Nuclear violation downgraded
WAKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA - The Nuclear Regulatory Commission lowered the severity level of an equipment malfunction this summer at Progress Energy's Shearon Harris nuclear plant in Wake County.
One of the nuclear plant's two chillers failed to start during a routine test in June. The chillers are part of the plant's air conditioning system, which is necessary to prevent damage to the plant's emergency water pumps. In September, the NRC ranked the malfunction as "low to moderate safety significance."
But after a conference with the company last month, the NRC downgraded the severity level to "very low safety significance." Progress Energy has acknowledged that it violated its maintenance procedures and has undertaken a corrective action plan.
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Wind Leading Power
LONDON - Wind turbines have generated more electricity than gas for the first time in the UK.
In the first three months of this year a third of the country's electricity came from wind farms, research from Imperial College London has shown.
National Grid has also confirmed that April saw a record period of solar energy generation.
By 2035 the UK aims for all of its electricity to have net zero emissions.
"There are still many hurdles to reaching a completely fossil fuel-free grid, but wind out-supplying gas for the first time is a genuine milestone event," said Iain Staffell, energy researcher at Imperial…
