PLYMOUTH, Mass. — The Pilgrim nuclear power plant in Plymouth has permanently shut down after 47 years of generating electricity, bring to a close the era of nuclear power in Massachusetts. The final shutdown occurred at 5:28 p.m. Friday. Entergy announced in 2015 it would retire Massachusetts' only remaining reactor, citing competition from less expensive energy sources. Entergy had said the shutdown would take about five hours with technicians first reducing Pilgrim's power output from the 40% to 26% to about 8%, before launching the final step of inserting control rods into the fuel assembly to seal off further nuclear reactions. The focus now turns to the daunting task of cleaning up and dismantling the plant. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is reviewing Entergy's proposal to sell Pilgrim to a private nuclear waste management firm that promises a speedier decommissioning. The closing leaves Seabrook in New Hampshire and Millstone in Connecticut as New England's only … [Read more...] about Pilgrim shutdown ends nuclear power era in Massachusetts
Massachusetts gas prices
Pilgrim’s shutdown ends nuclear power era in Massachusetts
Bob Salsberg, Associated Press Updated 4:44 am CDT, Friday, May 31, 2019 Warning signs are posted near a gate to the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, in Plymouth, Mass., Tuesday, May 28, 2019. The operators of the nuclear plant performed a simulated shutdown at a training facility several miles from the reactor Tuesday, in advance of the actual shutdown of the aging reactor planned for Friday, May 31. less Warning signs are posted near a gate to the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, in Plymouth, Mass., Tuesday, May 28, 2019. The operators of the nuclear plant performed a simulated shutdown at a training facility ... more Photo: Steven Senne, AP Photo: Steven Senne, AP Image 1 of / 7 Caption Close Image 1 of 7 Warning signs are posted near a gate to the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, … [Read more...] about Pilgrim’s shutdown ends nuclear power era in Massachusetts
5 family-friendly February break day trips across Massachusetts
February vacation is Feb. 18-22 for most Boston-area schools, which means it’s fast approaching. That also means parents will be looking for ways to fill up the days. Why not gas up the car and explore another area of the state for a day? Here are five Massachusetts day trip ideas that are chock-full of family-friendly fun. It’s going to be a magical week at Springfield Museums in downtown Springfield — literally. The museums are hosting a program called “Magic at the Museums” from Feb. 18-22, bringing several acts to the campus. Your children can try their hand at magic tricks, step into a wizard photo booth, watch strolling magicians, see theatrical shows, join a magical scavenger hunt, and more at the campus museums throughout the week. Admission to Springfield Museums includes entry into The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, the George Walter Vincent Smith Art Museum, the Springfield Science Museum, the Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of … [Read more...] about 5 family-friendly February break day trips across Massachusetts
Fire fuels concerns over Consumers natural gas system
Mike Martindale The Detroit News Published 11:33 PM EST Feb 6, 2019 Last week's fire at a Consumers Energy compressor station in Macomb County during a record-breaking cold snap exposed vulnerabilities — as well as strengths — in the system that supplies natural gas to 4.1 million Michiganians, experts say. The Jan. 30 blaze crippled the utility's Armada Township facility, which supplies 64 percent of Consumers' natural gas, leading Consumers to ask some large industrial customers to shut down and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to ask residents to turn down their thermostats to preserve a suddenly constricted supply. And while the company's distribution system weathered the crisis, some experts believe such a breakdown will happen again — if not in Michigan, then elsewhere. Carl Weimer, executive director of the Bellingham, Washington-based Pipeline Safety Trust, which monitors natural gas pipeline issues nationally, said Consumers Energy handled … [Read more...] about Fire fuels concerns over Consumers natural gas system
Global Oil Pricing Worries Hit US Energy Shares As Earnings Loom
Oct 29, 3:43 AM EDT Newsletter Signup BusinessTechnologyWorldNationalMedia & CultureOpinionSportsLuxury Business By Caroline Valetkevitch 10/27/18 AT 1:00 AM NEW YORK - Worries over global oil pricing and pipeline constraints are hanging over the energy sector as U.S. companies begin to report quarterly results, with many producers’ shares trading lower on the year.Third-quarter profits for oil producers generally should be higher than a year ago, because the average price per barrel was up about 44 percent over the same period last year. But oil prices on Friday registered their third straight weekly decline, extending a slide on concerns that slower global economic growth and the U.S.-China trade war could dent demand.U.S. crude CLc1 is on track for a decline of roughly 8 percent for the month, while the S&P 500 energy index .SPNY is down 12.2 percent so far in October compared with the benchmark S&P 500's .SPX 8.8 percent decline. [.N]U.S. … [Read more...] about Global Oil Pricing Worries Hit US Energy Shares As Earnings Loom