DOE defines long-duration storage as resources that can provide continuous energy for 10 hours to about 160 hours. grid may need 225 GW to 460 GW of long-duration storage to support power markets for a net zero economy by 2060, representing $330 billion in capital spending, according to the storage report. It emits a weak form of beta radiation that does not travel far and cannot penetrate human skin, according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.“As we combat the climate crisis and race toward an equitable clean energy future, public and private partnerships will be more important and critical than ever before,” DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement.Ībout $260 billion needs to be spent for the rest of this decade to help commercialize the clean hydrogen, nuclear and long-duration energy storage sectors, according to DOE. Tritium is a radioactive isotope of hydrogen that occurs naturally and is a common byproduct of nuclear plant operations. Criticism about the delay played a role in Xcel’s decision to hold a public information session Friday. State officials said they wanted to wait for more details before sharing information widely. The utility reported the initial leak to state and federal authorities in late November but didn’t make it widely public until last week, raising questions about transparency and public health issues. Even if the tritium reached the river, which Clark assured wouldn’t happen, it would dissipate within a few yards, he said.Ĭlark said the spill had not left the utility’s property. The temporary closure could be out of an abundance of caution, “or it could be a sign they don’t know how bad the problem is, and they need to do a deep dive to find out what’s going on,’’ he said.Ĭlark said the tritium isn’t a risk to drinking water in Monticello or the nearby city of Becker, saying the cities take their water from different areas of the Mississippi River. “We didn’t want to take that chance, so we’re bringing the plant down.”Įdwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety with the Union of Concerned Scientists, said the fact there was a second tritium leak “shines a light on the problem of maintaining aging pipelines” underground at older nuclear plants. “We could have continued to safely operate the plant and simply repair the catchment, but then, of course, there is always a risk that it would spill over again and have more tritium enter the groundwater,” Clark told reporters near the Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northwest of Minneapolis. The utility will then have the pipe analyzed in hopes of preventing future leaks, he said. The utility made a temporary fix but learned this week that hundreds more gallons of tritium-laced water leaked, leading to the shutdown decision.Īfter the plant cools over the next few days, workers will cut out the leaking pipe, which is over 50 years old, said Chris Clark, Xcel Energy’s president. Xcel Energy discovered in November that about 400,000 gallons (1.5 million liters) of water containing tritium had leaked. While the utility and health officials say it is not dangerous, the issue has prompted concerns among nearby residents and raised questions about aging pipelines. (AP) - A Minnesota utility began shutting down a nuclear power plant near Minneapolis on Friday after discovering water containing a low level of radioactive material was leaking from a pipe for the second time.
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