In a recent article submitted to the Philadelphia Enquirer, the question of nuclear plant life extension was examined from both angles of the spectrum. Those in opposition, such as the anti-industry “Beyond Nuclear” group mentioned in the article, are spurred on by the recent left-wing hysteria surrounding the proposed New Green Deal, which champions the use of solar and wind energy over that of the nuclear industry.
Over the last several weeks since the New Green Deal was unveiled, the feasibility of these energy systems has come into question—mainly because the technology to support them long term does not currently exist. Nor are they as operationally reliable as nuclear energy, which is not governed by nature or geography. With the nuclear energy providing up to 60% of the nation’s carbon-free energy, agents in the industry like Patrick Navin, Site Vice President of the Peach Bottom reactor outside Philadelphia, who says, “If you really believe in climate change, this is the solution. We are going to need all forms of renewable energy, and shutting these things (reactors) down won’t get you there.” Unless you willfully choose to ignore the glare of empirical facts when it comes to this current discussion, and there are many minds warped by sensationalist group think and the rapturous fads of young America who do, there is no honest discussion of a clean energy future where nuclear energy is tabled off as taboo or an establishment evil.
The real question then becomes, is it safe? While the peripheral dangers of nuclear energy are well known in the wake of Three-Mile Island, Fukushima, and the puissant image of the mushroom cloud every American since 1943 has been raised on, the deeper and more pertinent to this century question is cyber security. In an age where a mole-like creature half way around the world who never really sees the sun can piddle away on his computer and hack into any computer network strung along this earth, the threat to NPP’s is real. You might wonder how, since the majority of plants in the U.S. still operate with analog technology that spindly little tech minions can’t manipulate with their weaponized fingertips. Look no further than the impetus of analog obsolescence—the nuclear industry has heard the black cloud moving in and now, only after hard lessons of time and imprudence, desperately understands the need to digitize. And that’s great. But with digital renovations comes control rooms that are suddenly invitingly naked to the urges of frothing little minds bent over computer screens in darkened rooms orchestrating a dull symphony of keyboards clicking off the sounds of hopeful intrusion.
In the article, Exelon, who owns the Peach Bottom reactor, states that they will, “Include cyber security measures when it installs the new digital control systems to make sure the system cannot be tampered with or unauthorized access into any of those systems, said Navin. The new controls should be in place before the current licenses expire in 2033 and 2034.”
Why wait till then? Any plant that is looking to be a part of the clean energy initiative flying off the tongues of talking heads like a war cry or animal ministration, and wants to safely extend their plant life in doing so, should look for a more immediate, less expensive, and highly efficient option. The Otek option is unequivocally the Solid State Analog Meter or SSAM. Built with no hackable components such as microprocessors and powered by CMOS technology, the SSAM can easily replace popular NPP analogs like the DB40 or GE180 with wire by wire, form, fit, and function connectivity to the streamlined tune of no lengthy outages, absolutely no installation closures of any kind, and only minimal procedural training for operators. The SSAM can be integrated on an individual piecemeal basis or en mass in one fell analog exodus. Our brain child is also 100% signal powered in the distant image of analogs, with adaptive capabilities for 4-20 & 10-50mA current loops, AC Volts, Amps, Hertz and Watts, in addition to our patented input signal fail alarm and 101 LED segment bar. The vast amount of money saved in avoiding NEI 08-09 regulation is also something to consider, if you, you know, enjoy profitability.
Unfortunately, good articles such as the one this blog reviews, are becoming increasing difficult to find in the vortex of minute by minute squawking senators armed with a legion of Twitters, insta-garbage, and Facebook soldiers eagerly ready to suspend their minds to whatever cause is demanded of them like Chairman’s Mao’s subjects, the whirling kaleidoscope of misinformation and emotionally charged daily calamities that really are just grown men and women groveling for their addiction to attention bred into them by the 24/7 information mainline machine our once-good earth has been beaten and raggedly transformed into, and the simple horror that everyone today is a superstar whose opinion the world needs to hear. We applaud brave journalists like the article’s author, Mr. Andrew Maykuth, who have the rapidly-becoming-extinct ability to shift through the sewage.
Nuclear energy is a cornerstone of any clean American future. Otek pledges its technology to this endeavor and a shared future. Hopefully without all the histrionics.
The full article may be found here: https://www.philly.com/business/energy/aging-nuclear-power-plants-safe-t…