Northwest Company Gets Closer To Building Small Nuclear Reactors
Listen
A Northwest company is aiming to build the country’s first house-sized reactor that can put electricity onto the grid.
It recently cleared a big hurdle with the federal government, passing part of a safety review by the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
“They look at every aspect of our design in terms of safety,” said Jose Reyes, co-founder of NuScale Power, based in Corvallis, Oregon.
These small modular reactors are essentially scaled-down nuclear plants. They’re called “modular” because the idea is that power companies could add as many of them as their customer-base requires.
“You can add modules as modules are needed, as the regional demand increases. They’re very flexible. They’re factory-built,” Reyes said.
The company hopes to build a pilot project in Idaho by 2025. That plant would be licensed by the Utah Associate Municipal Power Systems as it decommissions some of its coal-fired power plants.
Reyes said many utilities with whom they are in talks are also thinking of using this technology as they shut down coal plants.
“I think it could have a big impact on reducing carbon emissions, really, worldwide,” Reyes said.
That Idaho plant would have 12 modules and could power a city the size of Portland.
Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility has long opposed nuclear power — it says small modular reactors bring the same threats to human health and the environment as those posed by larger-scale nuclear plants, including radioactive waste from spent nuclear fuel.
“(Small modular reactors) still present a huge hazard in the form of meltdowns or other catastrophes. It’s just not a risk that we have to take,” said Damon Motz-Storey, clean energy organizer with Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility.
Copyright 2018 Earthfix
Related Stories:
Investigadores de Oregón ayudan a viticultores a afrontar el cambio climático y el humo
Investigadores están desarrollando revestimientos especiales para proteger los vinos del noroeste de cualquier sabor a humo. Continue Reading Investigadores de Oregón ayudan a viticultores a afrontar el cambio climático y el humo
New study finds high mercury levels in Snake River smallmouth bass in Idaho, Oregon
Smallmouth bass are good indicators of methylmercury exposure to humans and wildlife because they are a common, popular sport fish and eat a variety of food during their lifetime. (Credit:… Continue Reading New study finds high mercury levels in Snake River smallmouth bass in Idaho, Oregon
Oregon joins Washington in having a full time tribal affairs director on governor’s staff
Shana McConville Radford is taking on the newly-formed position of tribal affairs director with the state of Oregon. (Courtesy of Shana McConville Radford) Listen (Runtime :57) Read Oregon Gov. Tina… Continue Reading Oregon joins Washington in having a full time tribal affairs director on governor’s staff