Monticello nuclear plant ready to move spent fuel
Radioactive fuel rods will be moved in a process designed for safety and security from inside the plant to the above-ground storage.
The casks will go into concrete storage modules. The storage area is surrounded by two chain-link fences and monitored by cameras and other security devices.
Moving the spent fuel will free space in the plant's interior cooling pool, which will allow Xcel Energy to continue operating the plant for another 30 years. Project manager Mark McKeown says the first storage module will be loaded sometime between August and October.
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B.C. government freezes provincial electricity rates
VICTORIA - British Columbia's NDP government has announced it will freeze BC Hydro rates effective immediately, fulfilling a key election promise.
Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources Minister Michelle Mungall says hydro rates have gone up by more than 24 per cent in the last four years and by more than 70 per cent since 2001.
"After years of escalating electricity costs, British Columbians deserve a break on their bills," Mungall said in a news release.
BC Hydro had been approved by the B.C. Utilities Commission to increase the rate by three per cent next year, but Mungall said it will pull back its…
