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BERWICK, Pa., June 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With equipment and system upgrades completed during the recent scheduled refueling and maintenance outage, Unit 1 at PPL Corporation's Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Luzerne County, Pa., is now the largest Boiling Water Reactor in terms of thermal power and generating capacity in the United States, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

"PPL continues to invest in the future of the Susquehanna nuclear power plant with upgrades that increase the amount of electricity the plant can safely generate," said Jeff Helsel, Susquehanna plant manager.

When operating at 100 percent power, Susquehanna's Unit 1 has a capacity of 3,952 megawatts thermal (a measure of the heat produced in the reactor) and about 1,300 megawatts electrical (a measure of the electricity produced by the generator).

http://af.reuters.com/

HOUSTON, June 9 (Reuters) - Southern Co's (SO.N: Quote)
876-megawatt Unit 1 at the Hatch nuclear power plant in Georgia
was operating at 28 percent output on Wednesday resulting from
a condenser vacuum problem, a spokeswoman said.

The reactor's unit was reduced late Tuesday from full power
earlier in the day, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said
in a report.

The problem has been isolated and repair plans are being
implemented, the spokeswoman said.

http://sentinelsource.com/

VERNON, Vt. — Officials from the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant reported another radioactive leak Tuesday to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, but say the cause was quickly identified and has been resolved.

The leak of radioactive waste from a one-inch relief valve in the plant’s cooling system was contained inside the plant and did not get into the environment, according to plant spokesman Laurence M. Smith.

http://www.consumerenergyreport.com/

Our focus on emerging energy issues has carried us to Burke County, Ga., a sparsely populated community of more than 22,000, located 25 miles south of Augusta. Burke County now finds itself at the center of the Obama administration’s emphasis on nuclear power as a viable answer to America’s energy predicament.

Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, provides 15 percent of Georgia's power through Plant Vogtle. Plant Vogtle will be the first nuclear license to be issued in 30 years if granted a license by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and it will be the only site in the U.S. with four reactors. Photo by Lauren Frohne

http://www.dailypress.com/

SURRY — The failure of an electrical power supply yesterday morning led to the automatic shutdown of a nuclear reactor at Dominion Virginia Power's plant in Surry County.

Richard Zuercher, spokesman for the Surry County plant, said Surry Unit 1 remains shut down but said crews are working to have it returned to operation "soon." He did not give a specific timetable.

Zuercher said the shutdown presented "no danger to employees or the public, and no disruption of service to customers."

Around 9:45 a.m. Tuesday, an electrical power supply failed, resulting in a reduced supply of water to the steam generators. The reactor is designed to shut down automatically as a safety precaution if an anomaly is detected.

http://www.nj.com/ 

Salem Community College awarded its first degrees in Nuclear Energy Technology (NET) at its recent commencement. The ceremony culminated the first year of a strong program partnership with PSEG Nuclear.

As Matthew Bullock, Robert Bumpus, Bradley Hendrickson and Ryan Pompper embark on their future, they pave the way for a new generation of workers in the field of nuclear energy technology.
In addition to earning an associate in applied science degree, Bullock, Bumpus and Pompper received certificates from the National Academy for Nuclear Training. Ann Winters, senior project manager of Industry Leadership Development at the Institute of Nuclear Training Operations, awarded the certificates with Bob Braun, senior vice president, PSEG Nuclear and Peter Tocci, training manager —Corporate, PSEG Nuclear.

The three graduates are the first in the nation to receive certificates for the instrument and controls technician discipline, according to Tocci. Students earned the certification by completing all of their core NET courses with a minimum grade of 80 percent, which is the industry standard for nuclear training.

The prestigious certificate is recognized by all U.S. nuclear utilities as meeting nuclear training requirements. Chattanooga State Technical Community College is the only other school awarding certificates this spring.

http://www.sltrib.com/ 

Gov. Gary Herbert announced the formation of a task force Tuesday to craft a 10-year energy blueprint that will include an assessment of whether Utah should embrace nuclear power.

"Inherent in this discussion needs to be at least a consideration of nuclear energy," Herbert said.

The task force will look at issues related to nuclear power plants, including the availability of water and how to dispose of the waste, the governor said.

"I'm here to tell you that the issue is not going to go away," Herbert said. "As we have renewed concern for the environment, nuclear power will be more and more of a consideration."

Herbert said that "good science will make good policy," when it comes to nuclear energy, although the panel does not have any nuclear scientists on the board.

http://www.marketwatch.com/

Constellation Energy Nuclear Group, LLC (CENG) announced today that Maria Korsnick, Senior Vice President - Operations and Chief Operating Officer, has been named Chief Nuclear Officer. Henry B. Barron will retain his title and role as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CENG and Executive Vice President of Constellation Energy /quotes/comstock/13*!ceg/quotes/nls/ceg (CEG 34.56, -0.19, -0.53%) .

Korsnick, who has 24 years of industry experience, began her career at CEG's Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant (CCNPP) and has held a number of positions with increasing levels of responsibility. Korsnick served for three years as Site Vice President at R.E. Ginna Nuclear Power Plant and returned to the corporate office in 2007, serving as the Vice President, Technical Services, Vice President, Nuclear Operations Support and Vice President, Corporate Site Operations. In these positions, she had the responsibility for managing the corporate headquarters and supporting the five operating reactors.

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NEW ORLEANS, June 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- In his first major reorganization in more than 11 years, Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer J. Wayne Leonard has named Entergy leaders to new roles effective as early as June 14.

The reorganization will enhance organizational effectiveness and performance by strengthening local regulatory presence in the Northeast and consolidating commercial and risk functions for Entergy's wholesale commodity business associated with non-utility generation. Internal restructuring was identified as a critical near-term action following the April 5 announcement of the decision to unwind the business infrastructure associated with the proposed spin-off. Pursuant to that announcement, Entergy is seeking to preserve options and capture value expected from the proposed separate non-utility nuclear generation and nuclear services companies. At the same time, Entergy is creating a more focused corporate structure, while also providing further development of proven leaders.

New leadership roles include:

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With Simona De Silvestro driving the #78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy/Entergy car, hundreds of thousands of fans track-side and millions watching broadcasts world-wide, witnessed a successful Indy 500 debut of a young rookie driver and a national initiative promoting clean nuclear power. With only 19 of the 33-car field finishing the race, Simona hovered between the 13th and 22nd spots finishing 14th overall and earning her the Indianapolis 500 Chase “Rookie of the Year” award.
This is the third year of the national “Nuclear Clean Air Energy” initiative by Entergy that represents the green benefits of the nuclear energy industry while recruiting top-talent to the company.