SMRs proves they "can be a critical component of any plan to reach net-zero carbon emissions in a cost-effective way."
For more information, visit www.nei.org or www.energy-northwest.com.