Guest blog post by Pat McMurray of the Women’s Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE):

Visiting the Center for Advanced Engineering and Research (CAER) near Lynchburg, Virginia, is an aesthetic treat. The Center is an unusually beautiful modern building that fits perfectly into its wooded setting. The structure reflects the woods around it in color – and in design. The building is blue, green and tan. The supports for the roof and ceiling are abstract “tree” forms. Inside, wide glass walls and open workrooms make visitors feel they are still in the woods – natural beauty is right outside the glass. Inside is state of the art engineering technology.

The Center opened in August 2011. It was conceived several years earlier, when business leaders in South-Side Virginia became concerned for the future of their region. South-Side Virginia had relied on tobacco farming, textiles, and shoe manufacturing throughout much of the twentieth century. Those industries were passing into history. The business leaders decided that if they were to attract twenty-first century businesses, they needed to create a research university environment. Although there were research universities in other parts of Virginia, there were none in the south central or southwestern regions of the state. This center was created to fill that need.

Why is AREVA here as an important anchor tenant? The Center for Safe and Secure Nuclear Energy, one of the four research areas at the center, features AREVA’s next-generation nuclear power plant control room simulator that will help scientists and engineers plan state of the art control room design, digital technologies, and human performance measures. The digital control room includes a large, glass-walled observation area that will be useful both for visitors and for researchers who want to evaluate how operators interact with their displays and control systems.

The nuclear industry comprises one of the two major science clusters here; the other is the domain of the wireless communication industry. Together, they provide the research and development capacity that will attract more business to the region. Bob Bailey, the executive director of the Center, says all the Virginia universities have educational partnerships with the Center or a master research agreement with the Center. High school and middle school students at the local schools have also benefited from educational activities at the Center. Bailey adds that perhaps the most long lasting impact is how the entire region is perceived; no longer anchored to its agrarian past, but actively leading industries into the twenty-first century.

We all have basic needs to feed, clothe and house our families. However, the majority of our nation would be hard pressed to grow food, spin cloth or build a small hut. Our “energies” are spent in work that provides us with means to acquire our basic needs. Too often it’s a political tap dance around our economy, our environment, energy, transportation … however you name it, energy is a partner.

In the United States, 20% of our electricity generation mix is from nuclear sources. To put it in perspective – “Could we be without energy for more than one day a week?” I think so, but at the cost of what? It is not a viable option with our struggling economy, nor is it a choice many would want for our lives.

What to do? It is important to maintain a responsible voice at the decision table regarding energy. However, the focus of the discussion needs to shift to “Why don’t we recycle used fuel vs “Why use nuclear energy as part of our energy mix?”

We must make our way today with an open mind for our future and a critical eye to the past. We are the stewards of our communities. We are decision-makers. We are energy consumers. We can’t dance around that.

Rosie Abriam is the President/CEO for The Center for Asian Pacifica American Women. “The Center” is a non-profit organization which develops stewardship in our communities by building leadership capacity across sectors. In a past life she worked on NARAC-National Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability. NARAC is an emergency response program which monitors the release of radionuclides into the atmosphere. For her work on dose modeling and remote site management, she was awarded the Distinguished Physics Award from the lab director. In another life, she developed laser applications for gas & oil, biomedical and research sectors.

JAEC has selected the ATMEA1 technology, developed by a joint venture comprising AREVA Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) known as ATMEA.

This decision represents a significant milestone in the technological development of ATMEA 1, a new world-class model of 1,100 MWe nuclear power reactor.

During the next phase, JAEC will continue discussions with two qualified bidders, including AREVA-MHI-ATMEA.

In Canada, the ATMEA1 technology is undergoing pre-project design review with the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC). The ATMEA1 has been proposed for the New Brunswick Clean Energy Park and is available for consideration for the Ontario new reactor project.

The French Safety Authority (ASN) recently issued a favourable statement on the ATMEA1 reactor’s safety options.

Click here for more on the ATMEA1 reactor.

Areva stakes out place in range of nuclear solutions

by Mike Rencheck
As the chief executive of Areva Inc., I have the privilege to lead a fine organization and the challenge of providing safe, affordable and clean energy solutions. These solutions are critical to providing energy security and long-term sustainability of our nation’s economy.

With deep roots in the United States and almost 5,000 employees spread across the country, Areva is a leader in providing clean-energy solutions for power generation. Areva is the only company with expertise in every step of nuclear-power generation, from mining ore to used-fuel recycling.

Nuclear power must and will continue to be part of the global energy mix. The U.S. remains the largest nuclear market in the world, and Areva is committed to its long-term success. We work with utility customers to ensure they continue to deliver on the promise of safe, efficient and reliable nuclear energy. We are constantly innovating and aligning our portfolio of technologies, services and products to meet our customer’s needs and expectations.

Following the events at Fukushima, Japan, the nuclear industry, led by utilities, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and the Nuclear Energy Institute, acted to assess and ensure safe operations in our plants. We collaborated to review and capture the lessons learned for the industry.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission also acted on behalf of the American people and recently issued new regulatory standards, with perhaps more to follow. Safety and reliability are cornerstone imperatives for the nuclear industry and, as such, Areva has acted to add capabilities to meet these new challenges.

A few weeks ago, Areva broke ground on a U.S. technology center to expand our worldwide testing capabilities and provide local access for U.S.-based utilities. Areva will be analyzing and addressing critical solutions so our customers can continue to operate efficiently and safely. The center will include a seismic-testing table, environmental chambers to test product resilience in harsh conditions, as well as metallurgical and chemical laboratories for materials and component testing.

We continue to develop and invest in technologies that serve the long-term needs of the industry. Our new products are designed and meet necessary performance requirements addressing critical seismic, environmental and other safety-related performance parameters.

As the economy begins to recover and America gets back to work, we will see an increase in electricity demand. Conventional thinking and conventional fuels will go only so far in providing for a future of safe, clean and affordable energy availability and stability. New nuclear plants will allow the United States to meet base-load energy demands, preserve our environment, develop manufacturing infrastructure and create jobs.

Globally, we are seeing the Areva EPR become the reactor design of choice from Europe to China. As we continue to design and build new EPRs, we are capturing the lessons learned to bring an even better product to the United States. We remain committed to receiving our design certification and are working with U.S. utilities on developing new and safe nuclear power.

To balance our portfolio of solutions, Areva also has a growing renewable-energy business. Areva Solar, headquartered in California, provides turnkey solutions using cost-effective and land-efficient technology. Recently, Areva Solar announced a project with a major utility in the Southwest where solar power can be combined with conventional fuel sources to reduce plant emissions.

This clean-energy boost will help offset emissions; provide additional, economical power; and enable the client to turn a challenge into an innovative solution.

Thanks to Areva’s core competencies in radiochemistry and design of nuclear facilities, our Areva Med unit is developing powerful and targeted therapies to combat cancer using a scarce radioisotope — lead 212. With the support of partners, Areva Med is recruiting patients for its first innovative treatment against some deadly types of cancer that afflict the pancreas and ovaries.

Areva is a company on the move. On many fronts, Areva is providing customers with effective and innovative solutions to meet ever-changing demands and deliver answers to the challenges we face.

Mike Rencheck is chief executive of Areva Inc.

The Washington Post Editorial Board asks a great question today:

CAN THE WORLD fight global warming without nuclear power?

The article then notes that, “One major industrialized country — Germany — is determined to find out, and another — Japan — is debating whether to try. Both illustrate how hard it would be.”  And the majority of the article is about the facts of this choice.

To date, nuclear is the only proven source of low-emissions “baseload” power — that is, electricity that’s always on, day or night, powering round-the-clock elevators in Tokyo or office buildings in Munich…

And jumps to a point we’ve made often on this blog: Less nuclear in practice almost always equals more coal, more natural gas, and purchasing more energy from neighboring countries (often steady, reliable nuclear energy).

But making up for the loss of that country’s reactors and meeting ambitious emissions goals would still require a veritable revolution in its electricity generation on a scale not seen since post-World War II reconstruction, Bloomberg reports. Critics reasonably predict that the country will instead rely on electricity imports from neighbors running old, reliable coal, gas and, yes, nuclear plants for years to come.

The editorial board closes with this insightful assessment:

…But prudence demanded then and now that they not abandon the power source precipitously. Maintaining existing reactors — and, we would argue, including next-generation nuclear technology as a component in forward-looking anti-carbon policies — doesn’t rule out a promising future for renewables, too. But it does make it much more likely that emissions goals can be met or exceeded.

Read the entire article here, it’s worth your time, and worth sharing with friends.

It’s a simple idea: More power, less carbon emissions.

For example:

• One AREVA solar thermal booster attached to a coal-fired power plant will reduce emissions by 36,000 tons of carbon every year.
• A single, modern AREVA EPR nuclear power facility will generate massive amounts of electricity 24/7 without a single carbon emission, and does so for three generations.
• One AREVA offshore wind turbine catching the wind 30 miles offshore will power 5,000 homes.

Where your power comes from makes a difference in our world today, and tomorrow.

By learning more about our nation’s energy choices, we can make informed decisions to meet our increasing power needs without increasing our environmental risk.

We Americans can replace our current carbon-based energy supply with an intentional mix of nuclear and renewable low carbon energies, and achieve a cleaner environment.

That’s where we come in—AREVA’s portfolio of innovative large-scale, low carbon power technologies are under construction around the world, generating thousands of jobs and megawatts of power.

Learn more. Explore our clean energy technologies. Be ready for your next conversation about our nation’s energy options. And join into the conversation on this blog.

Together we can make a simple idea a national reality. Enjoy Earth Day weekend, and join in the global celebration.

“The Harper Government’s plan for Responsible Resource Development will create good, skilled, well-paying jobs in cities and communities across Canada, while maintaining the highest possible standards for protecting the environment,” said Minister Oliver. “It will help prevent the long delays in reviewing major economic projects that kill potential jobs and stall economic growth by putting valuable investment at risk.”

In an article in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, AREVA praised the federal government initiative:

“Reforms such as these certainly weigh into our considerations as we contemplate whether to make new investments in Canada,” said Jarret Adams, AREVA’s communications manager in Saskatoon.

“We certainly view this in a positive light,” he said. “We appreciate the government’s initiative to make regulatory review more predictable and efficient for proposed new projects.”

Read the rest of the article.

As they describe on their site, it’s “a new website and outreach initiative geared towards reaching young, non-technical audiences with information about nuclear energy.” Energy education is crucial, and this site looks to be a fun and well-designed hub for many methods of learning and teaching.

Challenge yourself with one of the quizzes, watch the videos, explore nuclear tourism, and read the personal stories of young nuclear energy students and professionals. And be sure to tell a STEM teacher or professor (science, technology, engineering, math) about this new resource.

We’ll keep an eye out for new content as this site expands, and suggest you should, too. Follow them on Twitter at @NuclearLiteracy and check out their Facebook page for a photo of a handful of uranium “yellowcake.”

Steve makes the observation that we are all culturally bound in our viewpoints, and that we all filter the world through our own contexts of morality, ethics and risk perception, and then develop our opinions — including those on energy policies and the role of nuclear power. The term-of-art for this line of thinking is “Cultural Cognition.”

The facts of any issue that involves understanding, perceiving and quantifying risk are in part colored by our social values. As Steve phrases it, “Risk perception tends to be oriented along lines that remain harmonious with one’s social values – risks which appear to challenge one’s social values are minimized, while risks which speak to concerns of social values are heightened.”

So, “pure” facts don’t tend to change our minds very often. And surprisingly, presenting facts alone when encouraging a new perspective can often result in the opposite effect on people who disagree. As Steve writes: “proponents of the Cultural Cognition hypothesis posit that educating participants on topics to which they were previously uninformed can actually produce a polarizing effect in attitudes.”

Which naturally leads to our next question, “If cultural influence is so strong on perceiving facts, is trying to educate people of the beneficial facts about nuclear energy hopeless?”

We agree with Steve’s answer, “Not at all.”

But the key is to frame our factual and technically accurate answers within the cultural framework understanding of those we are trying to engage.

For those of us looking to make the case for nuclear energy as a key part of an effective U.S. energy policy, Steve’s post is a great reminder to “speak to values.”

It’s a well considered post covering a lot of ground that will reward your reading the whole thing, though you may want to find a comfortable chair first.

We just exceeded 4,500 Twitter followers this week, and while this number may be an indicator of expanding engagement … it is more important to us to be a contributing member of the online nuclear and energy communities. We greatly value the community following us on Twitter, and appreciate the opportunity you give us to hear your thoughts about these important topics.