Nuclear Energy: It's the only way to go green

August 24, 2009

Life without energy is short and brutal.

Ask anyone in Zimbabwe or Kenya. There, they live hand-to-mouth. Little is manufactured or produced, because production takes energy – lots of it.

The United States has plenty of energy to manufacture and produce. Coal, natural gas and nuclear power are our workhorses, providing more than 90 percent of our supply. Hydropower accounts for about 6 percent; oil, 1 percent; and renewables like wind, solar and others make up about 3 percent.

We all share the goal of a cleaner environment. However, easily 70 percent of our energy comes from burning fossil fuels.

Some want to replace coal and gas-fired plants with wind, solar and other renewables – but they refuse to consider cheap, carbon-free nuclear energy.

I'm here to tell you, it can't be done.

Simple Logic

If we attempt to replace our energy sources exclusively with renewables, it will decimate our economy and relegate the U.S. to third-world status.

Here's why:

The U.S. Department of Energy forecasts that the America will need 40 percent more electricity by 2030. That's also true here in Washington.

Our state is fortunate to have clean, renewable hydropower – but we are now using virtually all the hydropower available. We cannot grow it 40 percent, never mind the amount needed to make up for the loss of coal, oil and gas. This task becomes even more insurmountable if the Snake River dams are removed.

Wind and solar power cannot produce enough electricity to fill our baseload demands. These technologies – by their very nature – are intermittent, volatile and expensive.

Energy = Productivity

A good wind project produces electricity only about 30 percent of the time. The sun shines only part of the time in much of the state, and where it does, transmission of solar energy can be an issue. While these technologies are wonderful complements to a strong, existing baseload of dependable energy, they cannot be counted on to provide that baseload.

To give up all energy produced from fossil fuels, we need another source of energy that's cheap, clean and full-time. Fortunately, one exists: Nuclear power. Europe is flourishing on it. In fact, France produces 80 percent of its energy from low-cost, zero-emissions nuclear power.

Because nuclear power produces an enormous amount of energy using a very small amount of fuel, its average production cost is just 1.87 cents per kilowatt hour. That includes the costs of operating and maintaining the plant, purchasing fuel and paying for management of used fuel.

Not your dad's nuclear reactor

Today's advanced nuclear-reactor designs are dramatically improved, benefitting from more than three decades of operating experience and design and technological advances.
Nuclear plants are some of the safest, most secure and robust industrial facilities ever created. The newer plants only improve upon this already stellar record.

Today's nuclear reactors are small, modular units – some even fit on a large kitchen table. Their proven technology allows us to add power incrementally. Many of them are manufactured domestically at low cost and can be shipped on a rail car to their final locations.

Low-cost energy and minimal "waste"

The term "nuclear waste" is a misnomer. This used fuel is actually a very valuable commodity. Used fuel still holds 95 percent of its energy and can be recycled and reused in the reactor.

In the U.S., used fuel is stored safely and securely above ground, adjacent to the power plant which produced it. This has been done for many years and can continue for the next several decades. However, we should follow the lead of France, Japan and England and recycle this used fuel.

Sadly, much of the cost to generate more nuclear power in America stems from the difficulty of getting permission from state and local governments. The federal government has solved this by providing pre-development criteria and one-step construction and operating licenses.

If the states would adopt these methods, the start-up cost of providing low-cost, carbon-free nuclear power would be greatly reduced.

We decide our future

The choice is ours.

We can choose to struggle along with enforced reduction of our baseload power source, experiencing brownouts and blackouts, depressing our economy and sliding into second- or third-world status.

Or we can choose clean, affordable nuclear energy to supply Washington with a powerful baseload capacity that would keep our homes comfortable, our businesses humming, and our environment pristine.

This guaranteed baseload would allow us to increase our use of wind, solar and other cutting-edge renewables. Best of all, it would allow our economy to blossom far into the future and offer limitless possibilities to our citizens. 

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Sen. Delvin represents the 8th Legislative District, which includes
Richland, Kennewick, Benton City, and Prosser.

Additional contact: Pat Albright at (360) 786-7519 or albright.pat@leg.wa.gov