Trade press and local media are reporting that Dominion Resources, parent company of Dominion Virginia Power, is taking serious steps to develop a new nuclear reactor in Virginia. This is a big deal - if approved, it would be the first nuclear power plant approved in the United States in over 30 years.
Just a week ago, Dominion signed a deal with GE Energy to supply essential parts for a reactor. Back in March, Dominion joined a consortium of companies including Bechtel Corporation, Hitachi America and AECL Technologies, to participate in a Bush administration program to promote new nuclear plants by demonstrating untested NRC licensing procedures.
Last September, Dominion filed an application with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for an early site permit to build a reactor at the North Anna Power Station in Louisa County, VA, where the company currently operates two existing nuclear reactors. (Dominion also operates two reactors in Surry County, VA.)
And as the icing on the cake, the law that the company wrote and pushed through the Virginia state legislature back in February allows our beloved utility to raise our rates as needed to finance a costly new nuclear plant.
You don't need a PhD in math to put two and two together here. As the Daily Press put it: "Any doubt that Dominion Resources intends to build another nuclear reactor at North Anna Power Station should be shrinking."
At a time when many other parts of the country and world are moving to develop safer, cleaner, more sustainable sources of energy, Dominion continues to do everything it can to increase our dependence on coal, nuclear and...Dominion's own political and economic power.
It's time to hold a public debate about what energy policy would be best for the Commonwealth - a debate that includes the people of Virginia, rather than an endless series of business and political deals made behind closed doors.
Seriously, ever liberal with half a brain should be behind this- no environmental impact for lots of extra power, what could be better?
It is certainly the case that backdoor decisions are not good in general. But it may also be the case that having a nuclear power plant built in Virginia would be a good thing. Nuclear Power is thoroughly regulated, which means you won't see any shenanigans in terms of price gouging, and the environmental impact is next to none.
Further, nuclear power can reduce dependence on fossil fuels for energy generation. So that's another net benefit.
The only drawback to Nuclear Power is the Spent Fuel Problem. Where do we put the used up fuel? That is dangerous, that is hazardous, and that is the biggest issue when it comes to Nuclear Power. Until that question can be resolved adequately, we do need to make sure we proceed cautiously.
But at the same time, Nuclear Power is not the boogeyman some on the left make it out to be.
Matusleo
Ut Prosim
Spent Fuel is a significant issue, so I have to disagree with James that nuclear power has no environmental impact. It has no carbon emissions impact - which is a very good thing. But until the radioactive waste issue is resolved in a safe and environmentally friendly manner nuclear power won't be a top option for many progressives - replacing one environmental nightmare with another really isn't progress.
Plus, as Kindler brings up in the article, the hand of the Bush administration has been involved. Given that Dubya pretty much destroys everything he touches, I think we all have something to worry about if a new power plant is built under guidelines/regulations his administration developed.
Overall, it's a good direction but a very significant issue needs to be addressed first.
At least with nuclear power we are considering what to do about the nuclear waste. Not to mention the mercury, sulpher dioxide, and other pollutants that come out of coal.
IMO, ten thousand years is plenty. We are already storing the spent fuel in several locations around the country that are more susceptible to damage than Yucca Mountain. In the next thousand years, we will almost certainly develop better technologies for safeguarding and cleaning up such waste. I say let Yucca mountain move forward with the plan that we revisit it later when we have the technology to do so.
Matusleo
Ut Prosim
But one of the big problems I recall from the Yucca mountain debate is the matter of moving spent fuel from the reactors to their final destination. Especially with our current concerns about terrorism this question becomes a critical element of any storage plan. It's a long way from Virginia to Nevada - providing plenty of opportunities to attack a radioactive shipment. And this problem is true of any common nuclear waste dump.
There was also NIMBY resistance from Nevada, but if the will of the nation is to ship waste there, I'd hope there's a good chance of it happening. Of course, Sen. Reid might have extra influence over the process.
Overall, I'd much prefer significant investment in solar, wind, bio-fuels, and other environmentally friendly renewables. A new Nuke plant will cost a lot of money - in my mind money better spent elsewhere. However, assuming the remaining issues with nuclear can be resolved, it is a much preferred alternative to fossil fuel power generation.
France is very into nuclear with fantastic results. Is it because Nuclear is a republican talking point :-p.
I will say having an open debate about the future power needs of Virginia is a good idea. It seems that dominion almost has a monopoly on power in this state and that is never good. Competition is a good thing
Yeah, I sound like a NIMBY, but tough. And besides, it's my front yard that would be affected!
From the PilotOnline and here is Dominion's release (map included),
Dominion Virginia Power has asked the State Corporation Commission for permission to build two transmission lines to meet increasing demand for electricity in Hampton Roads.If approved, the project is set to be completed by the summer of 2011 at an estimated cost of $223.9 million, the company said in a news release.
One line would extend about 60 miles from Dinwiddie County to Suffolk, crossing Prince George, Sussex, Southampton and Isle of Wight counties. The other lower-voltage line would be about 21.5 miles long from Suffolk to Chesapeake, the company said.
The SCC will schedule public hearings before making a decision.
Where and when will this end? We must make our voices heard at the SCC hearings.
For now though, we would be in a much better place if we had a whole lot more nuclear plants. Or, as G-dub says: Nukular. The good side of this, however, is that there is likely a lot better technology to contain/control nuke plants than there used to be...or at least the potential for better technology.
Hasn't France been using nuke power nearly exclusively, and they have the best air quality in the world...or, something like it?
It might be a while before the world is ready to allow them to build better bombs, but hey- with time, anything can happen. The half-life of weapons-grade plutonium, such as Pu-239 is 24,110 years. Thirty or forty generations from now, megalomaniacs can dig up some plutonium from the spent rods that helped us power video games about world domination.
Of course, as Americans, we don't want to take a long-term view of anything, so let's concentrate on short term benefits. Depleted uranium is a great byproduct of the enrichment process, and there's a real demand for the stuff for making anti-tank shells. It's a double-benefit for our war economy.
Having been a resident of the Middletown, PA area in the 1979-81 timeframe, I tend to have a somewhat skeptical view of anything that involves the NRC and big power companies. During the time of the accident, there were conflicting reports broadcast, and it was hard to know who to believe.
For now, I'd take nuclear (or nucular as our lame President would say) over coal.
With proper incentives to conserve, however, we wouldn't need another new power plant.