Latest news with #Magwood
Epoch Times
03-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Small Reactor Innovations Spur Global Interest in Nuclear Energy
Few 'This shift has been long overdue,' said William Magwood, director-general of the 'The numbers have been telling us for years that nuclear was going to play a substantial role if we were going to meet the objective many countries have set for themselves, to reduce CO2 emissions,' he said. Speaking during a Center for Strategic & International Studies' But, he predicted, within five years, 'We're going to see a sort of democratization of nuclear. There's a real strong possibility you're going to see nuclear power plants in Kenya, Philippines, Indonesia, countries that really haven't had this before.' During its COP28 meeting in Dubai, 25 nations signed a pledge to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050. Related Stories 4/19/2025 4/13/2025 The $300 billion fell shy of the $1 trillion proponents initially sought, a shortfall fostered by a realization many nations are not meeting decarbonization goals or building the grid needed to accommodate increasing electricity demand. During COP29, 'countries were expected to bring plans to show how they've already reached their targets,' Magwood said, 'and many of them discovered they were not able to present plans that were going to reach the targets.' The shortfalls came as 'a bit of a shock for some policy-makers,' he said. 'But behind-the-scenes, when I visit with energy ministers and other officials in different capitals, they would admit to me they had no idea how these targets were going to be met.' The center's Energy Security Senior Fellow Jane Nakano said that, in addition to decarbonization, revived support for nuclear energy is being driven by concerns about energy security and interest in stabilizing power costs to spur economic development. 'The war in Ukraine was a game-changer because it reasserted what many countries today see as their number one objective, assuring energy security,' Magwood agreed. He said that after more than 60 years of globalization, 'Energy security had kind of disappeared from the international discussion. 'But,' Magwood added, 'it's back and it's back with a vengeance.' The shuttered Three Mile Island nuclear power plant stands in the middle of the Susquehanna River near Middletown, Pa., on Oct. 10, Plants Run By Old-Timers There are approximately The United States is the world's largest generator and consumer of nuclear energy, with 94 nuclear reactors in 55 power plants, which the U.S. Energy Information Administration calculates generated However, most reactors were built between 1970 and 1990 and have averaged more than 40 years in service. The only new one to come online in the United States since 2016 is Vogtle's fourth reactor in Georgia, which is $16 billion over budget and six years behind schedule. This is a common scenario worldwide, Magwood and former U.S. International Atomic Energy Agency Representative Laura Holgate said, with many of the world's nuclear plants decades old. Nakano said the 'quite ambitious' goal to triple nuclear energy worldwide would require building up to 50 reactors annually. Not only is that possible, Magwood said, but it's been done. 'In the 70s and 80s, the build [rate] back in those days is just about what you would need right now to achieve a tripling by 2050,' he said, 'so it's certainly within the positive realm of the possible.' The biggest obstacles are industrial rust, Magwood said. 'The challenge is we don't have the same infrastructure we had back in the 70s and 80s,' he said. 'There are not as many companies that are building nuclear plants today. So we don't have supply chains, we don't have the personnel, we don't, in some cases, have the regulatory infrastructure to do this.' All this could be changing. Test engineer Jacob Wilcox pulls his arm out of a glove box used for processing sodium at TerraPower, a company developing and building small nuclear reactors in Everett, Wash., on Jan. 13, 2022. Elaine Thompson/AP Photo 100 Years Of Certitude Advanced reactor designs, including portable small nuclear reactors, are completing demonstrations and prototype deployments and are on the cusp of being commercially available. These new reactors can be mass-produced and 'have internalized the current state of knowledge' to bring greater efficiency at lower costs, Holgate said. 'That's different than the past,' Magwood said. 'Nuclear has always been kind of a one-off. You build one here, and you go away for 10 years. You build one there, you go away for 20 years. That's always kept them very expensive.' But with mass reactor production with standard features, costs will significantly decline and nuclear energy will grow quickly, he said. 'If you really want to see cost come down, have a big market, continuous manufacturing, and then you're really in business,' Magwood said. The Nuclear Energy Agency he leads is a component of the 38-nation Magwood said virtually all utility-scale nuclear power plants built in the next 20 years will use contemporary technologies, noting his agency is tracking more than 90 emerging nuclear technologies. He doubts more than a few will advance to demonstration stages. 'We're going to see Darwin kick into effect here. There will not be 90 technologies when the smoke clears,' he said, not venturing a guess at what 'a relatively manageable number' of feasible technologies would be. Magwood said that with mass-produced, small portable reactors likely in use within decades as plug-in systems that don't require user expertise in homes and businesses, there's concern about ensuring uniform safety and environmental standards. 'We're talking about small modular reactors that you may see in a much, much larger number of facilities than in the past,' he said. 'This is going to change the picture for the inspection community; doesn't necessarily make it technically more difficult, but it just may be a capacity issue.' Holgate said with mass production, inspections can be conducted check-list fast, citing the International Atomic Energy Agency's 'Milestones Process' as its ongoing attempt to streamline reviews, permitting, and licensing. The program is 'a very, very clear step-by-step process about, how do you go from a very limited regulatory and managerial capacity around nuclear, to be able to develop a procurement approach? The human capital? Your supply chain issues?' Magwood said many of the mostly-European members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development have extensive experience in operating nuclear power plants so his agency is offering its consultancy services to 'newcomer' nuclear energy nations. 'What the [International Atomic Energy Agency] does with the 'Milestones Process' is very important,' he said. 'What we're planning to do with countries is work on policies and economic development.' Developing collaborative, innovation-sharing relationships with 'newcomer' nuclear energy nations 'becomes massively important,' Magwood said. 'That's going to be true in the future, too,' he said. 'You're going to see these kinds of relationships [because] whenever a country makes a decision about building nuclear, that partner will be with them, holding their hand, for 100 years. So, who do you want to have this 100-year relationship with?'
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mount Pleasant to unveil statue honoring longtime fisherman Capt. Wayne Magwood
MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – A statue honoring a beloved Mount Pleasant fisherman will be unveiled during a special ceremony Thursday afternoon. Shem Creek was like a second home for Captain Wayne Magwood. The shrimper was known for the long hours he spent on the water and the docks. Capt. Magwood died in September 2020 after he was hit by a truck while attempting to cross Mill Street at Coleman Boulevard. The Town of Mount Pleasant will unveil a long-awaited statue, the Wayne Magwood Fisherman's Memorial Statue, honoring his life and enduring legacy. To construct the statue, the town worked closely with Magwood's family in creating something unique in his memory. One of Magwood's daughters told News 2 the statue will feature a QR code that people can scan to learn more about the local shrimping community, and what restaurants serve locally caught seafood. The statue unveiling is set for 3 p.m. near the Magwood Pedestrian Bridge at Shem Creek. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dr. Charles Magwood receives Cool Teacher award
Students and staff are singing praises for a music teacher at Sangaree Elementary. Dr. Charles Magwood is building relationships and character through music. His approach continues to strike a chord with students, staff, and administrators. Dr. Charles Magwood receives the News 2 Cool School Teacher award. Music with purpose fills the air at Sangaree Elementary, all thanks to music teacher Dr. Charles Magwood. Dr. Magwood has been a teacher for 12 years, six months at Sangaree Elementary, a Title-One school in Berkeley County with 700 students in 4K through second grade. Magwood wrote a new school song for Sangaree and taught the song to all students. The song teaches the students how to shine, like the school's star mascot. The Sangaree Teacher of the Year, also created after school music clubs, and treasures his special connection with students. Congratulations Dr. Charles Magwood! Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cool Teacher: Dr. Charles Magwood
He is a master at melodies with a mission. Sangaree Elementary School music teacher Dr. Charles Magwood is helping students reach all the right notes, building relationships and character through music. He's our Cool School Teacher of the week. Dr. Magwood's approach continues to strike a chord with students, staff, and administrators. Music with purpose fills the air at Sangaree Elementary, all thanks to music teacher Dr. Charles Magwood. 'Sangaree Elementary makes me successful. I've been acknowledged and appreciated but it's different when you feel needed,' says Magwood. From Varnville, South Carolina, Dr. Magwood has been a teacher for 12 years, in North Carolina and South Carolina. It's been an emotional journey. He says, 'I lost my mom a year ago, that's why I'm in South Carolina. I've been teaching in North Carolina for years. My mom was fighting cancer, so I came down to try to help her, and we lost her. I was thinking, I'm going to stay here. These kids need me, but I realized I needed the kids. I need this team. This team is like family.' Dr. Magwood has served as the music teacher at Sangaree for six months, a Title-One school with 700 students in 4K through 2nd grade. Magwood has a Doctorate in transformational leadership, focused on working with at-risk children. 'I was a child at risk, and if it were not for my teachers and family, I don't know where I would be. When I think of these children, I think of those same things. I owe it to them to give to them what I received to be successful in life,' he says. Dr. Magwood wrote a new school song for Sangaree and taught the song to all students. The song teaches the students how to shine, like the school's star mascot. He says, 'I knew I had a passion for music and for being a father. A lot of teachers can agree, sometimes we're like parents. I grew up with a saying that my family taught me, I've become all things. I've become all things to all men, that I might save some, and when I think about my students and what we have to become, sometimes you're a parent, sometimes you're a coach, a big brother. As educators, we all do anything we have to do just to try to meet those students to the best of our ability.' Dr. Magwood is also an accomplished musician. Magwood works to keep the entire school moving to the beat of their own drums. The Sangaree Teacher of the Year has a special connection with students. Sangaree Elementary principal Tara Baker says, 'Dr. Magwood just brings life to our school. He is not only an inspiration to our students, but to our staff members. He has encouraged me to be a better leader each day. He just brings his passion for music into life for students, engaging lessons, from the laughter in the room to singing, he's just a great human being for students. He gives back to everybody.' Assistant principal Rusty Boston says, 'Music is second to what he does for us. He has taken our environment and climate to another level. Look at what he's done with the community for Sangaree, constantly going out for different programs and takes the kids with him and they perform. He's developed after-school programs we didn't have. He has his drum circle, he has chorus, and kids are just excited all the time just being around him.' Dr. Magwood encourages students to set the bar high. Second-grade student Alexandria Gay says, 'He's the best and he inspires me to do music and sing along with everybody. He makes everybody's mind blow up because he's so smart.' Second-grade student Franklin Arce says, 'He always makes everyone happy, and he inspires me to be the best.'Dr. Magwood was nominated by his leadership team. He says he is thankful for the support he receives from his administrative team, colleagues, and Berkeley County School District leaders. 'I've been acknowledged and appreciated, but it's different when you feel needed. It's humbling, and it motivates you to continue to do your best. It shows you that hard work pays off. For me, it's more powerful for the students to see this. From day one, I've been teaching them to shine, to be safe, honorable, innovative, nice, engaged and I try to live by it, and when you see the fruits of my labor, I can tell the kids, this is what happens when you do your best, when you're moral, when you work hard, and when you're dedicated. This is more of a victory for my kids, so happy they got to see something like this.'Giving it all to help students develop a love for learning through lyrics. 'I can say mom, this is what I'm doing. I'm trying to take care of the kids the way you took care of me.' If you would like to nominate a Cool School, teacher, or principal, send an email to Octavia Mitchell at omitchell@ Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
