This post represents the latest link in an unbroken chain of more than four years of the weekly summaries of the best of the pro-nuclear blogs.

With the recent updated assessment by the IPCC of the outlook for climate change, the leveraging the nuclear energy to mitigate future growth of CO2 emissions comes even more prominently into the public eye.

Want to know what’s going on? Read all about it here. Previous editions of the Carnival have been posted at the blogs cited below and elsewhere.

See the “Blogs We Read” sidebar at the ANS Nuclear Café for a complete list. It is published by the American Nuclear Society. A great site for the industry perspective is the blog and the dynamic blog roll at NEI Nuclear Notes. It cites new blog posts from around the nation as they are published. For day-to-day breaking news and updates, check out the entries on Twitter list posted on this blog which contains more than 80 pro-nuclear sources.

Carnival starts here

Gail Marcus ~ Nuke Power Talk; Nuclear Industry in Decline?

At Nuke Power Talk this week, Gail Marcus examines some of the economic issues relating to nuclear power.  In particular, she discusses a pair of articles by Ed Kee that point out the difficulties created for nuclear power operators in liberalized electricity markets–difficulties that have led to nuclear power plant closures and that threaten more–and identifies some of the measures being explored in some countries to address those difficulties.  What is needed, she concludes, is broader and more active consideration of such options, and she hopes his articles will become a call for action.

Ed Kee ~ World Nuclear News; Can nuclear succeed in liberalized power markets?

There are 69 reactors under construction today – the largest number in 25 years – but only one is in a liberalized electricity market.

In the USA, two nuclear power plants operating in liberalized electricity markets recently closed for financial reasons. Other operating nuclear power plants in liberalized electricity markets face similar issues and may also retire early. Moreover, all new nuclear power projects in U.S. liberalized electricity markets are on hold or have been cancelled.

The UK electricity market caused financial problems for British Energy prior to its sale to EDF. The difficulty in developing a new nuclear power project in the UK electricity market is demonstrated by the complex Electricity Market Reform program and controversial incentive package for Hinkley Point C.

Jim Conca ~ Forbes;  Nuclear Options – Obama In India

President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached an agreement on a plan that could open the door to the sale of U.S. nuclear power plants to India by using insurance to pay for losses caused by accidents. This is good for America. India needs 3 trillion kWhs per year of electricity to bring its people out of poverty and into the middle class. Instead of building 500 coal-fired plants, India plans over 60 Gwe of nuclear power generating capacity.

Dan Yurman ~ Neutron Bytes;  TVA’s Watts bar II Heads to the Finish Line

In the better late than never department, a nuclear reactor for which construction started four decades ago now has plans to be in revenue service by December 2015

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) says 1100 MW unit 2 at its Watts Bar site will be finished and generating electricity by the end of this year. TVA President Bill Johnson said the work at the reactor is on schedule, within budget, and “will be the first US nuclear reactor to come online in the 21st century.”

Energy Northwest ~ Northwest Clean Energy Blog

Yes, we can have a conversation about clean, safe nuclear energy

Paul Lorenzini, one of the founders of NuScale Power, wrote this post. Lorenzini  gave a talk about the importance of Columbia Generating Station: he spoke  at more than a dozen Rotary and Kiwanis clubs near Portland, Oregon. Lorenzini found a receptive and supportive audience, with great interest in SMRs and also concerns about long-term storage. Nobody mentioned recent articles and reports written by anti-nuclear activists.  Lorenzini concludes that much of our concern about these reports is “inside baseball.” The reports seem to be of little interest to the general population.

Meredith Angwin ~ Yes Vermont Yankee (2 posts)

Nuclear Power Has a Place in New England Energy Future

This guest post by Howard Shaffer first appeared as an Op-ed in the Concord Monitor.  As the New England grid tilts to extreme dependence on natural gas, Shaffer stresses the important role that nuclear power plants (Seabrook, Millstone, Pilgrim) play in maintaining a diverse grid. Nuclear lowers the carbon emissions from the grid, and provides reliable, low-cost power.

Two NRC Decisions in Favor of Vermont Yankee

In this post, Meredith Angwin reviews two NRC decisions made in late January.  One decision was that Mark 1 reactors do not have to be shut down on an emergency basis. (This was a nuclear opponent petition from April 2011. Yes, she doesn’t know why it took the NRC so long to determine this.) The second decision was that Vermont Yankee can reduce some of its emergency monitoring and planning, now that the reactor is defueled. She embeds the second decision in her post.

Brain Wang, Next Big Future (Two Posts)

China’s plans to export nuclear reactors

Part of China’s plan for massive expansion of global infrastructure project development is to export nuclear power plants. China is backing this push with its full $4 trillion in reserves.They will use the money to provide good financing terms for developing country buyers

China and Argentina agree on new nuclear plant project

China and Argentina have agreed to cooperate on the construction of a Chinese-designed Hualong One reactor in the South American country.

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