Geology News
Nuclear Power Current Events

Exxon Mobil has an animation that compares the surface footprint of various energy production methods: wind, coal mining, nuclear power and unconventional gas.

Fossil fuels play an enormous role in Australia’s economy. However, their roles will change significantly with new carbon taxes and a goal of cutting emissions to 80% below 2000 levels by 2050.

“The mining industry has recognized for years that the world’s nuclear power plants use more uranium than is being mined.” Quoted from the Arizona Geology blog.

“Canada is a net exporter of most energy commodities and is an especially significant producer of conventional and unconventional oil, natural gas, and hydroelectricity. It stands out as the largest foreign supplier of energy to the United States [...]. Just as the United States depends on Canada for much of its energy needs, so is Canada profoundly dependent on the United States as an export market. Quoted from the Energy Information Administration country report.

Low natural gas prices are causing some electric utilities to rethink their plans for nuclear power plants. Nuclear plants are extremely expensive, take years to develop and carry a large financial risk. This makes generation with natural gas more attractive.

Civilian nuclear power plant owners in the United States purchased 55 million pounds U₃O₈e in 2011 at an average price of $55.64 per pound U₃O₈e. Foreign-origin uranium accounted for 91% of the purchases and was sourced mainly from Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan, Brazil, China, Malawi, Namibia, Niger, South Africa, and Ukraine. Prices were up sharply.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission voted to approve Southern Company’s application to build and operate two new nuclear reactors [...] near Augusta, Georgia. The combined construction and operating license will make the Vogtle units the first to receive construction approval in over 30 years.

T. Boone Pickens says that he is for American energy and makes a pitch for energy independence.

An article on the Bloomberg.com website explores how the United States is starting to approach energy self-sufficiency with rising oil output, developing shale gas fields and growth in renewable sources.

Uranium consumption currently exceeds production by over 70 million pounds per year and the source that currently supplies overconsumption will deplete in the next few years.

A Washington Post article presents how people in Japan have new ideas about nuclear power since the March 2011 earthquake/tsunami.