Energy Briefs

Dept. of Energy to fund nuclear projects in California.

EDITOR’S NOTE Energy Briefs is a weekly recollection of local, regional and national news regarding some of the most intriguing updates regarding energy, water, and the environment.

Last week the U.S. Department of Energy announced the awarding of almost $67 million for nuclear energy research, facility access, technology development and infrastructure projects to 28 states, including $3.9 million for five projects in California.

The funding is for nuclear energy-related research through the Nuclear Energy University Program, Nuclear Science User Facilities, and Nuclear Energy Enabling Technologies programs.

“Investing in the future of nuclear energy is an important strategic priority for the Energy Department,” said Ed McGinnis, DOE’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy. “Nuclear energy technologies contribute to our economy, our environment, and our national security, and I look forward to seeing these projects add to those contributions in the years ahead.”

The California State University in East Bay was allocated $785,000 to investigate the effects of calcite impurities on uranium sorption, the Electric Power Research Institute will receive $817,000 to study why Zircaloy-2 material shows high hydrogen pickup and variability in boiling water reactor environments and investigate the correlation between the irradiated Zircaloy-2 oxide layer resistivity and hydrogen pickup.

The University of California in Berkeley will also receive $1.6 million for two different projects, the main one to develop a methodology for the design of a molten salt reactor.

Renewables benchmark

Also, the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported that according to its March data, solar and wind power generation accounted for more than 10 percent of all of the U.S. power generation for the first time.

For the month of March, wind power made up 8 percent of electricity generation while solar utility scale and rooftop accounted for an additional 2 percent.

Just one decade ago wind and solar accounted for less than 1 percent of U.S. electricity generation. During 2016, the average generation of wind and solar was 7 percent.

According to the EIA, electricity generation from wind and solar follows seasonal patterns that reflect the seasonal availability of wind and sunshine.

Within the United States, wind patterns vary based on geography. Wind-powered generating units in Texas, Oklahoma, and nearby states often have their highest output in spring months, while wind-powered generators in California are more likely to have their highest output in summer months.

In almost all states, wind power makes up a larger share of the state’s total electricity generation than solar.

Among the top dozen states, only California and Arizona had more solar generation than wind in 2016. Three states in the top 12 — Iowa, Kansas, and North Dakota — had no generation from utility-scale solar plants in 2016 and relatively little output from small-scale solar photovoltaic systems.

EPA

Once again the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has been under fire due to the actions he has taken as the head of the agency in the few months he’s been in charge.

Last week, during budget hearings Pruitt defended the White House intentions of cutting 31 percent of the EPA’s budget which includes the elimination of essential programs as well as a 20 percent workforce reduction.

J. David Cox Sr. of the National President American Federation of Government Employees, the union which represents EPA workers, expressed his concern through a written statement June 15.

“Administrator Pruitt and the President want the American people to think that these cuts — and the rollbacks of life-saving regulations — are good for our country. They’re not. Study after study has proven that regulations put forth by the EPA have saved lives and money, and have actually spurred innovation and create jobs,” Cox said. “Working people at the EPA take no sides when it comes to politics. They only want to follow through on their agency’s mission. They’ve dedicated their careers to making sure we all have air and water that is free of dangerous pollutants.”

The hearings were not the only actions that have resulted in backlash for Pruitt. Last week, Pruitt proposed holding two regulations for two years while it reconsiders implementation, one of the rules would limit methane leaks at drilling sites and set standards for equipment and employee certification within the oil and gas drilling sector as part of a federal effort to cut pollution of methane, a greenhouse gas with 25 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide.

Also during the previous week, Pruitt gave a directive to delay the chemical plant safety standards until at least late February 2019.

The EPA announced Monday that Pruitt signed a directive Friday delaying the chemical plant safety standards until at least Feb. 20, 2019.