David Hess

Senior VP at DeepGeo. Tweets on nuclear, energy and environment. Nuclear in space is awesome #astronuclear. Multinational repositories are also #atoms4africa

[David Hess @6point626]

Thread🧵Last week saw a truly momentous initiative launched. In the 14 years I’ve spent working in the nuclear industry I never saw anything with so much potential to improve the sector. I’m truly humbled to be part of the DeepGEO team, and part of “ANEFI” https://t.co/G3efFXm6mj

[AFCONE @afconeorg]

AFCONE and #DeepGEO sign pioneering agreement, The African Nuclear Energy Funding Initiative (ANEFI), setting the stage for Africa to take the lead in resolving the perennial issue of radioactive waste at the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle. (1/2)

[David Hess @6point626]

Wonder if the industry response will be fixated on dose. It should be focused on what caused the fall

[David Hess @6point626]

This story is written as if it's a radiological event, but am I right that this pool of 'radioactive" water just saved this worker's life? https://t.co/CrKUCOzJgK

[David Hess @6point626]

Gravity be dangerous yo

[David Hess @6point626]

On a radioactive planet there will be variation in radioactivity in different populations. Just wonder how many are routinely subjected to this kind of monitoring. That said, it will interesting to learn exactly how rad mat bioaccumulated in these wasps

[David Hess @6point626]

I can't help it. This headline makes me chuckle. Wasps are way scarier than radiation to me. Are radioactive wasps even scarier? Maybe. But ironic that these wasps seem more powerful, when protecting bee populations has been an objection to nuclear plants https://t.co/r1dgo5JWUb

[David Hess @6point626]

Clearly the most dangerous thing to the wasps is the exterminator that bagged and tagged them.

[David Hess @6point626]

With link this time
https://t.co/N2Dpyvj0SA

[David Hess @6point626]

My view on the hydrogen-electrification debate is.... neutral. TBD by better experts. The nuclear industry doesn't have to take a position. However it would be well served to pepare for a hydrogen future - just in case

[David Hess @6point626]

My view on the hydrogen-electrification debate is.... neutral. TBD by better experts. The nuclear industry doesn't have to take a position. However it would be well served to pepare for a hydrogen future - just in case

[Adam Stein @Dr_A_Stein]

🏗️Trilled to finally introduce ACTION, to accelerate nuclear energy deployment. It is a milestone-based program to address the root causes of project risk for advanced nuclear energy projects.

[Deric Tilson @econpragmatist]

Cost overruns are a huge source of concern for nuclear projects. We @TheBTI have just released ACTION, a proposal aimed at incentivizing nuclear builds to be completed on time and on budget. ACTION is forward-looking and proactively reduces project risk.

[isabelle 🪐 @isabelleboemeke]

We need a word for the disappointment felt when realizing someone’s post was written by AI.

[David Hess @6point626]

@Rainmaker1973 Please tell me this is called dolphin Island

[David Hess @6point626]

Online with the customary delay of several months (and before developments such as the executive orders happened), here's my take on US nuclear prospects under the 2nd Trump administration. Will be interesting to check back on this a year from now https://t.co/wx8LqAg9dV

[David Hess @6point626]

Well that's diplomatic. Well played Kazakhstan - Russia's Rosatom, China's CNNC to lead consortiums to build first nuclear power plants in Kazakhstan | Reuters https://t.co/VzSEfwFqGu

[David Hess @6point626]

Well hello progress https://t.co/ZcziIfHvjT

[David Hess @6point626]

@Rainmaker1973 Lol. Like everyday. Now it's just an awkward fumble where I call it twitter then use X in case anyone doesn't know what I'm talking about

[David Hess @6point626]

@mattdinniman Super exciting!!!

[Nuclear Hazelnut 👷🏻‍♀️ @NuclearHazelnut]

On this day 30 years ago (May 5, 1995), both units at Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant tripped after an electrical fault in the 345kV switchyard.

The unexpected culprit? A charred Great Blue Heron found at the scene.

At the time, both units were operating at full power. A fault occurred ~4 miles from the plant on one of five 345kV transmission lines.
Neither the primary nor backup relays cleared the fault. As a result, the other 4 lines & both units fed the fault—until everything tripped.

What happened next:
✔️ Both reactors safely shut down
✔️ No loss of offsite power to safety buses
✔️ EDGs didn’t need to start
✔️ 138kV remained energized
There was no weather involved. Just one bird… with a very bad day 💥

Why it matters:
This RARE dual-unit trip became a reference case in PRA.
It highlights how wildlife can impact critical infrastructure—& why even the best systems must account for unpredictable environmental factors. 🌿

Happy 30th to one of the weirdest, most instructive nuclear trips in U.S. history.
Cheers to redundant safety systems, & vigilant ops teams!

[David Hess @6point626]

It's a worry that grid incidents investigations are now political hot potatoes. Counting on the engineers to just tell it as straight as possible.

[David Hess @6point626]

"For too long, climate and clean energy advocates have conditioned themselves to roll their eyes at any commentary suggesting that grid-following wind, solar, and storage cannot do literally everything, everywhere, at all times." - powerful writing.

[Seaver Wang @wang_seaver]

Read the full piece from myself and @atrembath here:

https://t.co/Aj1Tmvq1mY