PROGRAM:

A New Scale for Nuclear Power

The Corvallis Chapter of the Software Association of Oregon begins 2010 with presentation from NuScale Power, a local nuclear technology start-up that leveraged technology transferred from Oregon State University to create a revolutionary model for modular nuclear reactors. Kent Welter, a Principal Engineer at NuScale, will give an overview of the technology and describe how NuScale has shaped the future nuclear energy.

The world needs clean, reliable ways to generate electricity. The United States is expected to need 300 gigawatts of new capacity – that’s 150 times the capacity of Hoover Dam – by 2030. Developing nations can only grow as fast as they can power their economies. Global demand for new electric capacity will outpace the U.S. by tenfold in the same period.

Electric companies and government leaders are looking for ways to ensure their citizens have reliable, affordable supplies of electricity. They worry about the volatility of fossil fuel prices and the effects of green house gases.

NuScale Power is providing one of many answers to this problem. NuScale has developed a small nuclear power system that is safe, modular and scalable. The technology was borne of research by leading nuclear scientists with the support of the U.S. government. The design of the NuScale power plant builds on hundreds of combined years of operating experience with commercial light water reactors along with extensive research and laboratory testing of advanced safety systems.

Meeting future demand for electricity requires that we use what we have more efficiently. We must also look to new technologies using wind, solar and wave power and use proven technologies such as nuclear power to meet the needs of future generations.

Join us in for a night of networking and showcase with local technology leaders and entrepreneurs.

AGENDA:

5:30 - 6:15: Business Networking Time with finger food, no host bar 6:15 - 6:25: 30-Second Mic (give us your technology business elevator pitch!!) 6:45 Program: NuScale: A New Scale for Nuclear Power

$5 for SAO members or students, and $15 for non-members

RSVP TO: SAO by emailing sao-coordinator [AT] corvallis.sao.or.us or on the Willamette Innovators Network

Includes finger food and no-host bar Ticket Info: $5 for SAO members or students, and $15 for non-members

Science on Tap is a science lecture series where you can sit back, enjoy a pint, and laugh while you learn. You don’t have to be a science geek to have fun—all you need is a thirst for knowledge!

Event Description:

Hanford Nuclear Reservation, located on the Columbia River in eastern Washington, is the largest contaminated site in the western hemisphere. Used to make plutonium for nuclear bombs during WWII and the Cold War, the Hanford site generated vast quantities of chemical and radioactive pollution. Cleanup at Hanford began in 1989 and we know it will now continue for generations to come.

At this Science on Tap, Abigail Cermak, Hanford Coordinator with Columbia Riverkeeper, Dirk Dunning, Chemical Engineer & Nuclear Specialist from the Oregon Department of Energy, and Tom Carpenter, the Executive Director of Hanford Challenge will talk about the history of Hanford, how we built the atomic bomb, and what the government is doing to clean up the nuclear waste.

Science on Tap at the Kiggins is produced in partnership with Washington State University Vancouver.

*A note on the suggested cover at the door: Science on Tap is largely supported by money collected at the door. We are committed to offering educational opportunities to adults who want to learn, so if $10 is a hardship for you, please come anyway and donate what you can.