Alaskan town opts for “pocket reactor”
GALENA, ALASKA - The town leaders of Galena, Alaska, which is hundreds of kilometres from the nearest power plant, have signed up for what some call a "pocket nuke" or "nuclear battery" that produces just 10 megawatts - about 1 per cent of the energy an average nuclear plant generates, Mark Clayton reports in The Christian Science Monitor.
Japanese manufacturer Toshiba has told the town it will install its new 4S (super-safe, small and simple) reactor free of charge by 2012. The unit, which would be buried about 30 metres underground, would only have to be refuelled about every 30 years.
Interest in pocket nuclear plants is growing among developing countries and island nations, advocates say. Unlike solar and wind power, the plants would generate power 24/7 and at a fraction of the cost of a diesel generator, they say.
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Manitoba Hydro hikes face opposition as hearings begin
WINNIPEG - Hearings began Monday into Manitoba Hydro’s request for consecutive annual rate hikes of 7.9 per cent. The crown corporation is asking for the steep hikes to commence April 1, 2018.
The increases would continue through 2023/2024, before dropping to what Hydro calls “sustainable” levels.
Patti Ramage, legal counsel for Hydro, said while she understands no one welcomes the “exceptional” rate increases, the company is dealing with exceptional circumstances.
It’s the largest rate increase Hydro has ever asked for, saying rising debt and declining credit ratings are affecting its financial stability.
President and CEO Kelvin Shepherd said Hydro is borrowing money to fund…
