First Look at the Amazon's Nuclear Facility Planned For Washington State
Amazon is investing hundreds of millions into the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility, a next-generation small modular reactor project in Richland, Washington, developed with X-energy and Energy Northwest. "The question now is will it be enough to kick off a new wave of U.S. nuclear energy innovation -- a field that America largely soured on by the 1980s?" writes GeekWire. From the report: The facility will be located near Richland, Wash., near Energy Northwest's Columbia Generating Station nuclear plant. The initial goal is to install a cluster of four small modular reactors (SMRs) that can produce up to 320 megawatts of power, but the overall vision is to construct 12 reactors total, with a capacity of nearly one gigawatt. If all the funding, permitting and public support come together, construction should start within the next five years, with the plant coming online in the 2030s. [...] For Amazon, its support of the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility is part of a much bigger initiative. The company has set a goal of deploying 5 gigawatts of nuclear power in the U.S. by 2039.
"One thing that Amazon does well is scale technology," said Brandon Oyer, Amazon Web Services' head of power and water for North and South America. "We've done this over and over again ... We'll go and make an investment and then learn how to scale that up, drive out cost, make it more readily available." Targeting SMRs for amplification was a "natural fit," Oyer added. The company believes nuclear aligns with its climate ambitions. Amazon matches all of its electricity use with clean power and is the largest corporate purchaser of wind, solar and other renewable sources. That said, it is struggling to cut its carbon footprint to reach a goal of net-zero emissions by 2040 as the AI-boom stokes energy use.
Amazon reported that its carbon footprint grew by 6% last year. Amazon has dibs on half of the 320 megawatts of electricity that will be generated by the first four reactors at the Washington site, but will take all of it if the power prices are too high for local utilities to afford. Cullen said that if everything goes well with the initial phase, it would be straightforward to build the other eight reactors as the permits will encompass the complete build out. The added reactors would produce enough electricity for about one million homes and should come at a lower cost. "Amazon recognizes the role they can -- and are willing -- to play," Cullen said. The company can take some of the early risk and bring that catalytic capital, he said, which is "every, very difficult for utilities to do."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
It was almost the perfect murder... Plasterer who killed his wife and hid her body finally learns his fate after shocking trial that divided France
The disappearance of Cédric Jubillar's wife, Delphine, gripped France during the Covid lockdown .
Security is 'increased' on new Harry Potter set over fears trans activists had planned to sabotage new JK Rowling project
Filming for the new wizarding TV series began earlier this summer, but fears have been sparked after a recent alleged break-in by intruders to the show's set in Leavesden Studios last week.
Young woman, 22, goes to her doctor for routine skin check - and is hit with a horror diagnosis
Chloe Byrne decided to visit her doctor in March for a routine check after one of her friends was diagnosed with skin cancer.
David Beckham has created an oasis of peace in his Cotswolds garden... and it's a far cry from suburban Chingford, writes KATIE HIND
As a child, David Beckham's tiny garden was merely a place to kick a ball in. There wasn't much green space in Chingford, the east London suburb in which he grew up.
Mel C, 51, showcases her jaw-dropping abs in sizzling snaps for her new album Sweat
The Spice Girl, 51, proved she still lives up to her sporty nickname as she showed off her impressive abs in a slew of snaps released on Friday.
Victoria Beckham drops biggest hint yet about an epic Spice Girls reunion ahead of 30th anniversary
The fashion designer, 51, shot to fame as part of the pop phenomenon in 1994 alongside Mel B, Mel C, Geri Halliwell-Horner, and Emma Bunton.
TV comedians Nish Kumar and James Acaster branded 'nimbies' by furious locals after the pair helped raise £40,000 to block plans for over 800 new homes to be built in Peckham
The plans, submitted by Berkeley Homes, would see 867 homes built on the site of the Aylesham shopping centre and market.
Exposed: The mothers who gave Ian Watkins their babies to violate. As one walks free, BARBARA DAVIES reveals their fates, horrifying truth of how they offered up their infants - and how Watkins 'went insane' at the end
As news broke of Ian Watkins' murder in prison last weekend it reached, among others, the two women who stood trial back in 2013 alongside the twisted Lostprophets frontman.
Alan Carr 'in talks for chat show comeback on the BBC' after his Celebrity Traitors success
BBC bosses are reportedly preparing to offer Celebrity Traitors star Alan Carr his own chat show, nearly a decade after his hit Channel 4 series Chatty Man ended.
Joshua Jackson and Jodie Turner-Smith 'call OFF divorce trial as they privately negotiate custody of daughter'
'[Turner-Smith and Jackson] are in the process of negotiating a custody judgment,' he lawyer stated. 'The parties will return to the [a private judge they hired] to resolve any impasses.'
This is what's really behind Alexander Isak's Liverpool slump: The problem that began in February, the alarms AI is raising about him and why Arne Slot's explanation for Swede's slow start just doesn't add up
Alexander Isak turned his back on the tutelage that helped make him so great. And he was great. Call it disrespectful, maybe, but what it feels more like now is career vandalism.
Next's 'timeless' trench coat the 'perfect combination of style and practicality'
shoppers loved how smart, comfortable and chic the coat is
Samantha Eggar dead at 86: Oscar-nominated actress in The Collector passes after 'a long, fabulous life'
The acclaimed Hollywood star was best known for her performances in The Collector and The Brood.
DAILY MAIL COMMENT: It took a long time coming, but Prince Andrew has finally done the right thing
With fresh revelations about his closeness to Jeffrey Epstein and friendship with a Chinese 'spymaster', the sleaze surrounding this most tainted of royals had reached a critical mass.
Decades of decadence at the world's most glamorous beach club: JOAN COLLINS recalls Roger Moore being handbagged by his wife for flirting... and the Hollywood star who couldn't get a table
As usual, the whole of the outdoor venue was a riot of stars and stripes. American flags fluttered from the rafters and waved from the middle of each table.
International treasure hunt for Lady Gabriella husband's missing cash: RICHARD EDEN
Perhaps even Thomas Kingston - the charming, cool-headed former hostage negotiator who married - sometimes felt daunted by the intricate challenges presented by his commercial ventures.
QUENTIN LETTS: Fortune is turning against the silken, sinuous courtier blamed for the China spy scandal. So will Keir Starmer sever the suppurating limb that is National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell?
Any corking spy thriller has an enigmatic, grey eminence, a shadowy controller figure to intrigue the reader. So it has proved with Parliament's 'Chinese spooks' saga.
Revealed: The most viewed houses up for sale in the UK - including one ordinary home with a secret bedroom
The list from Purplebricks highlights the homes that attracted the most attention from online house-hunters, which currently has 7,451 properties for sale across the UK.
Prosper Data Breach Impacts 17.6 Million Accounts
Hackers breached financial services firm Prosper, stealing the personal data of roughly 17.6 million people, including Social Security numbers, income details, and government IDs. "We have evidence that confidential, proprietary, and personal information, including Social Security Numbers, was obtained, including through unauthorized queries made on Company databases that store customer information and applicant data. We will be offering free credit monitoring as appropriate after we determine what data was affected," the company says. "The investigation is still in its very early stages, but resolving this incident is our top priority and we are committed to sharing additional information with our customers as appropriate." BleepingComputer reports: Prosper operates as a peer-to-peer lending marketplace that has helped over 2 million customers secure more than $30 billion in loans since its founding in 2005. As the company disclosed one month ago on a dedicated page, the breach was detected on September 2, but Prosper has yet to find evidence that the attackers gained access to customer accounts and funds.
However, the attackers stole data belonging to Prosper customers and loan applicants. The company hasn't shared what information was exposed beyond Social Security numbers because it's still investigating what data was affected. Prosper added that the security breach didn't impact its customer-facing operations and that it has reported the incident to relevant authorities and is collaborating with law enforcement to investigate the attack. [...] The stolen information also includes customers' names, government-issued IDs, employment status, credit status, income levels, dates of birth, physical addresses, IP addresses, and browser user agent details. Have I Been Pwned revealed the extent of the incident on Thursday.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.