Heat Wave Shuts Down Alabama Reactor

mdsolar writes "In a first for the US, one of three nuclear reactors at the Browns Ferry nuclear plant in Alabama has been shut down because the Tennessee River is too hot to provide adequate cooling for the waste heat produced by the reactor. This is happening as the TVA faces its highest demand for power ever, reports the Houston Chronicle. This effect has been seen in Europe in the past, forcing reduced generation, but the US has until now been immune to the problem. The TVA will buy power elsewhere and impose higher rates, blaming reduced river flow as a result of drought."

Comments

Mod up insightful

[b0s0z0ku]

Mod parent up -- BTW, the same think is being done in the desert West (Phoenix, etc). Easterners are moving with the expectation that they can have green lawns and cool houses, and straining the region's energy and (especially) water resources.

-b.

Tough Shit.

[FatSean]

You shoulda learned from the gas-crunch of the 1970s. You based your whole living arrangement and life on cheap gas and lo and behold, it has gone up in price!

The "Free Market" will work this out for you. You'll either die, or you'll move. Your lifestyle might take a hit, but hey, you shoulda been saving for a rainy day.