NUCLEAR INSANITY & THE LAST DAYS OF HUMAN DEPRAVITY? ~ LLAW
Dec 05, 2024
LLAW’s NUCLEAR NEWS TODAY & THE IMPACT ON OUR FUTURE
I have posted two, perhaps contradictive, news stories from today’s LLAW’a ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA. The 1st is a non-controversial report from “World Nuclear News” (wnn) about Meta/]Facebook sending requests for proposals (RFPs) to potential nuclear power provider partners in their future AI development . The requests are for 1 to 4 GW (gigawatts) of nuclear produced power, which is a tremendous amount of power at either end of the request, probably meaning that Meta/Facebook has no idea how much power they will need by 2030, but apparently that seems to be okay with them so long as they have contracts for their nuclear power needs.
According to the 2nd article by “Environment Maine” with researchers from the 100% Renewable Energy, Environment America Research & Policy Center and The Public Interest Network explains why Meat/Facebook’s requests are “misguided”. I would also say they are premature (for reasons that may be considered sinister, including those from the previous technology companies Microsoft, Google and Amazon.
My personal concerns about the future of AI and its absolute control over ourselves have be redoubled . . . If there is such a thing as the “blind leading the blind”, this is it. ~llaw
Facebook owner Meta seeks up to 4 GW nuclear capacity
Wednesday, 4 December 2024
Meta is the latest tech company to seek nuclear as an energy source for its growing data needs as it seeks proposals for as much as 4 GW of nuclear capacity in the USA by the early 2030s.
The company, which includes Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp among its brands, is releasing a request for proposals “to identify nuclear energy developers to help us meet our AI innovation and sustainability objectives”.
The target is between 1 and 4 GW of new nuclear generation capacity in the USA. “We are seeking developers with strong community engagement, development, and permitting, and execution expertise that have development opportunities for new nuclear energy resources – either small modular reactors or larger nuclear reactors,” the notice announcing the request for proposals (RFP) says.
It adds “we are taking an open approach with this RFP so we can partner with others across the industry to bring new nuclear energy to the grid”. Qualification to be considered closes on 3 January with initial RFP proposals due by 7 February.
In a blog post providing further background, it says: “We are looking to identify developers that can help accelerate the availability of new nuclear generators and create sufficient scale to achieve material cost reductions by deploying multiple units, both to provide for Meta’s future energy needs and to advance broader industry decarbonisation. We believe working with partners who will ultimately permit, design, engineer, finance, construct, and operate these power plants will ensure the long-term thinking necessary to accelerate nuclear technology.”
Meta says that nuclear energy is more capital intensive, takes longer to develop, has more regulatory requirements and has a longer operational life so “we need to engage nuclear energy projects earlier in their development lifecycle and consider their operational requirements when designing a contract. And, as scaling deployments of nuclear technology offers the best chance of rapidly reducing cost, engaging with a partner across projects and locations will allow us to ensure that we can deploy strategically”.
The decision of the Facebook-owner to bring on its own nuclear energy supply follows in the footsteps of fellow tech giants Microsoft, Google and Amazon, and is the result of the vast energy needs required for huge and growing data centres with artificial intelligence developments set to push those energy requirements even higher. As with renewables, nuclear provides carbon free power, but crucially it also provides that power round-the-clock, which is a key requirement of data centres.
STATEMENT: Meta misguided in calling for massive nuclear energy scale-up
December 4, 2024
Media Contacts
Johanna Neumann
Senior Director, Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy, Environment America Research & Policy Center
Jon Maunder
Media Relations Specialist, The Public Interest Network
BOSTON — Meta announced a request for proposals (RFP) on Tuesday, asking energy developers to respond with plans to build 1-4 GW of new nuclear generation capacity to be delivered in the early 2030s. The tech giant wants to use the power for data centers to support energy-intensive artificial intelligence (AI).
The agreement comes on the heels of other large technology companies expressing interest in nuclear. In October, Google announced a partnership with California’s Kairos Power, to buy energy from small nuclear reactors starting in 2030, and Amazon announced that it signed agreements to support the development of new nuclear energy projects. Earlier this fall, Microsoft inked a deal with Constellation Energy that aims to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear plant.
Energy-intensive computing is projected to drive a surge in electricity demand after nearly two decades of little to no new growth. Already, this projected increase is prolonging America’s dependence on dirty energy. Polluting coal and gas fired plants are having their lives extended, new gas plants have been proposed, and there’s interest in reopening additional previously shuttered nuclear plants, such as Palisades in Michigan.
Environment America Research & Policy Center’s Senior Director of the Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy, Johanna Neumann, issued the following statement:
“The long history of overhyped nuclear promises reveals that nuclear energy is expensive and slow to build all while still being inherently dangerous. America already has 90,000 metric tons of nuclear waste that we don’t have a storage solution for. Do we really want to create more radioactive waste to power the often dubious and questionable uses of AI?
“In the blind sprint to win on AI, Meta and the other tech giants have lost their way. Big Tech should recommit to solutions that not only work but pose less risk to our environment and health.
“Data centers should be as energy and water efficient as possible and powered solely with new renewable energy. Without those guardrails, the tech industry’s insatiable thirst for energy risks derailing America’s efforts to get off polluting forms of power, including nuclear.”
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(Please note that the Saturday and Sunday NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS — unedited —are added to Monday news posts in order to maintain continuity of nuclear news as well as for research for the overall information provided in “LLAW;s All Things Nuclear”.)
There are 7 categories, with the latest addition, (#7) being a Friday weekly roundup of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) global nuclear news stories. Also included is a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives. The feature categories provide articles and information about ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links with headlines concerning the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:
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A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (in the above listed order). If a Category heading does not appear in the daily news Digest, it means there was no news reported from this Category today. Generally, the three best articles in each Category from around the nuclear world(s) are Posted. Occasionally, if a Post is important enough, it may be listed in multiple Categories.
TODAY’s NUCLEAR WORLD’s NEWS, Thursday, (12/05/2024)
All Things Nuclear
NEWS
Every Old Profit Opportunity Becomes New Again… Including Nuclear Energy | InvestorPlace
InvestorPlace
In 1979, General Electric Co. (GE) introduced its famous tagline: “We bring good things to life.” One of the things this iconic American company …
Inside look at bunker where officials monitor nuclear warning system – YouTube
YouTube
Inside look at bunker where officials monitor nuclear warning system … All Things Secured•903K views · 13:11 · Go to channel · What Will Our World …
Putin’s Nuclear Threats Scare Russians Too – The Moscow Times
The Moscow Times
Threats with nuclear weapons are all well and good as long as they do … Read more about: Nuclear arms , Ukraine war. Sign up for our free …
Nuclear Power
NEWS
Risk of energy oversupply with nuclear power ‘highly unlikely’, says Mirion CEO Tom Logan
YouTube
Tom Logan, Mirion Technologies CEO, joins ‘Closing Bell Overtime’ to talk the software business, nuclear energy, its investor day and more.
Facebook owner Meta seeks up to 4 GW nuclear capacity
World Nuclear News
Meta is the latest tech company to seek nuclear as an energy source for its growing data needs as it seeks proposals for as much as 4 GW of …
STATEMENT: Meta misguided in calling for massive nuclear energy scale-up
Environment America
In October, Google announced a partnership with California’s Kairos Power, to buy energy from small nuclear reactors starting in 2030, and Amazon …
Nuclear Power Emergencies
NEWS
How emergency testing works at Arizona’s Palo Verde nuclear plant – AZFamily
AZFamily
The emergency system for the Palo Verde nuclear power plant is being tested but the command center is underground, 60 miles away from the plant in …
Are you hearing a blaring sound today? Here’s what that is – Treasure Coast Newspapers
Treasure Coast Newspapers
The St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant outdoor warning sirens will blare at … Lucie County Public Safety Emergency Management Division and Martin County …
Greenlane Secures Exclusive Global Rights to Distribute Nuclear Safety Tablets Amid …
Stock Titan
… radioactive iodine that might be released into the atmosphere in a radiation emergency, such as a nuclear power plant accident. Additionally …
Nuclear War
NEWS
We are now living in ‘third nuclear age’ of expanding threats and arsenals, U.K. military chief warns
NBC News
The post-Cold War era of nonproliferation and disarmament is over, Adm. Tony Radakin said, adding that it is being replaced by a time of …
Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons. Now it’s asking why – BBC
BBC
Under the partially raised concrete and steel lid of a silo, a vast intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) peeks out. But the missile is a replica, …
Putin’s nuclear threats aim to scare the west – but Ukraine’s allies are now calling his bluff
The Conversation
Russian president, Vladimiar Putin, stands at a podium pointing upwards, November 2024. PA-EFE/Ramil Sitdikov/Sputnik/Kremlin pool. Putin’s nuclear …
Nuclear War Threats
NEWS
We are now living in ‘third nuclear age’ of expanding threats and arsenals, U.K. military chief warns
NBC News
Tony Radakin says Russia’s nuclear threats and China’s expanding arsenal tossed the world into a new era. … nuclear weapons after the Cold War, he …
‘Third nuclear age’ threatens the West, armed forces chief warns – BBC
BBC
… threatened by multiple foes including Russia, the head of the armed forces warned. Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said “wild threats of tactical nuclear ..
Tucker Carlson warns of WWIII but Russia’s nuclear threats ring hollow – Atlantic Council
Atlantic Council
Putin’s ability to intimidate the West with nuclear threats has been his greatest single success of the entire war, but this approach is clearly no …