"Nuclear Power In USA Had Record Capacity Factor" -- But It Is Not Safe!

In USA old clunker reactors put the pedal to the metal to eek out as much profit as they can in a challenging environment of cheap solar, cheap gas.    Various preventive maintenance practices were bypassed to achieve this.    Some times the NRC was asked for variance, but 90% of the time, they are just hoping not to get caught.  

They did achieve their "most productive year ever"....at what cost, what risk?

Recent inspections have been revealing some of these short cuts.    Also a recent spat of "cascade of failures" shows how the lack of maintenance and testing is making these plants even dicier.

Cascade of failures story here
http://nukeprofessional.blogspot.com/2016/02/aging-nuclear-plants-are-experiencing.html

Many are operating on "uprates" at greater output than ever designed for.

Corporate greed is driving things.  Not the NRC, not science, not prudence.

US nuclear power reactors operated at record 91.9% capacity in 2015: NEI

 

Can we really trust these guys, after all they are willing to defraud us?

Owner's of Ginna Nuclear Plant Convicted of Serious Fraud Against Their Customers Constellation Energy used to own Ginna Nuclear. They were bought out by Exelon. Constellation Agrees to Pay Record $245 Million Penalty - See more at: http://nukeprofessional.blogspot.com/2016/02/owners-of-ginna-nuclear-plant-convicted.html#sthash.aAY0htJ0.dpuf

The Fraudsters above at Ginna just had a major transformer blowout, good thing the emergengy generators worked, sheesh!

EMERGENCY DIESEL GENERATOR AUTO-STARTED DUE TO THE LOSS OF A STATION SERVICE TRANSFORMER

"On 02/11/2016, at 2305 [EST], Ginna Station experienced a loss of Station Service Transformer 12A causing Emergency Diesel Generator 1A to automatically start due to under-voltage signals to safeguards buses 14 and 18. All plant systems responded as designed. Control room operators stabilized the plant per abnormal operating procedures. The plant is currently in a 100/0 electrical lineup [supplied by the 12B Service Station Transformer] on the off site circuit 767 with the 1A Emergency Diesel Generator secured. The loss of the station service transformer is currently under investigation.

"This is reportable as a valid system actuation that was not part of a pre-planned sequence during testing.

"The NRC Resident Inspector has been notified."