Trains aren't the problem

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DAILY ENERGY NEWS | 03/07/2023

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If only there was a safe, environmentally conscious, way to transport LNG across great distances. I'm sure environmentalists would line up in support of such an invention...

E&E News (2/28/23) reports: "The train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, is renewing concerns about the safety of moving natural gas by rail and whether existing federal rules governing the industry should be changed. Seven Democratic House lawmakers from Pennsylvania, for example, sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Friday, asking that he work to suspend a Trump administration rule that would allow the transportation of liquefied natural gas by rail. During the Biden administration, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration proposed to halt that authorization until it could finalize a rule or until June 20, 2024, whichever comes first. But calls to change the rule more quickly have swelled since the Norfolk Southern derailment in Ohio, which forced the evacuation of thousands in the town near the Pennsylvania border, caused the deaths of tens of thousands of aquatic animals and left residents questioning whether the air and water in their town is safe."

"The accident in East Palestine should be a wake-up call. America needs better pipelines to get natural gas from where it is produced to where it is used and exported. America’s ability to export gas will help our allies. Pipelines are safe, and safety matters."

– Diana Furchtgott-Roth,
The Heritage Foundation

At last...

Yahoo News (3/6/23) reports: "Georgia Power today announced that Vogtle Unit 3 has safely reached initial criticality. Initial criticality is a key step during the startup testing sequence and demonstrates that -- for the first time -- operators have safely started the nuclear reaction inside the reactor. This means atoms are being split and nuclear heat is being made, which will be used to produce steam. A reactor achieves criticality when the nuclear fission reaction becomes self-sustaining. Achieving initial criticality is necessary to continue the startup of the Unit in order to generate sufficient heat for the production of electricity. 'We remain focused on safely bringing this unit online, fully addressing any issues and getting it right at every level. Reaching initial criticality is one of the final steps in the startup process and has required tremendous diligence and attention to detail from our teams,' said Chris Womack, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. 'When you consider the history of safe and reliable operations at Vogtle Units 1 and 2 for decades now, it puts today's milestone in perspective that Plant Vogtle will be a four-unit site making it the largest of its kind in the U.S. This is a truly exciting time as we prepare to bring online a new nuclear unit that will serve our state with clean and emission-free energy for the next 60 to 80 years.' Vogtle Unit 3 continues with startup testing which demonstrates the integrated operation of the primary coolant system and steam supply system at design temperature and pressure with fuel inside the reactor. Now that the Unit 3 reactor has reached criticality, operators will continue to raise power to support synchronizing the generator to the electric grid and begin producing electricity. Then, operators will continue increasing power through multiple steps, ultimately raising power to 100 percent. These tests are designed to ensure all systems are operating together and to validate operating procedures prior to declaration of Commercial Operation. The in-service date for Unit 3 is projected during May or June 2023."

Here's your semi-regular reminder that no one hates nuclear energy as much as the NRC.

China's state planner says that China will continue to use coal. Quick, somebody call Special K.

Reuters (3/6/23) reports: "China's state planner underlined a greater role for coal in its power supply on Sunday, saying the fossil fuel would be used to improve the reliability and security of its energy system. Soaring global energy prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and domestic supply disruption have prompted Beijing to step up its focus on energy security in recent years. The world's second-biggest economy relied on coal to generate 56.2% of its electricity last year, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, but has significantly boosted its use of natural gas and renewable energy in recent years to lower carbon emissions. Fluctuating output from renewable plants, however, has led policymakers to lean on reliable and easily dispatchable coal power to shore up the country's baseload supply. Last year, scorching summer temperatures and a drought in China's southwest caused hydropower output to dwindle, leading to power outages."

Energy Markets

WTI Crude Oil: ↓ $79.96
Natural Gas: ↓ $2.61
Gasoline: ↑ $3.41

Diesel: ↓ $4.37
Heating Oil: ↓ $284.73
Brent Crude Oil: ↓ $85.61
US Rig Count: ↓ 830

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