Judd Gregg Calls for Expansion of Nuclear Power

In a meeting with editors from the Keene Sentinel, New Hampshire Senator Judd Gregg (R) had some interesting things to say about nuclear energy's future in the state and Senate.

“If we move forward aggressively with the policy of producing more American energy and conserving more American energy, and show the world that we’re serious about the supply side, that will lead to further reduction in the price of oil,” Gregg said. “And that will take pressure off the economy, which is really reeling from the huge increase in energy costs.”

The energy policies of those in government are beginning to move in a similar direction despite partisan differences, he said.

“There’s always been consensus on conservation and renewables,” Gregg said. “Now we’re seeing some consensus develop around production.”

Along with gas, and oil from offshore drilling, Gregg said nuclear energy should have a role.

“We have not lost a single life to nuclear power in this country,” Gregg said. “We are running nuclear power plants all over this country, and we’re running a navy that’s nuclear generated. So we know how to deal with nuclear energy. We know how to make it safe. And we know how to produce it.

“Yes, nuclear power plants have a life expectancy, and at the end of their life expectancy they get shut down,” he said. “We just shut one down in Maine, for example.”

Vermont Yankee, a nuclear power plant in Vernon, Vt., is set to have its operating license expire in 2012. Plant owner Entergy Nuclear is seeking permission to extend its license another 20 years.

“If they can do it safely, they should do it,” Gregg said.

“We haven’t licensed a plant for 27 years,” he said. “The last one to come online was Seabrook (N.H.). Seabrook’s now been operating for almost 20 years, without any problems, generated a lot of electricity and been a very efficient way for us not to buy oil.

Gregg said legislators should consider whether another nuclear power plant at Seabrook would be appropriate.

“We should be using more nuclear power,” he said. “It is clean. It does not affect the global environment. And it is domestic.”

Comments

Activists' Claims Distort Facts about Advanced Reactor Design

Below is from our rapid response team . Yesterday, regional anti-nuclear organizations asked federal nuclear energy regulators to launch an investigation into what it claims are “newly identified flaws” in Westinghouse’s advanced reactor design, the AP1000. During a teleconference releasing a report on the subject, participants urged the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to suspend license reviews of proposed AP1000 reactors. In its news release, even the groups making these allegations provide conflicting information on its findings. In one instance, the groups cite “dozens of corrosion holes” at reactor vessels and in another says that eight holes have been documented. In all cases, there is another containment mechanism that would provide a barrier to radiation release. Below, we examine why these claims are unwarranted and why the AP1000 design certification process should continue as designated by the NRC. Myth: In the AP1000 reactor design, the gap between the shield bu...

What Happens During a Refueling Outage?

You may have noticed over the past few weeks that a number of nuclear plants are shut down for refueling outages or are resuming operations after just returning from one. This type of routine outage usually occurs in the spring or fall when electricity demand is low so that nuclear reactors can replace about one-third of the spent fuel rods with new fuel and conduct other routine maintenance and repairs at the plant. To get a better sense of how refueling works at a nuclear energy facility, I spoke with Marcus Nichol, NEI’s senior project manager for used fuel storage and transportation, and asked him to explain the basics. Why does a nuclear plant need to replace one-third of its fuel? Nichol: The main purpose of a refueling outage is to replace older fuel that is depleted—meaning it can no longer efficiently produce energy from nuclear fission reactions—with new fuel. This “used fuel” has typically been used in the reactor for four-and-a-half to six years before it is pe...

How Much Land Does Nuclear, Wind and Solar Really Need?

Not too long ago, we reviewed a report that looked at nuclear energy (and other energy sources) as biodiversity agents. This had to do, in part, with the amount of land a facility needs to function. Nuclear energy and fossil fuel plants use relatively little, wind farms and solar arrays quite a lot of land . Based on an objective and transparent analysis of our sustainable energy choices, we have come to the evidence-based conclusion that nuclear energy is a good option for biodiversity conservation (and society in general) and that other alternatives to fossil fuels should be subjected to the same cost–benefit analyses (in terms of biodiversity and climate outcomes, as well as sociopolitical imperatives) before accepting or dismissing them. Writer Barry Brook, who collected 75 scientists to endorse his paper, is interested in land use as it impacts flora and fauna. Biodiversity concerns do not get as much play as they might – and, when they do, it annoys many when land is withdraw...

NEI Nuclear Notes

Search This Blog