Thursday, April 23, 2015

Brunswick NRC Inspectors Finding DG Day Tank Vent Pipe Violation Like Waterford?

So we are now heading towards a 2.206 on Waterford...(The 2.206 was going to be about missing missile protection on the DG day tank. I just found the NRC identified it on their CDBI inspection. So now the 2.206 is unnecessary.)

Does Waterford have tornado protection on day tank vent lines?
Roof- both A and B
dg fan-B
Dam CDBI- Specifically, between October 8 and 16, 2014, the licensee failed to initiate a condition report to evaluate the lack of missile protection on the emergency diesel generator A and B storage tank vents, a nonconformance that is a condition adverse to quality. In response to this issue, the licensee performed an operability determination to address the team’s concerns and initiated a separate condition report to document the failure to initiate a report for a condition adverse to quality.
So I am not going to have the issue Brunswick got a violation over not missile shields and the NRC ignored it in Waterford.
Bottom line, with the absent missile shield on the day tank vent lines, the DG vent fan being inop since the bugled maintenance on the B in 1999 and the corrosion on the dg day tank vent lines...the operability of the the diesel generators was impaired on multiple causes for decades. The NRC paper whips these guys on the isolated issues, they don't look at these things holistically, with  poor maintenance over multiple issue has cast a terrible possible reliability problem over both diesel generators. Basically thy don't hit Entergy with a big enough hammer to get they to globally change their tune.
You notice post CDBI missile protection finding they have picked it up at another plant-Brunswick. After all these years, why hasn't the NRC caught the divergent from licencing condition across multiple plants. Why is the industry so lackadaisical  with maintaining their original licencing conditions.
Waterford on the broken DG  fan picked up by luck, they weren't positively monitoring the DG ventilation flow...they by procedure didn't have a positive way to immediately detect a DG fan was broken.  
Bottom line, I doubt the NRC knows the totality of all the broken or degraded safety components and the deficiencies in the plant's organization at WaterFord...it is very worrisome. 
Just saying, the probability of tornado winds capable of damaging the DG day tank vent piping is not transparent.
No extent of condition with is the site within the plant design on severe weather.
I still say heavy winds could drive up debris onto the roof above the DG day tank and clog up the roof drain?  
I still say the adequate punishment would have been, you need to assume that the NRC didn't catch this, Waterford was incapable of catching it. The assumption should have been in some future both vent pipes would have rotted through, or tornado or hurricane winds would have picked up missile debris knocking off the badly corroded vent pipe...in a hurricane with a LOOP WaterFord would have lost both DGs on water intrusion into the day tank and been in a blackout. It should have been a red finding.

The worst this to do in plant accident is to tie the hands of the operators around their back...have degraded or broken equipment show up way down the EOPs. 

What you see on the big picture, the NRC has to bail them out with violations or exemptions, equipment fails over poor maintenance...Waterford can't catch problems on their own before accidents and failed equipment shows up.
As an interim action, a stainless steel pipe clamp with a rubber liner was installed around EDG Feed Tank
vent pipe to prevent water intrusion

http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/tornado/Louisiana/map

Tornadoes in Louisiana

Date(s) (yyyy-mm-dd)TornadoesFatalitiesHighest FatalitiesInjuriesHighest InjuriesLongest PathWidest Path
1950-02-12 - 2013-12-211827206 people47 people3339 people510 people234.7 miles3080 yards

Mike, so is there a difference between a day tank ventilation piping (Brunswick) and a day tank vent pipe (Waterford). They both fill of the Diesel Generator day tank and could take out the DG.

They really never mention specifically the DG  fuel oil. Bastards.

With ventilation you are usually talking moving air, bigger pipes and a motorized fan???

I am calling vent piping and ventilation piping the same...

Waterford's DG day tank vent pipe fiasco:
January 22, 2015 WATERFORD – NRC COMPONENT DESIGN BASES INSPECTION REPORT 05000382/2014007 AND PRELIMINARY GREATER THAN GREEN FINDING
 April 09, 2015: WATERFORD UNIT 3 – NRC SUPPLEMENTAL INSPECTION REPORT 05000382/2015010
See how incredibly erratic the NRC is with violating a plant. Two plants with NRC inspectors finding issues of the possible unreliability of the diesel generators that the plant staff's didn't find.

So Waterford repaired the corroded DG vent piping with rubber and hose clamp...how can that stand up to a tornado. Why didn't the NRC inspectors violate Waterford on tornado protection like Brunswick?

Introduction. The NRC identified a Green NCV of 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B, Criterion III,
Design Control, for failure to ensure adequate tornado missile protection for the EDG 4-day
Actually this is the first mention of fuel oil tank...I am certain its the vent line. Well, 99.5% certain.
fuel oil tank ventilation piping.
Description. On May 8, 2014, during a walkdown, the inspectors noted that the EDG 4-day fuel oil tank ventilation piping was not protected from tornado-borne missiles. The inspectors questioned the licensee on the whether this piping needed to be tornado protected, and if so, could it withstand the design basis tornado and rain event. On August 14, 2014, under WO 13421302, the licensee took corrective actions to place concrete blocks around the ventilation piping. An engineering evaluation was then performed that identified the worst case design basis tornado and rainfall scenario conditions and what effect those would have on EDG operation. It was determined that with the maximum 24-hour rainfall rate and a tornado missile shearing the ventilation piping at the roof level, the worst case scenario was the EDG1 4-day tank filling with Water  which would be transferred over to the EDG1 saddle tank. The saddle tank would fill to a level high enough to impact EDG operation in less than two hours. Following this evaluation, the licensee completed engineering change (EC) 96860 to install concrete barrier pads around the ventilation piping at the 4-day tank roof level to preclude a tornado missile impact at the most vulnerable part of the piping, and also preclude water accumulation on the roof from entering the EDG 4-day tanks. The inspectors reviewed the engineering evaluation, EC, and interviewed engineering personnel to understand the scenario and the impact to plant operation.
The Brunswick Original Final Safety Analysis Report (Appendix F) and Updated Final Safety Analysis Report (UFSAR), Chapter 3, contain the language of the regulatory requirements for the general design criteria listed in 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix A, and how the licensee complies with those criteria. Criterion 2 for protection against natural phenomena states, in part, that structures, systems, and components (SSCs) important to safety shall be designed to withstand the effects of natural phenomena such as earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, tsunami, and seiches without loss of capability to perform their safety functions. The licensee’s statement of compliance states, “SSCs important to safety have been designed with appropriate margin for uncertainties, to permit safe plant operation or shutdown even under conditions of the most severe natural phenomena which have been conservatively postulated to occur at the site.” Criterion 4 for missile design bases states, in part, that SSCs important to safety shall be appropriately protected against dynamic effects, including the effects of missiles, which may result from events and conditions outside the nuclear power unit. The licensee’s statement of compliance states, “SSCs important to safety have been designed with full consideration of the combined effects of the normal and postulated accident environment, including the effects of pipe whipping or other dynamic effects resulting from the accidents.” Section 3.5.1.4 of the UFSAR contains the specific analysis of four potential tornado-borne missiles and the effects on the plant. The impact of one of these missiles, shearing the EDG 4-day fuel oil tank ventilation line, along with water intrusion into the system from the design basis rainfall event, would prevent the EDG (an SSC important to safety) from performing its required safety function of providing a reliable source of AC power to the engineered safety features for safe shutdown of the plant or during design basis accidents.

Analysis. The inspectors determined the failure to ensure adequate tornado missile protection
There is the first mention of a fuel tank
for the EDG 4-day fuel oil tank ventilation piping was a performance deficiency that warranted a significance determination. The inspectors determined that the finding was more than minor in accordance with IMC 0612, “Power Reactor Inspection Reports,” Appendix B, “Issue Screening,” dated September 7, 2012, because it is associated with the Mitigating Systems Cornerstone attributes of Protection Against External Factors and Equipment Performance, and adversely affected the cornerstone objective to ensure the availability, reliability, and capability of systems that respond to initiating events to prevent undesirable consequences. Specifically, it was determined that the ventilation piping could be sheared with a design basis tornado missile at the 4-day fuel oil tank building roof level and water intrusion into the EDG fuel oil system would occur during a design basis rain event that would prevent the EDG from performing its required safety function. Using IMC 0609, Appendix A, issued June 19, 2012, The Significance Determination Process (SDP) for Findings At-Power, the inspectors determined the finding screened to a detailed risk evaluation since the EDG1 fuel oil system was assumed to be completely failed due to a tornado, and it would degrade one or more trains of a system that supports a risk significant system or function. The regional Senior Reactor Analyst performed a detailed risk evaluation by using a qualitative screening analysis to determine the significance of the finding. Tornado initiating event frequency was derived from Nation Weather Service data. Because of the low likelihood of a tornado powerful enough to throw an object of sufficient size to damage the piping, the remote chance the thrown object would strike the vent
Sounds like Fukushima reasoning...
pipe, and because the remaining EDGs would not be impacted in the same way by the tornado, the finding was determined to be Green. The inspectors did not identify a cross-cutting aspect associated with this finding because the finding is an old design issue that has been in place since original plant construction.
Enforcement: Title 10 CFR Part 50, Appendix B, Criterion III, “Design Control,” requires, in part, that measures be established to assure that applicable regulatory requirements and the design basis, as defined in Part 50.2 and as specified in the license application, for those structures, systems, and components to which this appendix applies, are correctly translated into specifications, drawings, procedures, and instructions.
Contrary to the above, since the initial construction of both units, until August 14, 2014, the licensee failed to translate the appropriate tornado missile protection requirements into the design of the EDG 4-day fuel oil tank ventilation piping. The licensee performed corrective actions to install concrete blocks around the tank ventilation piping. This violation is being treated as an NCV, consistent with Section 2.3.2.a of the Enforcement

Policy. The violation was entered into the licensee’s CAP as CR 686589. (NCV 05000324; 325/2014005-01, Failure to Protect Emergency Diesel Generator 4-Day Fuel Oil Tank Ventilation Piping from Tornado Missiles) 1R18 Plant Modifications (71111.18 – 1
Waterford
January 22, 2015 WATERFORD – NRC COMPONENT DESIGN BASES INSPECTION REPORT 05000382/2014007 AND PRELIMINARY GREATER THAN GREEN FINDING











New CDBI Inspection at Waterford, NRC says they could have melted down in Hurricane?


Updated on Apr 23: 0500382

See how in Brunswick the NRC inspectors discovered DG day tank vent pipe vulnerabilities... 

On Waterford's corroded DG day tank vent pipe, why wasn't it protected from tornadoes?  

Originally posted on 1/7/2015
This really ask us how close we are to a international incident. We are walking on a lot thinner ice as a nation than we realize.
By the way, even having safety related DG fuel oil tubing the operators have never been up to the roof?

More embarrassing than anything, Entergy's staff didn't catch this on their own. You notice the shadowy way the NRC hints the New Orleans severe weather and excessive rainfall could be outside the norms of anywhere else in the country. Stick that is risk perspective pipe and smoke it.





Hurricanes of Category 3 or greater passing within 100 miles of New Orleans 1852–2005. from NOAA

Waterford had in excess of 10 inches of rainfall in Katrina...had similar amounts in more recent hurricanes. Basically the NRC says, Waterford had corroded and leaking  fuel oil day tank(s) roof vent tubing. In a large rainfall, water on the roof would have ponded...would have covered the corrode tubes that had holes in it. You notice they don't show us pictures

The ponding water would have leaked into the diesels fuel oil tank and that would have permanently shutdown both diesel generator. The below is how the NRC frames it ( they don't say how many rainfall event). 
'Engineering review of the available meteorological tower data shows peak rain rates of 3.8 inches per hour have been experienced at the site in in the last two years." 
Per the NRC:
"It is unknown how long this corrosion has existed."  
So the huricane winds vibrates the thin wall corroded DG tubing, maybe the wind picks up debis and hit the tubing...this creates the break.

I believe all communication to the outside was lost in Katrina at Waterford. The grid was down for weeks and the plant was on the diesel generators for weeks. Here below the NRC says they would have stopped working:
"If required to operate after a Design Basis rainfall event over the past 3 years both the train A and B EDGs could have been inoperable due to water intrusion into the EDG Feed Tanks through the corroded holes." 
Here is the scenario. I wonder what size hurricane would now take take out the the transmission system surrounding Waterford. Did they upgrade the transmission?
1) The front side of the hurricane quickly takes out the transmission system.
2) The plant would immediately get re-energized by both diesel generators starting up and connecting to the buses. 
3) The eye wall would go over the plant...copious amounts of water would overwhelm the roof drains on the Reactor Auxiliary Building  roof in this first swipe. It would ensue huge ponding of water.
4) All during the front end of the hurricane, rain water would be draining into the the diesel generator local fuel oil tanks through the corroded vent line tube(s)
5) Shortly after eye wall would passes, both diesels generator would start sputtering. They would both trip and can't be started. Nobody would know why the DGs stopped. It would haunt the operators with not knowing why the DGs tripped.
6) It would be the first time a nuclear plant in the USA had to cycled into a station blackout procedure (SBO). If the accident gets under control at this point, can you imagine the hullabaloo with  the outsiders, that the roof corroded  DG fuel oil tubing got a plant into this position.
7) It would be the first time in the history of the world where the nuclear power plant staff tried to perform a SBO procedure in 110 MPH winds and copious rain.
8) Now how long does those emergency safety system batteries work?  I have no faith the portable dg would get
Can you even imagine how the cable networks and the newspapers would interpret this event? I believe maybe it would come to a fuel melt...probably not as bad a Fukushima. I don't  think you can get into a more complex event as this.

Here below is the LER on it. It doesn't seem the CDBI inspection report has come out yet.

By the way, they had three or four other dg fuel tubing leak through the years and poor maintenance leading to other leaks. You would think a nuclear plant would have high quality thick tubing who doesn't corrode in the weather? Where is the protective covering?
Emergency Diesel Generators Rendered Inoperable By Potential Water Intrusion Into Diesel Fuel Oil Feed Tanks 
LER-2014-04-00
During a walkdown of the Emergency Diesel Generator Feed Tank A and B vent lines on October 22, 2014, an NRC Component Design Basis Inspection inspector identified corrosion on the Emergency Diesel Generator Feed Tank A and B vent lines where the vent lines pass through the roof. A visual inspection was performed and revealed that the corrosion had created through wall holes that could allow water into both the train A and B Emergency Diesel Generator Feed Tanks. Follow up analysis has determined that some rainfall amount less than the postulated Probable Maximum Precipitation event could have resulted in water intrusion into the Emergency Diesel Generator A and B Feed Tanks that exceeds the 0.1 percent water content allowed by the vendor technical manual. This could have potentially affected the operability of both the A and B Train Emergency Diesel Generator Feed Tanks and subsequently both trains of the Emergency Diesel Generators. It is unknown how long this corrosion has existed. Compensatory measures were put in place to prevent water ingress should a large rainfall event occur. Follow up analysis has determined that some amount of rainfall less than the postulated Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) event could have resulted in sufficient water ponding on the Reactor Auxiliary Building (RAB) [NF] roof to allow water intrusion into the EDG A and B Feed Tanks that could exceed the 0.1 percent water content allowed by the vendor technical manual. This could have affected the operability of both the A and B Train Emergency Diesel Generator Feed Tanks and Emergency Diesel Generators. Engineering review of the available meteorological tower data shows peak rain rates of 3.8 inches per hour have been experienced at the site in in the last two years. Based on the follow-up evaluation, these rainfall rates could have potentially resulted ponding on the RAB roof that would allow in water ingress into the EDG Feed tanks. These rain events have been followed by successful EDG monthly tests. If required to operate after a Design Basis rainfall event over the past 3 years both the train A and B EDGs could have been inoperable due to water intrusion into the EDG Feed Tanks through the corroded holes.

This it the first swipe with Waterford's reporting to the NRC. Can't you hear Entergy's bitching over wildy excessive regulatory burderns including the CDBI. 

SUBJECT: UPDATE - NOTICE OF UNUSUAL EVENT, PLANT SHUTDOWN, AND LOSS OF OFFSITE POWER AT WATERFORD-3 DESCRIPTION: 
This Preliminary Notification is being issued to update recipients of the Notice of Unusual Event(NOUE), plant shutdown, and loss of offsite power at the Waterford-3 facility in response to Hurricane Katrina. As of August 30, 2005, at 9:00 a.m. (CDT), Waterford-3 remains in the NOUE, because of the loss ofoffsite power. The plant is no longer under a hurricane warning which was the original basis for the emergency declaration. Preliminary assessment of the Waterford-3 plant identified no significant damage to safety systems and structures. The plant is currently in Mode 4 or “hot shutdown,” with both trains of shutdown cooling operable. Onsite safety-related electrical power continues to be provided by the emergency diesel generators. The licensee is continuing efforts to evaluate the condition of the electrical distribution network in the vicinity of the plant which is energized and supplying balance of plant loads. The licensee is planning inspections of electrical transmission facilities in the next 24 hours. Two regional inspectors remain onsite and are monitoring licensee recovery activities.
All NRC CDBI inspections at Waterford. The problem I got, was why wasn't the DG fuel oil day tank roof vent line problem picked up in the first inspection in 2007. The risk based priority system on picking what component system to inspect makes no sense...it's gone haywire.



NH PUC Launches Investigation Into Soaring New England Energy Price

Investigation into Potential Approaches to Ameliorate Adverse Wholesale Electricity Market Conditions in New Hampshire 
New Hampshire Public Utilities Commission

Northeast Forum on Regional Energy Solutions 
Remarks by Gordon van Welie, President & CEO, ISO New England
April 23, 2015
Gets you to wondering, what are the implication of this?  

NEISO:  ‘Global oil prices dropped dramatically, making it more economical at times to burn oil than natural gas. This dampened gas and electricity price volatility.”
I find it implausible NH does know what is causing the price spikes...
NH PUC launches investigation into soaring New England energy price 
By ALLIE MORRIS
Monitor staff
Thursday, April 23, 2015
The state Public Utilities Commission is launching an investigation into the state’s high electricity costs, hoping to find solutions.

“Overall, the average retail price of electricity in New England is the highest in the continental United States, posing a threat to our region’s economic competitiveness,” said the PUC order, dated last Monday. “The commission has a fundamental duty to ensure that the rates and charges assessed by (electric distribution companies) are just and reasonable.” 
The cost of energy has become a hot-button topic in New Hampshire, as lawmakers, businesses and citizen groups seek solutions to bring down prices.

Utilities announced rate increases across the board last fall, and many customers saw spikes in their winter electric bills. 
Electricity costs in January averaged 19 cents per kilowatt-hour for New Hampshire residents, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. That compares with the national average of 12 cents per kilowatt-hour. 
Many in the energy industry have attributed the high costs to constraints in the region’s natural gas supply. The fuel has risen in popularity because of its cheap cost and abundance. Nearly half of New England’s electricity is now generated by natural gas, compared with just 15 percent in 2000. 
The staff investigation will study the gas-resource constraint problem, seeking solutions. The order adds that the “potential development of additional natural gas resources for the benefit of the electricity supply in our region should be carefully considered.”

All New Hampshire utilities will be required to participate in the investigation, including Eversource Energy, Unitil and Liberty Utilities.

The commission will hold a public meeting May 12. Regulators will issue a report by Sept. 15 outlining their findings.

The PUC is already investigating energy efficiency proposals and reviewing how utilities purchase power.

Several natural gas pipeline projects have popped up recently, including a Kinder Morgan proposal that would send about 70 miles of pipeline through southern New Hampshire.

A separate plan, known as Access Northeast, would expand an existing natural gas pipeline that passes along the Seacoast.

Meanwhile, the six New England states are eying measures to reduce energy costs.

Five of the region’s governors will meet in Connecticut today for a forum focused on Regional Energy Solutions.

Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan is attending Sheriff Michael Downing’s memorial service today, and is unable to be at the regional meeting. 
Staff from the New Hampshire PUC and Office of Energy and Planning will be at the Connecticut forum on Hassan’s behalf, said spokesman William Hinkle.

“Governor Hassan will continue to work to protect the interests of New Hampshire and ensure that our regional partners understand that Granite Staters will have a voice on proposed projects that wish to be sited in our state,” he said.

Exelon: Nuclear Power Is Dead?


So why aren't they building these things in Illinois...trying to protect their expensive electricity?

When the economics are undeniable...how will the nuke folks respond to this? Will they become militant, take out a nuclear plant?

Do you think our NRC scheme can hold back the dike of poor economics...

Maybe Texas has the pipe capacity while Illinois does not.

I think the lack of NG pipe capacity in New England is collusion on a giant level...

Don't worry guys, the state and federal regulator will bail out the utilities with stranded cost scam of the century. 

But the environment, enormus corruption on the grid, approaching global warming, the once in a hundred natural gas miracle, the load disappearing for the grid and low electric prices   and the general obsolescence of our grid and infrastructure...can you even blame our great electric utilities for being dizzy. Remember when we had great politicians who crush the approach of bad history.

Then the problem nobody even cares about, our problem with decent secure and adequate income for the bottom half.

What can we do if we just don't give a shit anymore, all of us...  

Did Exelon Corporation Just Quietly Admit That Nuclear Power Is Dead?


Image source: Tobin/Flickr.
Eighty-one percent.
That's the percentage of power generated by Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC ) that originates in a nuclear power plant. That should come as no surprise, considering the company owns over 19,000 MW of nuclear capacity, which has among the highest utilization rates of any energy source. Of course, Exelon is not immune to market forces challenging the economics of traditional nuclear power, even if individual states that are heavily reliant on the company's atomic footprint pitch in to provide artificial buoyancy. 
The fast-falling costs of renewable energy and sudden global abundance of natural gas have turned the tables on nuclear power generators, which suffer from relatively high maintenance costs and, for newer plants, absurdly high upfront construction costs. 
Therefore, it should also not come as a surprise that Exelon has been carefully hedging against its existing nuclear power plants by investing in lower-cost generation. For instance, the company recently handed General Electric Company (NYSE: GE ) over $500 million for four next-generation natural gas turbines, which will combine to generate over 2,000 MW of electricity for the Texas grid. Is this a quiet admission that traditional nuclear power is dead? 
Natural gas to the rescue for investors? 
General Electric spent over $1 billion developing two next-generation natural gas turbines: the 600-MW 9HA for Europe and the 500-MW 7HA for the United States. They're the world's largest and most efficient natural gas turbines; capable of achieving the Holy Grail of power efficiency while consuming less natural gas and emitting one-third less carbon dioxide than older and more commonly used turbines. 
The turbines will be an important product for General Electric as it refocuses on manufacturing and winds down financial services, although there likely won't be any difficulties selling them. The company disclosed close to $2 billion in 9HA/7HA sales at the end of September from customers in France, Japan, Germany, Russia, and the 
United States.
Image source: GE Power and Water / GE Reports. 
The turbines will also be an important addition for Exelon as it insulates its power generation portfolio against losses from its nuclear fleet and duly invests in the future of energy. The four 7HA turbines, which will ship in 2016 and come online in 2017, will be be put into service at two new power plants currently under construction near Houston and Dallas. The ultra-efficient units will save millions of gallons of water in cooling applications every day -- nothing to take lightly in drought-stricken Texas -- as they're cooled with forced air instead. Additionally, each unit is expected to save $8 million in annual fuel costs. 
Although the details surrounding the natural-gas-fired turbines look favorable for investors, some simple number-crunching certainly favors the thesis that traditional nuclear power is dead, even if Exelon hasn't explicitly mentioned the possibility (or considered it internally). While the company won't be ditching its existing nuclear facilities anytime soon, investors surely shouldn't expect it to build any new nuclear capacity, either. Consider how the next-generation natural gas turbines from General Electric stack up when compared to a new nuclear power plant, using Southern Co.'s new Vogtle Unit 3 and 4 nuclear reactors for comparison.
MetricExelon 7HA UnitsSouthern Co. Vogtle Expansion
Investment$0.5 billion~$15.0 billion
Capacity (Gross)2,000 MW2,500 MW
Construction Time 
2 years~5 years
Source: SEC filings, press releases. 
Or think about it another way: Exelon's investment will increase its 2013 natural gas capacity by 25% and represent more capacity than the company's total wind and solar assets. Even if the company paid twice as much for future next-generation natural gas turbines, or $1 billion for 1,000 MW of capacity, it could replace its entire 19,000 MW nuclear fleet for just $19 billion. That's 126% of the price tag Southern Co is shelling out for just 2,500 MW of new nuclear capacity!
If that doesn't communicate the fact that new construction of traditional nuclear power is a thing of the past, then perhaps nothing will. 
What does it mean for investors? 
The numbers overwhelmingly stack up against traditional nuclear power. Simply put, spending just $500 million for a combined capacity of 2,000 MW of clean, affordable, and efficiently produced electricity is something only next-generation natural gas turbines can achieve. The fact that Exelon is going all-in on cheaper and more profitable power generation is terrific news for investors, and the wider trend sweeping the power industry will be great news for General Electric investors, too.

Study: Exelon subsidy would cost $1.6 billion over 5 years

Posted: Tuesday, April 21, 2015 11:46 pm | Updated: 12:14 am, Wed Apr 22, 2015.



A study ordered by consumer groups finds a plan to financially reward Exelon Corp. for producing carbon-free nuclear energy would cost $1.6 billion over five years and strain financially strapped business and municipal government budgets.
Kestler Energy Consulting conducted the study released Tuesday at the state Capitol for the Better Energy Solutions for Tomorrow Coalition. The coalition opposes legislation to financially reward Exelon for producing energy without emitting harmful greenhouse gases.

Exelon says without the subsidy it might have to close three nuclear plants. Spokesman Paul Elsberg points to a state study from January that shows closing those plants would cost the state $1.8 billion annually in economic activity.

Critics say the Illinois proposal would reward nuclear plants. Under the system, electric suppliers would have to buy credits from carbon-free energy producers. Exelon says the plan would benefit nuclear plants, hydroelectric dams, and other solar and wind projects.

BEST Coalition director Dave Lundy says Exelon should prove its case by opening finances to outside experts.

For example, if the bill were to pass, the coalition's study says the financial reward to Exelon would cost the City of Chicago nearly $14 million, Chicago Public Schools $7 million, Cook County Government $3.3 million and a small independent grocery store more than $13,000, according to the coalition's website.
Findings of the coalition's study are:
  • The Low Carbon Portfolio Standard would increase electric costs by $2.38 per MWh ($0.00238/kWh) for ComEd customers and $2.17 per MWh ($0.00217/kWh) for Ameren.
  • In total, it would cost ComEd and Ameren ratepayers $1.599 billion or $295.2 million per year over the statutory contract period of five years and five months (from January, 2016 through May, 2021).
  • The bill would increase average wholesale electricity supply costs approximately 8.45 percent for ComEd customers and 8.35 percent for Ameren customers.
The cost to the average residential consumer will be about $2 per month, according to Exelon estimates.

Exelon officials have defended the proposal, by calling it a "market-based" solution that allows each resource to compete.
Exelon has said it might have to close at least three of its six Illinois plants, if it didn't receive a clean air incentive — Quad Cities Generating Station in Cordova, Byron Generating Station in Ogle County and Clinton Power Station in DeWitt County.

Operations in La Salle County, Morris and Braidwood are not considered at risk.

An analysis by state agencies estimated the cost of producing power at three plants proposed for closure may exceed the payments they get, though they could not be certain.
Exelon and other around-the-clock plants sometimes take losses when wind turbines produce too much electricity for the system.
Exelon remained profitable overall, making $1.6 billion last year. Exelon has said competition from lower-priced natural gas has taken a hit on its nuclear fleet's profit.





Monday, April 20, 2015

Waterford: Something Is Slowing Down Their Control Rods

Apr 25: Look what popped up it my e-mail? 


Aging Assessment of the Combustion Engineering and Babcock & Wilcox
Control Rod Drives

Feb 22 meeting:

Significant increase in fuel damage in DBA...well, cladding damage without fuel melt

ANO ask and got the drop time change before they got all the equipment changes while Waterford did not? 

The below with seals, crud and filters are non applicable to PWR according to the NRC. This is about BWRs. WaterFord is a PWR. 

My Apologizes... 
???
Leaking seals leaking, maybe from a "crud bust" thru CRD Hydraulic. 
If they had good 1 micron filters in CRDH installed but did not clean / flush them periodically, then they filled up caused a high DP, then broke. 
Or the filters could be just plugged, causing hi dp, low flow. 
The seals on the drives themselves need to be replaced on a regular interval.
This is what I hate about the new NRC...they don't have to know what is causing the slower scram times. If they don't know what is causing it, how can they predict how it will behave. 




Most logical is the CEA replacement
Potential Cause 
Plant Primary Side Modifications 
• Steam Generator replacemen 
• Reactor Vessel Head replacement
• CEA replacement 
• Transition to Next Generation Fuel Product
In the below graph, I brought this out in the pre LAR meeting. Basically:

1) Check it out, as the core ages, the rod drop speeds become more erratic. 

2) How do you explain the stability cycle 1 thru 10. 

3) How do you explain the erratic drop timing between cycle 11 thru 18? 

4) Say the drop timing for the element or a rod is noisy on cycle. The timing for a rod is changes from one test to another. There is a lot of variability of the timing. If you have a lot of variability of the rod drop group timing, the average could jump all around. As a example, say you do do one testing (like they do), the average could be 2.8. If the actually rod drop group timings were highly erratic, changed from one test to another, then the average say on three test could come out to say 2.6, 3.2 and 3.9. How then would we know we are safe? 



Background for LAR 
• CEA Drop Times have challenged the Technical Specification (TS) limit in the last two surveillance performances 
– Waterford 3 TS 3.1.3.4 requires: 
• the arithmetic average of all CEA Drop Times be ≤ 3.0 seconds 
• Individual CEA drop times ≤ 3.2 seconds 
Insertion time is measured from fully withdrawn position to 90% inserted