Nuclear Power

Whether you love it, hate it or have mixed feelings about it, nuclear power is back in the news. President Obama has approved financial assistance in the construction and opening of two nuclear power plants in Georgia opening the possibilities of more plants around the country.

Below are links to government resources on nuclear power at the national and state level. Also included are a few news stories regarding recent events as well as the continued concerns that go with nuclear energy.

Nuclear Power 2010 Program (NP2010)
http://nuclear.energy.gov/np2010/overview.html
http://nuclear.gov/neac/neacPDFs/JohnsonApr02NERAC_NP2010.pdf
(Begun in 2002, the Nuclear Power 2010 program is a joint government/industry cost-shared effort to identify sites for new nuclear power plants, develop and bring to market advanced nuclear plant technologies, evaluate the business case for building new nuclear power plants and demonstrate untested regulatory processes)

Information on Nuclear Power 2010 Program from ExpectMore.gov
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/expectmore/detail/10000116.2008.html
(Detailed information on the Program from the Executive Branch)

Nuclear Power Energy
http://www.nuclear.energy.gov/pdfFiles/factSheets/NP2010.pdf
(Fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Energy)

Nuclear Energy: An Overview
http://www.ne.doe.gov/pdfFiles/factSheets/2010_Overview_Factsheet.pdf

U.S. Office of Nuclear Energy 2011 Budget Request Program Fact Sheets
http://www.ne.doe.gov/events.html

U.S. Office of Nuclear Energy YouTube Videos
http://www.youtube.com/user/nuclearenergygov

Idaho National Laboratory
https://inlportal.inl.gov/
(Idaho National Laboratory is the Department of Energy's lead nuclear energy research and development facility)

List of Currently Operating Nuclear Power Units
http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/list-power-reactor-units.html
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/at_a_glance/reactors/nuke1.html
(Two sites with information on the nuclear power generators currently in operation in the US)

States with Commercial Nuclear Industries
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/at_a_glance/reactors/states.html
(From U.S. Energy Information Administration)

U.S. Nuclear Power Reactor Status Reports
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/reactor-status/
(From US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Power levels of nuclear power plants in the U.S. currently in operation)

Nuclear Waste
http://www.nrc.gov/waste.html
(An online aid in finding the locations of low-level waste disposal, high-level waste disposal, and uranium recovery facilities, as well as disposal facilities for waste incidental to reprocessing)

Basic Introduction to Nuclear Power
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/intro.html
(From U.S. Energy Information Administration)

Nuclear Reactor History
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/nuc_reactors/superla.html
(From U.S. Energy Information Administration)

KANSAS AND THE WOLF CREEK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

Kansas Nuclear Industry
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/at_a_glance/states/statesks.html

Wolf Creek Official Website
http://www.wcnoc.com/

Basic information on Wolf Creek
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/at_a_glance/reactors/wolfcreek.html
(From U.S. Energy Information Administration)

Wolf Creek Generating Station, Unit 1 Information
http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/reactor/wc.html
(From US Nuclear Regulatory Commission)

Kansas Technological Hazards Section
http://www.kansas.gov/kdem/hazards/techhazards_overview.shtml
(The Technological Hazards Section program provides necessary direction and planning concerning potential accidents involving hazardous substances such as toxic chemicals, radioactive substances, and potential releases from nuclear power plants)

Wolf Creek Emergency Preparedness
http://www.wcnoc.com/news/preparedness.pdf
(Information from Wolf Creek Nuclear Power website)

Kansas Radiochemistry Laboratory
http://www.kdheks.gov/radchem/
(The laboratory provides radioanalytical support for Kansas Department of Health and Environment's monitoring of Wolf Creek Nuclear Power Generating Station in Burlington, Kansas)

The Neosho River Basin
http://webs.wichita.edu/cehh/neosho.htm
(From: Center for Environment and Human Health, Wichita State University. Wolf Creek lies within the Neosho River Basin)

Kansas Energy Report, 2009
http://kec.kansas.gov/energy_plan/energy_plan_09.pdf
(From Kansas Energy Commission)

Comparison of Nuclear Power with Other Energy Sources
http://kec.kansas.gov/documents/Quillian_KE_Energy_Comm_081507.ppt
(PowerPoint presentation at the Kansas Energy Commission website. 2007)

NEWS ARTICLE/STORIES

"U.S. Supports New Nuclear Reactors in Georgia"
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/business/energy-environment/17nukes.html
(N.Y. Times article, Feb. 17, 2010)

"Fed Loan Guarantees May Boost Nuclear Power’s Return"
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/feb/17/fed-loan-guarantees-may-boost-nuclear-powers-retur/
(From Lawrence Journal-World, Feb 17, 2010)

"Obama's Nuclear Power Push Faces Obstacle: Waste"
http://www.wibw.com/home/headlines/84583602.html
(WIBW TV, Feb 17, 2010)

"Wolf Creek's License Extended 20 Years"
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=23678
(2008 short article)

"Nuclear Power Regaining Its Luster"
http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1273290/nuclear_power_regaining_its_luster/index.html (From Kansas City Star. Although an older article.. 2008.. a good look at the return to nuclear power as an energy source in Kansas)


Article contact: Bill Sowers
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