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Study: Nuclear Energy Vital to Northeastern Greenhouse Gas Reduction Efforts

By Eric McErlain
Here's some news from NEI that just hit the wires:
Nuclear energy must remain a leading source of electricity in the Northeastern United States for decades to come if regional efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the electricity sector are to prove successful without major upheaval for industry and consumers, according to a new report by a Boston-based engineering and environmental firm.

The 15 reactors operating in nine Northeastern states must keep producing electricity, with 20-year renewal of their operating licenses and new nuclear power plant construction needed to maintain energy diversity and affordable electricity costs, according to the report released at a news conference here today by Polestar Applied Technology Inc. Polestar's analysis, entitled "The Role of Nuclear Energy in Reducing CO2 Emissions in the Northeastern United States,"” was commissioned by the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI).

"This assessment shows that continued operation of the region's 15 nuclear power plants and construction of new nuclear power plants will be needed to achieve the 2020 CO2 reduction targets under consideration by RGGI,"” said Polestar's Stephen Allen, the report'’s principal author. "“Even the most modest goal considered in this analysis holding CO2 emissions constant at the 2005 level while preserving fuel diversity for electricity production requires renewal of the operating licenses for the region's nuclear plants."

"Retirement of a typical nuclear power plant would require construction of four natural gas plants and the early closure of two coal/oil plants just to keep CO2 emissions at current levels,"” Allen said. "“Without nuclear energy, the only way to reduce CO2 emissions in the Northeast involves relying on natural gas generation for more than half of the region's power. Moving above this threshold will likely create economic and security risks."
For more on RGGI, click here. And stay tuned for a link to the actual report. For more on Polestar, the company that produced the report, click here.

UPDATE: As promised, here's the study (PDF).

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