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Your Nuclear Neighbor

By Eric McErlain
Carpe Datum is linking to a piece Kevin Drum posted over at Political Animal on peak oil -- one that includes a long harangue about nuclear energy in the comments thread.

I could spend all day refuting its contents, but instead, I'll just focus on one issue:
Anyhow, while Mr. Nuclear is squandering money on his atom-splitting operation -- assuming he can convince any community in the nation to even accept the damned thing . . .
Actually, there are more than a few communities that would like to see a new nuclear power plant built nearby, like Fort Gibson, Mississippi:
With its grand antebellum homes, mellowed brick buildings and streets shaded by spreading live oaks, Port Gibson seems a place that time forgot. But this sleepy, historic town 25 miles south of Vicksburg is staking its future on the nuclear age.

As the nuclear power industry lays the groundwork to build plants in the United States for the first time in nearly 30 years, Port Gibson, population 1,800, is on a nuclear power consortium's short list of six "finalist candidate sites." The list was released last week.

The consortium, known as NuStart Energy, is made up of nine major utilities as well as nuclear reactor manufacturers. By working initially through a consortium to build the next nuclear plant, the individual companies may defray costs and reduce the time for building other new plants. NuStart includes the Atlanta-based Southern Co.

The leadership of Port Gibson and surrounding Claiborne County welcomed NuStart's listing.
And a few weeks ago, we shared news with our readers that Oswego, New York was also lobbying NuStart for a shot at a new reactor. And it looks like their effort had a positive effect, as Oswego is also a NuStart finalist.

On a related note, back in March, my colleague Lisa Shell pointed to an article in Money Magazine that contained the following passage:
Two studies found that the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island had no discernible impact on local home prices. That's right: The neighborhood nuke comes this close to a meltdown and property values don't even shudder.
Plenty to think about.

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Comments

Matthew66 said…
Having read Kevin Drum's posting, I was somewhat astounded that he could observe that religious like fervor of pro-nuclear engineers, but not see the religious like fervor of his own opposition to nuclear energy. His posting was more of a diatribe or rant than a logical, reasoned argument. He is obviously an educated and intelligent man, I wish he would use his abilities to make a reasoned and informed contribution to the debate. Such polemical statements, by anyone in any debate, do not serve the debate, but merely entrench the prejudices of the opposing parties.

I used to be anti-nuclear, but then after reading an article in National Geographic in the late 1980's began to change my mind, and now, having read widely on the issues, I believe that nuclear power is the most environmentally benign form of base-load electricity generation.
June 1, 2005 at 1:04 PM
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