Morning Read 2: Is the North Country going nuclear?
Last week, David Sommerstein reported that Massena town supervisor Joe Gray wants a commercial nuclear reactor in his community, to help spur economic development.
Now, Rep. Chris Gibson — whose district stretches north to Saranac Lake — says he wants a new power plant in his district. This from the Glens Falls Post-Star.
To me, energy will be a game changer for our economy,” he said.
…
There also are potential environmental benefits, say supporters of nuclear power.
“It certainly is green. There’s no carbon emissions at all,” said Queensbury Supervisor Dan Stec, a former U.S. Navy nuclear engineer. “It’s healthier for the environment than a coal plant.”
Gibson said it was Stec that got him interested in the nuclear concept about a year ago, when they both were seeking the Republican nomination in the congressional race.
Rep. Gibson suggested that communities in the 20th district should be allowed to compete for the privilege of hosting the power plant. Read the full article here.
Tags: economy, energy, environment
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Is the North Country going nuclear? Probably not. Financing would be a huge issue.
“A comprehensive federal energy bill in 2005 established several different subsidies, which are enough to support construction of four to six new nuclear plants.
One of those subsidies is a loan guarantee program.”
Interesting that Gibson is supporting a Big Government, Socialist, budget-busting project that wouldn’t get done in a free-market. Read again: government subsidy.
“For the size of plant they were contemplating, it was felt there was not enough water in the Hudson River for the plant to operate without warming up the river, said Boyd, a former reporter who covered the nuclear plant proposal for The Schenectady Gazette at the time.”
Back to the future. So maybe Massena will get this plant or maybe Dan Stec from Queensbury will fight to site the project in his community. Good luck guys.
Meanwhile, how many solar panels could be placed on private homes starting in a matter of weeks with the money a Nuke plant would cost? How many micro-hydro plants could be built at existing dam sites? How many conservation programs could be funded to save energy through better windows and doors, better insulation, switching to LED lighting…? Starting today with no opposition except from people who don’t want the government to subsidize private enterprise; Oh! we’re back to the beginning of this post.
Someone should research energy usage patterns. My thesis: nuclear power is exactly the wrong energy source when matched to demand. Energy demand is highest on hot summer days during a heat wave. That is also the time we are more likely to be experiencing low water levels in rivers and warm river temperatures which would threaten fish.
What technology works great in that demand situation? Photovoltaic solar.
I don’t think we should compete to host such a plant. I think Rep. Gibson’s town of Kinderhook should get that “honor.”
Big government subsidies are great if liberals don’t like the thing being subsidized. Them’s the rules.
Nuclear is only “green” when the smokestacks are considered. It is definitely not “green” if there is a problem…which happens sooner or later with nukes. The spent fuel rods are not “green” either, unless of course, their disposal is 3000 miles away in someone else’s “Backyard”. NO, THANKS!
How about turning that huge stretch of vacant industrial property in Massena into a giant windfarm? The environmental damage has already been done, and any change could only be an improvement. Massena and the county could use the bucks…the power lines are already in place, and the anti nuke community would probably cheer YAY WIND!!
Thorium reactors address some of the issues of safety and spent reactor rods. It’s also more difficult to build bombs from the spent fuel which is probably why the uranium fueled process we’ve utilized since the early 1940’s won the day…There’s talk that this type of fuel is the future of Nuclear energy. Do a Google search and read about this technology. It could be part of the answer to our future energy needs (along with solar, geothermal, wind, etc….).
Nuclear power plants use one helluva lot of freshwater. I know this personally. I live only seven miles from the Susquehanna River Steam Electric Station, the moniker that PPL Inc. gave its nuclear plant south of Wilkes-Barre.
“Growth” is the single greatest factor behind the decline in wild nature, especially in North America.