Latest news with #Penly
Forbes
09-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How France May Squander Its Nuclear Energy Advantage
Electricite de France (EDF) CEO, Luc Remont, poses for a photograph at the Penly Nuclear Power Plant ... More in Petit-Caux, on the English Channel coast, on December 9, 2022. (Photo by Lou BENOIST / AFP) (Photo by LOU BENOIST/AFP via Getty Images) The global rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the proliferation of data centers, urbanization in emerging markets, and increasingly widespread electrification are all major factors driving the insatiable demand for electricity world-wide. Meanwhile, the world's focus on zero-emission energy in response to climate change has placed a premium on developing and maintaining safe and reliable nuclear energy virtually everywhere, which can provide a steady baseload of much needed non-fossil fuel energy throughout the world. Indeed, large energy dependent companies like Microsoft and Google are even beginning to purchase their own nuclear reactors, while European nations like Germany, Austria, and Switzerland shutter their own, existing ones. Unique among Western nations, France remained committed to producing nuclear energy while the rest of the world mothballed many nuclear facilities in reaction to disasters like Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima. According to the World Nuclear Association, France now produces approximately 70% of its energy from nuclear sources. As the world becomes more concerned with reducing dependence on fossil fuels, France would seem to be among the best-positioned nations to lead in energy production while decreasing carbon emissions. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The reality is that energy planning and supply in France have had a spotty and complicated record over the last several years. This, in turn, raises serious questions about Paris's ability to lead Europe into the new energy age, despite President Emmanuel Macron's apparent aspirations to position France as Europe's carbon-free energy frontrunner. 2022 was a watershed year – just as the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, threatening to trigger energy supply emergencies for many European countries, half of France's nuclear power plants were offline. For the first time in decades, France was forced to become a net importer of energy, at a time when its neighbors were struggling to obtain power themselves without depending on Moscow to keep the lights and heat on. To make matters worse, the French government decided the time was right to start nationalizing the country's nuclear power operator, Électricité de France (EDF), thereby angering the company's employee shareholders in the process. The government also decided to try to shield French consumers from rising energy costs, forcing EDF to buy energy at high market prices and distribute it at a loss. This messy scenario resulted in EDF suing its own government for some €8.3 billion in losses, with its employee shareholders threatening to sue for more. 2022 was also the year that Macron, then a candidate for his second presidential term, called for a 'nuclear renaissance' to include the build-out of up to 14 new nuclear reactors as a key step in getting away from the use of fossil fuels. His call was actually quite late in coming – in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, France had put new nuclear projects on hold. Meanwhile, its fleet of existing reactors was aging out and needing more frequent maintenance. Further, inspections and repairs had lagged behind schedule due to the prolonged wave of COVID shutdowns. By 2021, the mean age of France's 56 reactors was 36.1 years. The government had been planning to conduct the requisite inspections and repairs to extend the life of select reactors in the fleet to 50 years when stress corrosion issues were found in several of the reactors, necessitating shutdowns. Some of France's reactors still remain offline. In 2024, EDF finally opened a new type of reactor in Flamanville, on the Normandy coast, after massive cost overruns (€13.2 billion/US$14.6 billion – around four times the €3.3 billion initially budgeted) and 12 years of delays. However, the reactor shut itself down on its second day of operation. After completely restructuring its core, EDF eventually reconnected it to the grid in April 2025. While France has remained committed to nuclear power, it is not managing to walk its own walk as far as costs and delivery are concerned. The example of the Flamanville reactor speaks for itself. At the same time, Paris has contradicted itself repeatedly when it comes to integrating renewables into its energy framework. For instance, in 2023, France enacted a green energy law requiring listed companies to consult their shareholders on their climate strategies — only to backtrack on many of its provisions within months in a demonstration of poor planning, ill-considered policymaking, and an overall lack of practical and strategic vision. The constant back-and-forth, delays, and false starts, along with the massive cost overruns associated with nuclear construction, have rendered French energy policy incoherent and placed a burden on its neighbors. This became glaringly evident on April 28th, when a massive power blackout hit all of Spain and Portugal, as well as parts of France and neighboring countries. While the immediate cause of the outage is still under investigation, the fragility of Spain's grid and its limited connectivity to France were major contributors. Spain's Energy Minister, Teresa Ribera, has previously highlighted the enormous difficulties in improving cross-border energy links with France, which continue to hinder Spain's integration into the broader European energy market, leaving that country with limited options for electricity imports from France during times of crisis. The recent blackout underscores the challenges of integrating intermittent renewable sources, which typically introduce volatility into power grids through significant fluctuations in production and transmission. While France, with its nuclear baseload, fared better during the blackout than its Iberian neighbors, the blackout once again raised the issue of how Paris will generate power reliably and cost-effectively in the future. Despite his aspirations, France's inconsistent energy policy and budgetary constraints limit Macron's ability to maneuver internationally, and leave him little choice but to court Qatari investments and even seek accommodations with Iran. What's more, without a coherent, long-term energy policy that generates sufficient power, France is actually creating an energy dilemma for itself that serves as fertile political ground for the home-grown populist right National Rally, which has been gaining momentum among French voters and nearly won the most recent national elections before a court barred the party's leader, Marine Le Pen, from running for the presidency in April 2027. For France as a whole, all of this disarray and lack of cogent planning reflects the remarkable squandering of a once-commanding energy advantage. France's long-time leadership in nuclear energy should have given it a winning hand internationally. Instead, although its President talks a big game, its leaders appear unable to chart a clear course, endangering its overall leadership of the EU on energy policy in the process.
Forbes
09-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
FRANCE MAY SQUANDER ITS NUCLEAR ENERGY ADVANTAGE
Electricite de France (EDF) CEO, Luc Remont, poses for a photograph at the Penly Nuclear Power Plant ... More in Petit-Caux, on the English Channel coast, on December 9, 2022. (Photo by Lou BENOIST / AFP) (Photo by LOU BENOIST/AFP via Getty Images) The global rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the proliferation of data centers, urbanization in emerging markets, and increasingly widespread electrification are all major factors driving the insatiable demand for electricity world-wide. Meanwhile, the world's focus on zero-emission energy in response to climate change has placed a premium on developing and maintaining safe and reliable nuclear energy virtually everywhere, which can provide a steady baseload of much needed non-fossil fuel energy throughout the world. Indeed, large energy dependent companies like Microsoft and Google are even beginning to purchase their own nuclear reactors, while European nations like Germany, Austria, and Switzerland shutter their own, existing ones. Unique among Western nations, France remained committed to producing nuclear energy while the rest of the world mothballed many nuclear facilities in reaction to disasters like Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima. According to the World Nuclear Association, France now produces approximately 70% of its energy from nuclear sources. As the world becomes more concerned with reducing dependence on fossil fuels, France would seem to be among the best-positioned nations to lead in energy production while decreasing carbon emissions. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The reality is that energy planning and supply in France have had a spotty and complicated record over the last several years. This, in turn, raises serious questions about Paris's ability to lead Europe into the new energy age, despite President Emmanuel Macron's apparent aspirations to position France as Europe's carbon-free energy frontrunner. 2022 was a watershed year – just as the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, threatening to trigger energy supply emergencies for many European countries, half of France's nuclear power plants were offline. For the first time in decades, France was forced to become a net importer of energy, at a time when its neighbors were struggling to obtain power themselves without depending on Moscow to keep the lights and heat on. To make matters worse, the French government decided the time was right to start nationalizing the country's nuclear power operator, Électricité de France (EDF), thereby angering the company's employee shareholders in the process. The government also decided to try to shield French consumers from rising energy costs, forcing EDF to buy energy at high market prices and distribute it at a loss. This messy scenario resulted in EDF suing its own government for some €8.3 billion in losses, with its employee shareholders threatening to sue for more. 2022 was also the year that Macron, then a candidate for his second presidential term, called for a 'nuclear renaissance' to include the build-out of up to 14 new nuclear reactors as a key step in getting away from the use of fossil fuels. His call was actually quite late in coming – in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, France had put new nuclear projects on hold. Meanwhile, its fleet of existing reactors was aging out and needing more frequent maintenance. Further, inspections and repairs had lagged behind schedule due to the prolonged wave of COVID shutdowns. By 2021, the mean age of France's 56 reactors was 36.1 years. The government had been planning to conduct the requisite inspections and repairs to extend the life of select reactors in the fleet to 50 years when stress corrosion issues were found in several of the reactors, necessitating shutdowns. Some of France's reactors still remain offline. In 2024, EDF finally opened a new type of reactor in Flamanville, on the Normandy coast, after massive cost overruns (€13.2 billion/US$14.6 billion – around four times the €3.3 billion initially budgeted) and 12 years of delays. However, the reactor shut itself down on its second day of operation. After completely restructuring its core, EDF eventually reconnected it to the grid in April 2025. While France has remained committed to nuclear power, it is not managing to walk its own walk as far as costs and delivery are concerned. The example of the Flamanville reactor speaks for itself. At the same time, Paris has contradicted itself repeatedly when it comes to integrating renewables into its energy framework. For instance, in 2023, France enacted a green energy law requiring listed companies to consult their shareholders on their climate strategies — only to backtrack on many of its provisions within months in a demonstration of poor planning, ill-considered policymaking, and an overall lack of practical and strategic vision. The constant back-and-forth, delays, and false starts, along with the massive cost overruns associated with nuclear construction, have rendered French energy policy incoherent and placed a burden on its neighbors. This became glaringly evident on April 28th, when a massive power blackout hit all of Spain and Portugal, as well as parts of France and neighboring countries. While the immediate cause of the outage is still under investigation, the fragility of Spain's grid and its limited connectivity to France were major contributors. Spain's Energy Minister, Teresa Ribera, has previously highlighted the enormous difficulties in improving cross-border energy links with France, which continue to hinder Spain's integration into the broader European energy market, leaving that country with limited options for electricity imports from France during times of crisis. The recent blackout underscores the challenges of integrating intermittent renewable sources, which typically introduce volatility into power grids through significant fluctuations in production and transmission. While France, with its nuclear baseload, fared better during the blackout than its Iberian neighbors, the blackout once again raised the issue of how Paris will generate power reliably and cost-effectively in the future. Despite his aspirations, France's inconsistent energy policy and budgetary constraints limit Macron's ability to maneuver internationally, and leave him little choice but to court Qatari investments and even seek accommodations with Iran. What's more, without a coherent, long-term energy policy that generates sufficient power, France is actually creating an energy dilemma for itself that serves as fertile political ground for the home-grown populist right National Rally, which has been gaining momentum among French voters and nearly won the most recent national elections before a court barred the party's leader, Marine Le Pen, from running for the presidency in April 2027. For France as a whole, all of this disarray and lack of cogent planning reflects the remarkable squandering of a once-commanding energy advantage. France's long-time leadership in nuclear energy should have given it a winning hand internationally. Instead, although its President talks a big game, its leaders appear unable to chart a clear course, endangering its overall leadership of the EU on energy policy in the process.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘90s boy bander Nick Carter accused of sexually assaulting fourth woman, giving her STDs that led to cancer: lawsuit
A fourth woman has come forward accusing Nick Carter of sexual misconduct. In a new lawsuit, filed last week in Nevada, a woman named Laura Penly claims the Backstreet Boys singer sexually assaulted her and gave her a sexually transmitted disease that led to cervical cancer. Carter has vehemently denied the allegations. Penly alleges in court documents that she met Carter, now 45, in late 2004 when she was 19 years old and he was in his mid-20s, according to multiple reports. She claims in the lawsuit that they had a 'sexually intimate relationship and would see each other approximately every few weeks' when she visited Los Angeles. The two allegedly had consensual sex multiple times. However, per the court documents, Carter allegedly 'refused' to wear a condom, insisting he was 'clean' of STDs. Penly further claims that she never had unprotected sex before meeting the musician. According to the lawsuit, Penly went to see Carter at his Los Angeles apartment in early 2005. When she arrived, she allegedly told him that she did not want to have sex and just wanted to hang out. He allegedly 'told her 'no' because the only reason she was there was to have sex,' per the documents. Penly alleges in the lawsuit that Carter then picked her up and 'forcefully' assaulted her on his bed despite her 'saying 'no' multiple times.' She claims he did not wear a condom during the alleged rape. Per the lawsuit, the singer allegedly tried to silence Penly, telling her that no one would believe her if she came forward. However, a few months later, the boy band member allegedly apologized and asked to see her again. She claims in the lawsuit that he sexually assaulted her a second time after she agreed to meet with him. Penly further alleges in the court documents that Carter 'infected' her with 'various sexually transmitted diseases, including the human papillomavirus (commonly known as HPV), a sexually transmitted infection known to cause health problems such as cervical cancer.' She allegedly tested positive for chlamydia and gonorrhea in July 2005. The doctors also found cancerous cells which she believes stemmed from an HPV infection. The following month, she 'was diagnosed with Stage 2 Cervical Cancer and had to undergo numerous treatments.' Penly allegedly dealt with 'severe emotional distress, physical anguish, medical issues, intimacy issues, and other complex trauma' as a result of the diagnosis and alleged assault. She is seeking damages and demands a jury trial. Carter's legal team has vehemently denied the accusations, telling Page Six that they plan to 'fight' the lawsuit. 'Nick does not recall ever even meeting Laura Penly. He certainly never had any romantic or sexual relationship with her. Ever,' his lawyers said in a statement. 'This is just more of the same nonsense from the gang of conspirators and their lawyers who continue to abuse the justice system to try to ruin Nick Carter. It's drawn from the same predictable playbook – lie in wait for decades until Mr. Carter is celebrating a professional milestone, then hide behind litigation privilege to make utterly false claims in an attempt to inflict maximum damage on Nick and his family.' They suggested that Penly was looking for a payout, claiming she 'has a documented history of financial and legal trouble, has filed for bankruptcy, and has been sued for fraud.' In November 2017, Dream singer Melissa Schuman alleged that Carter raped her in 2003 when she was 18 and he was 22. She officially sued him for sexual assault and battery in April 2023. The 'Everybody' singer has denied her allegations, alleging that Schuman 'never expressed to [him] while [they] were together or at any time since that anything [they] did was not consensual.' In December 2022, another woman, Shannon Ruth, also sued Carter for sexual battery, claiming he raped her on his tour bus in 2001. She was 17 at the time of the alleged assault. Then, in August 2023, a third accuser came forward claiming Carter assaulted her when she was just 15. She claimed he 'knowingly provided alcohol and drugs' to the then-minor before the alleged assault. The accuser's mother allegedly reported the incident to the police, who investigated but found no grounds to move forward with charges, per Carter's legal team. The 'Facing the Music and Living to Talk About It' author has denied all the allegations. He countersued both Ruth and Schuman for defamation.
Express Tribune
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter faces fourth sexual assault lawsuit alleging 2005 incidents and STD transmission
Nick Carter, member of the Backstreet Boys, is facing a fourth lawsuit alleging sexual assault. Filed in Los Angeles by Laura Penly, the suit accuses Carter of two incidents in 2005, when she was 19, and claims he knowingly transmitted multiple sexually transmitted diseases to her. The legal filing includes accusations of sexual assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent infliction of emotional distress. Penly claims she met Carter in 2004, and a consensual relationship developed, during which she asked him to use protection. She alleges he refused, stating he was 'clean.' The lawsuit outlines two incidents, both at Carter's Los Angeles apartment. Penly claims that during a 2005 visit, she expressed that she did not wish to have sex. She alleges Carter ignored her refusal, forcibly assaulted her, and did not use protection. The second alleged assault followed a similar pattern during another visit. Penly further claims Carter warned her not to speak about the incidents, stating no one would believe her. She says he later contacted her to apologise and asked her to meet again. Following the alleged assaults, Penly says she was diagnosed with HPV, chlamydia and gonorrhoea, and later cervical cancer. She asserts Carter was the source of the infections, citing her lack of prior unprotected sexual activity. Carter's attorneys deny all allegations, describing the claims as unfounded. They stated, 'This is just more of the same nonsense,' and argue the plaintiff has a 'documented history of financial and legal trouble,' including bankruptcy and fraud lawsuits. Carter maintains he does not recall meeting Penly.
Fox News
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Nick Carter sued for sexual assault, allegedly infecting woman with STDs
Nick Carter was accused of sexually assaulting a woman and allegedly infecting her with sexually transmitted diseases, which led to cervical cancer, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital. Laura Penly claimed in her lawsuit filed in Nevada that the Backstreet Boys singer sexually assaulted her multiple times, beginning in 2005 when she was 19. Penly claimed she had not yet had any other sexual partners prior to Carter and tested positive for HPV (human papillomavirus), chlamydia and gonorrhea after Carter's alleged assault. Carter denied the allegations and claimed Penly's allegations were "more of the same nonsense from the gang of conspirators" in a statement provided to Fox News Digital. "This is just more of the same nonsense from the gang of conspirators and their lawyers who continue to abuse the justice system to try to ruin Nick Carter," the statement said. "It's drawn from the same predictable playbook — lie in wait for decades until Mr. Carter is celebrating a professional milestone, then hide behind litigation privilege to make utterly false claims in an attempt to inflict maximum damage on Nick and his family." His representative added, "Nick does not recall ever even meeting Laura Penly. He certainly never had any romantic or sexual relationship with her. Ever. The person making these claims has a documented history of financial and legal trouble, has filed for bankruptcy and has been sued for fraud. And whatever health challenges she may have faced have absolutely nothing to do with Nick. "Not only will we fight this, we will be seeking sanctions against her legal team for enabling this frivolous action." Penly alleged that she initially had a "sexually intimate relationship" with Carter and would see the singer "every few weeks" when she visited his apartment in Hollywood. She claimed to ask Carter to wear protection during their encounters, but he refused and led Penly to believe "that he was clean of sexually transmittable diseases," according to documents. After three instances of "consensual sexual intercourse," Penly alleged, Carter dismissed her when she requested a "movie and hangout" instead of intercourse. He allegedly "told her no because the only reason she was there was to have sex and that it is what she wants," documents state. "Carter then picked plaintiff up off the ground and threw her onto his bed" before allegedly "forcefully" assaulting Penly, despite saying "no multiple times." He then allegedly instructed her to "keep his sexual assault of her a secret and that nobody would believe her," documents add. Two months later, Penly claimed, Carter apologized and asked to see her again. Upon arriving at his apartment, she alleged two of his friends were present. Carter allegedly told his friends he would "be right back" and led Penly to his bedroom, where she told him that "she did not want to have sexual intercourse." However, Carter allegedly sexually assaulted her again. In July 2005, she tested positive for HPV, chlamydia and gonorrhea, and test results showed she was also positive for cancerous cells. One month later, Penly claims, she was diagnosed with Stage 2 cervical cancer and had to undergo numerous treatments. "The impacts of Carter's sexual assaults are ceaseless, causing plaintiff severe emotional distress, physical anguish, medical issues, intimacy issues, and other complex trauma," the lawsuit states. She also claimed that she has suffered ongoing harassment from Backstreet Boys fans after being called to testify at a deposition involving other survivors of Carter's alleged sexual abuse. Penly's lawsuit is the fourth sexual assault suit against Carter in recent years. Pop star Melissa Schuman filed a lawsuit in 2023 accusing Carter of sexual battery and sexual assault, according to court documents obtained by Fox News Digital. "I've faced extraordinary backlash for standing up for myself; I am not the first, however my intention is that I am the last," Schuman said in a statement. "It's time that powerful figures in the music industry get the message that they can no longer afford to enable and protect sexual predators. I'm fighting to make the music industry a safer place to work and perform." Schuman and Carter first met while filming the TV movie "The Hollow" together. She first came forward in 2017, accusing Carter of rape. The "He Loves U Not" singer claimed Carter raped her in 2003 when she was 18 years old. He was 22 at the time, according to court documents. The lawsuit claims Carter used "his role, status, and power as a well-known singer to gain access to, groom, manipulate, exploit, and sexually assault" Schuman. Carter denied the allegation in 2017, saying, "Melissa never expressed to me while we were together or at any time since that anything we did was not consensual. We went on to record a song and perform together, and I was always respectful and supportive of Melissa both personally and professionally." Carter was also sued by Shannon "Shay" Ruth and Ashley Repp for sexual assault. During a press conference held with her lawyers on a Facebook livestream, Ruth alleged the Backstreet Boys singer raped her in 2001 when she was 17. "The last 21 years have been filled with pain, confusion, frustration, shame and self-harm that are a direct result of Nick Carter raping me," Ruth claimed during the press conference. Carter denied the allegations through his lawyer and filed a countersuit. He claimed Ruth and others used the #MeToo movement to "defame and vilify Carter and otherwise ruin his reputation for the purposes of garnering attention and fame and/or extorting money from Carter," according to the lawsuit obtained by Fox News Digital. His defamation suit was dismissed in a Nevada court in August 2024.
