Latest news with #AbileneChristianUniversity
Miami Herald
07-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Smaller nuclear reactors spark renewed interest in a once-shunned energy source
ABILENE, Texas - Bolstered by $3.2 million from a former Midland oilman, this West Texas city of 130,000 people is helping the Lone Star State lead a national nuclear energy resurgence. Doug Robison's 2021 donation to Abilene Christian University helped the institution win federal approval to house an advanced small modular nuclear reactor, which might be finished as soon as next year. Small modular reactors are designed to be built in factories and then moved to a site, and require less upfront capital investment than traditional large reactors. The company Robison founded, Natura Resources, is investing another $30.5 million in the project. Only two small modular reactors are in operation, one in China and another in Russia. Natura Resources is one of two companies with federal permits to build one in the U.S. "Nuclear is happening," said Robison, who retired from the oil business and moved to Abilene to launch the company. "It has to happen." Robison's words are being echoed across the country with new state laws that aim to accelerate the spread of projects that embrace advanced nuclear technology - decades after the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl calamities soured many Americans on nuclear power. In the past two years, half the states have taken action to promote nuclear power, from creating nuclear task forces to integrating nuclear into long-term energy plans, according to the Nuclear Energy Institute, which advocates for the industry. "I've been tracking legislation for 18 years, and when I first started tracking, there were maybe five or 10 bills that said the word 'nuclear,'" said Christine Csizmadia, who directs state government affairs at the institute. "This legislative session, we're tracking over 300 bills all across the country." The push is bipartisan. In New York, Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul recently directed the New York Power Authority to build a zero-emission advanced nuclear power plant somewhere upstate - her state's first new nuclear plant in a generation. In Colorado, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis in April signed legislation redefining nuclear energy, which doesn't emit a significant amount of planet-warming greenhouse gases, as a "clean energy resource." The law will allow future plants to receive state grants reserved for other carbon-free energy sources. But no state is more gung-ho than Texas, where Republican Gov. Greg Abbott recently signed legislation creating the Texas Advanced Nuclear Energy Office and investing $350 million in nuclear expansion. "Texas is the energy capital of the world, and this legislation will position Texas at the forefront of America's nuclear renaissance," Abbott wrote in a statement. In addition to legislative action, the Texas A&M University System has invited four nuclear manufacturers to build small modular reactors at the school's 2,400-acre RELLIS campus in the city of Bryan. In Texas and other fast-growing states, rising electricity demands are fueling the push. Tech companies such as Google, Microsoft and Amazon that require a tremendous amount of electricity to power vast data centers are teaming with nuclear developers to provide it. Last October, Google signed an agreement with nuclear energy producer Kairos Power to deploy multiple small modular reactors capable of generating a total of up to 500 megawatts by 2035. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, announced in December that it is also looking to reach a similar deal. Some of the largest data centers require more than 100 megawatts of power capacity, enough to power around 100,000 U.S. households. Constellation Energy announced last September that it would reopen Three Mile Island, shuttered since 2019, as part of a deal with Microsoft to power the tech giant's AI data centers. One of the two reactors at the plant, which is located south of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, partially melted down in 1979. But the remaining reactor reliably produced electricity for the next four decades. "Folks shouldn't sleep on nuclear," Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro said as he welcomed back workers to the plant recently. "They should be aware of the important clean role it plays in our energy portfolio." But opponents say the renewed interest in nuclear energy is misguided. In Colorado, a coalition of two dozen environmental groups, including the state chapter of the Sierra Club, urged Polis to veto the bill. "The idea that nuclear power is a clean energy source could not be further from the truth," the groups wrote in a letter to the governor. "Nuclear power is the only energy resource that generates dangerous waste that will remain radioactive for thousands of years." Some critics say small modular reactors are actually more expensive than traditional reactors, when they are judged per kilowatt of the energy they produce. And one 2022 study, conducted by researchers at Stanford University and the University of British Columbia, concluded that small modular reactors will produce more radioactive waste than traditional reactors. "There's a pretty healthy skepticism about advanced nuclear projects," said Adrian Shelley, who heads the Texas office of Public Citizen, a nonprofit consumer advocacy group. Shelley said many environmental groups "are just deeply concerned about Texas' ability to responsibly manage nuclear storage and especially nuclear waste in the long term." Ramping up The United States currently has 94 nuclear reactors at 54 plants in 28 states. The oldest began operating at Nine Mile Point in New York in 1969; the newest reactors, Vogtle Units 3 and 4 in Burke County, Georgia, began operating in 2023 and 2024. Scott Burnell, a spokesperson for the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said that between the mid-1990s and 2005, there were "no applications at all" for new reactors. In 2007, there was a surge of a dozen applications when the federal government began offering tax incentives. But interest in new reactors plunged again when the fracking boom boosted fossil fuels as an economical power source. Over the past several years, activity has ramped up again. "There are a number of factors that we are seeing drive this increased interest," Burnell said. "Probably the biggest one is the growth in data centers." The commission has approved three new nuclear projects in the past three years, including the one at Abilene Christian University. It is reviewing three other applications and is discussing potential projects with a dozen other nuclear developers, Burnell said. Texas currently has two nuclear plants - Comanche Peak near Glen Rose in North Central Texas and the South Texas Project in Matagorda County on the Gulf Coast. The two plants, each of which has two reactors, provide about 10% of the state's electric power, according to the Texas comptroller. The new small modular reactors would face the same safety standards as these plants. The project at Abilene Christian began when Robison's Natura Resources established a research alliance with that school, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Texas A&M University and the University of Texas at Austin. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the project in 2024. The reactor will be constructed at a laboratory at a different site, but its home already awaits in a trench at the bottom of a cavernous room at Abilene Christian's Dillard Science and Engineering Research Center. The trench is 25 feet deep, 80 feet long and 15 feet wide, with a radiation shield made of concrete 4 feet thick. When the 40-ton reactor is finished, possibly by the end of next year, it will be transported to its home on a flatbed truck. "The future is uncertain, but we're ahead of the pack and moving at an amazing clip," said Rusty Towell, an Abilene Christian engineering and physics professor who is working on the project. "So I think that there's a great reason for optimism." Towell asserted that the project will produce only "small amounts of low-level waste" and that storing it safely will not be a significant challenge. 'What Henry Ford did for cars' John Sharp, the outgoing chancellor of Texas A&M University, said he invited nuclear companies to build small modular reactors at the school to help meet the country's desperate need for more power. He said it made sense to give developers access to the faculty and students at the university's nuclear engineering department. Sharp said his pitch was simple: "Hey, we got some land. We got it next to some really smart people. Would you like to come and build a plant? "And four folks said, 'You betcha.'" Matt Loszak, the 34-year-old CEO of Austin-based Aalo Atomics, one of the companies that answered Sharp's call, said he had two employees 18 months ago. Now he has more than 50. "We want to do for reactors what Henry Ford did for cars," Loszak said, "which is really make them mass manufacturable and make it economical to deploy around the world." Robison said he's been speaking at town halls in Abilene, a conservative community that is home to Dyess Air Force Base, for about five years. He claims the residents are "overwhelmingly excited" about having the small modular reactors at Abilene Christian, he said. "Texas is an energy state," he said. "We understand energy and what happens when you don't have it." Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Forbes
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Ex-Titan Jack Gibbens Brings More Than A Nickname To Patriots
Former Tennessee Titans linebacker Jack Gibbens signed a one-year contract with head coach Mike ... More Vrabel's New England Patriots in March. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) An old nickname could be back in circulation for Jack Gibbens. 'Dr. Gibby.' The New England Patriots linebacker acquired it from past and present head coach Mike Vrabel as an undrafted free agent with the Tennessee Titans in 2022. 'I guess it was my rookie year. He just started calling me 'Dr. Gibby,'' Gibbens told reporters during his Thursday press conference at Gillette Stadium. 'Like in rookie minicamp and stuff, he likes to ask a lot of questions, quiz people. And I answered a few right and he started calling me 'Doctor.' I had to let him know that I didn't study medicine in school, but yeah, he let me know it was a joke.' Gibbens, 26, held a 4.0 GPA as a double major in accounting and financial management at Abilene Christian University. Twice a first-team CoSIDA Academic All-American, he went on to earn his master's degree in accounting as a graduate student at the University of Minnesota. Earning a 53-man NFL roster spot was up next for the former All-Big Ten honorable mention. After clearing waivers at the end of his rookie preseason, Gibbens made his way on the practice squad before being promoted to the active roster as fall turned to winter. The 6-foot-3, 242-pound off-the-ball linebacker went on to appear in 29 games during his run in Nashville, starting 20. He had a hand in 167 tackles, 1.5 sacks and one interception across 1,078 snaps on defense as well as 466 snaps on special teams. 'It's kind of been a crazy journey for me,' Gibbens said. 'Coming in as an undrafted guy, had to kind of fight and scratch for every opportunity I got. And I got the opportunity to get on the field a little bit in Tennessee, felt like I had some success, and last year was kind of a rocky year for me with some stuff happening kind of outside of my control.' On the heels of a breakout 2023 season under Vrabel, Gibbens' 2024 under new Titans head coach Brian Callahan ended in November due to ankle surgery. In the weeks prior to being carted off and placed on injured reserve, he tallied a team-high 14 tackles against the Patriots and split a sack on rookie quarterback Drake Maye. 'Then I got my opportunity, felt like I was playing good and then go down with an injury. So that's kind of been the story of my career,' added Gibbens. 'But just trying to stay resilient, keep working hard and just continue to fight and earn any opportunities that I can get, and then make the most of them when I get them.' After not being tendered by Tennessee as a restricted free agent in March, Gibbens visited Foxborough. A one-year contract followed. It brings a $1.1 million base salary and a cap charge of $1.365 million, per It also brings connections. Defensive coordinator Terrell Williams, defensive line coach Clint McMillan, inside linebackers coach Zak Kuhr, cornerbacks coach Justin Hamilton and safeties coach Scott Booker are among the Titans ties with the 2025 Patriots. 'The big reason I wanted to come here was just familiarity with this coaching staff,' Gibbens said. 'With the type of football they want to play here, I feel like it aligns with who I am and the type of player and person I want to be. I wanted to get back in that environment.' Time will tell whether the old nickname from Vrabel spreads. 'Not many other people have caught onto it, but yeah, he still calls me 'Doc' every now and then,' Gibbens said.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Water ‘scalping' begins at Lake Fort Phantom Hill
ABILENE, Texas ()- The City of Abilene began the process of pumping in water, or 'scalping', from the Clear Fork of the Brazos into Lake Fort Phantom Hill on Thursday afternoon. This comes just one day after the City had issued a statement that repairs were underway on the scalping pipeline, due to a failure when the process initially began on April 21st. With those repairs complete, local fishermen made their way out for a full day lakeside. Local Fisherman Gayland Kidd told KTAB/KRBC that he had to reevaluate which area he would cast in once he realized water was being pumped in. 'Oh I come out to do some Crappie fishing, and I noticed the pump was running, so I'm gonna change my tactics here a little bit…It'll bring catfish in here, it'll bring white bass, hybrid it'll bring everything in here,' Kidd said. During his interview with KTAB/KRBC, Kidd received a call from his fishing buddy who was waiting for him at the Lake Fort Phantom Hill boat dock, ready to cast a line as well, and they weren't the only ones coming out to reel in some Crappie. Abilene Christian University Juniors Holt Wilkinson and Barrett Clark celebrating their last days of school with a trip to the lake. Local lakes surge, but Abilene's water levels remain low 'We just finished finals, so we gotta get out here and hope we can catch some Crappie. We were here yesterday, and the Crappie were spawning in about 4 feet of water…we had no idea they had started scalping from the Brazos…it'll be interesting to see because we're headed out just right next to where they're scalping the water I'll be interested to see if it changes the fishing or not,' Wilkinson and Clark said. 'Scalping water' is a process by which localities like Abilene can be allowed to use existing pump stations to bring excess water off of the Brazos to fill up local bodies of water. That process can only begin after the localities are given permission by the state, when the river has enough water to spare. 'Possum Kingdom is in good shape, they don't need the water so I'm glad they'll let us have it,' said Kidd. Following the storms that have passed through the state in the past few days, the Brazos filled to an acceptable level to begin scalping. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Donation of 500 bed frames kicks off Abilene's Community Bed Initiative
ABILENE, Texas () – What started as a donation to Global Samaritan has evolved into a new initiative, providing hundreds of Abilene residents with everything they need for a restful night's sleep, setting them up for future success. According to Global Samaritan Executive Director Andrew Kelly, having a good night's sleep sets us up for success the next day. 'When we talk about insecurities, most people don't really think about the need for bed. We talk about food insecurity; people need food. They need three meals a day, that kind of thing. People just don't think about how important sleep is,' Kelly shared. Getting enough sleep helps students improve their academic performance and allows individuals to have a productive day at work. However, Kelly points out that those experiencing financial and personal challenges often struggle to access the funds necessary to purchase a bed. 'Global Samaritan has worked hard to invest in our community. We partner with a lot of nonprofits here in town and try to help meet their needs as they reach out directly to the clients that they serve. One of the things that we've received over the last several years is a lot of calls for beds, and that's something that we haven't typically been able to fill,' explained Kelly. Big Country volunteers fill 2 shipping containers with supplies for Zambia Earlier this year, Global Samaritan Resources received a donation of 500 bed frames from Abilene Christian University (ACU), which had surplus furniture after dorm renovations. This donation initiated the 'Community Bed Initiative.' Global Samaritan is partnering with the Community Foundation of Abilene to gather mattresses that match the bed frames. They aim to connect with non-profits that will benefit from mattress and bed frame donations. 'When we received a call from ACU offering us these beds, we decided to begin partnering and networking with the Community Foundation. Working with other nonprofits to help them meet those needs without it cutting into their budgets. From the frame, the mattress, sheets, pillows, all of it,' Kelly shared. Abilene non-profits celebrate 20th support crate sent to Ukraine amid 'crisis fatigue' After researching and calling various non-profits in the Abilene area, Kelly discovered that last year, roughly more than 350 beds were distributed to people through various organizations. Although they have acquired many mattresses for the bed frames, they still need about 200 more mattresses. However, they are glad to have met the needs that arose in 2024 and hope to go beyond. 'So far, we've been able to pull about 350 beds from Abilene Christian University. They've been amazing in this process. We've had volunteer organizations, student groups from ACU, and several men's groups from around town help us. It's a lot of work, but we've pulled about 350 beds, and there's still more to keep pulling. There are other options, and we hope to be able to maybe reach out to other places and see where we can get more beds because this is an ongoing need in our community,' explained Kelly. Michelle Parrish, the grant director of the Community Foundation of Abilene, stated that these mattresses and bed frames will be donated to various nonprofit organizations that support children, survivors of domestic violence, Veterans, and individuals who were previously unhoused. She expressed pride in being part of a program that is making a positive impact on the lives of Abilene residents. 'Global Samaritan has been willing to take on the project to raise funds to purchase the mattresses so that when someone is in need, they don't just get a frame, they get a complete bedding set. So, they can start setting up their home, start creating stability for themselves, and set up a house,' added Parrish. Abilene non-profit provides aid to Hurricane Helene victims Parrish works daily with non-profits and understands the need for beds in the Abilene community. 'Beds are difficult to come by, they're costly and they're difficult to gather all of the pieces that you need getting into a new apartment. Perhaps you're leaving our local domestic violence shelter, Noah Project, and you're setting up your own home. You may not have the money to purchase all of the furniture that's going to be required to fill your new space. So, I'm just so excited that there are many nonprofits that will benefit from Global's coordination of this program,' shared Parrish. Global Samaritan is currently seeking monetary donations to purchase additional mattresses and bed sheets. Visit the website or check out its for more information. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Remarkable Women: Liberty-Grace Bland, a heart for Abilene & the arts
ABILENE, Texas () – The sound of the Abilene Philharmonic is cherished by many Big Country residents, including Executive Director Liberty-Grace Bland. Though she's relatively new to the role, her deep connection to the community has been evident from the start. Bland first came to Abilene as a student at Abilene Christian University, and it was then that she fell in love with the city's unique spirit. 'Abilene pulls together as a community so much and it's really the heartbeat of our community. That is just really inspiring to me, and it makes me want to play my part and to make a difference in any level and way of impact that I can make,' Bland said. After graduating, she left at the age of 20 to study at Oral Roberts University and then traveled to Jerusalem. But when it was time to return, she felt called to come back and serve in Abilene. She started at the Chamber of Commerce, later transitioning to a role with the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women's Health at its Abilene location, an experience she considers one of the highlights of her career. 'The number one thing I loved was getting to make a difference in the lives of women and girls, and specifically those from underprivileged neighborhoods in our community,' Bland said. 'I loved it because the Laura Bush Institute was so collaborative, and we got to partner with other organizations in our community and help come alongside them on the good work that they were doing.' Now, Bland serves as the Executive Director of the Abilene Philharmonic, but her mission to make a positive impact on the Key City remains unchanged. 'I grew up going to the symphony and always been something that I loved. After a lot of consideration and prayer, I decided that it was a good next step and it would be a great place for me to be able to make an impact,' Bland said. 'I just never want to lose sight of the purpose. I feel like seeing people for who they really are and seeing the best in them is so important. If I can be that bright spot in just one person's day each day, I know that I'm making an impact.' Outside of her professional role, Bland volunteers with Big Country CASA, helping children navigate difficult times — something she found invaluable during her own upbringing. 'My parents are divorced and so obviously I know what it feels like to be going through some seasons that are hard and as a child, sometimes you're not equipped with the emotional level to deal with the things that you're having to deal with,' Bland said. 'Sometimes what people need the most in their life is somebody present and willing to show up with them when they're in the trenches. That inspired me because I've received that on an individual level. If I can pay that forward and give that to someone else, that's really fulfilling.' Her advice to young professionals is simple: show up for every opportunity, no matter how intimidating or nerve-wracking it may seem. Throughout March, four women will be recognized on BigCountryHomepage for their remarkable efforts in the community. The winner of this year's Remarkable Women contest will be announced on April 1, 2025. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
