 | The ongoing battle over nuclear power in Wisconsin |
Rachel Slaybaugh, a PhD student in Engineering Physics at UW-Madison and a founding member of Energy Hub, published an editorial in Wednesday’s Daily Cardinal (12/15/09) on the rules governing the construction of new nuclear power plants in Wisconsin.
Link to the article
Rachel argues that nuclear power should not be singled-out with nuclear-specific legal hurdles to new power generation construction. This discussion is an ongoing battle in Wisconsin energy and environment politics, and few expect the debate to be settled anytime soon. Wisconsin currently has a moratorium which forbids the the construction of new nuclear power plants, unless two conditions are met:
- a federal repository to dispose of nuclear waste is available
- the cost to construct and operate a new nuclear plant is economically advantageous for ratepayers
The recommendations made by Gov. Jim Doyle’s Task Force on Global Warming include the modification of the moratorium, which would effectively reduce the legal obstacles to new nuclear power in Wisconsin. Other proposed legislation would repeal the moratorium entirely. Earlier this month the Carbon-Free Nuclear-Free Wisconsin Coalition declared their opposition to an outright repeal of the existing moratorium. The coalition is formed of a number of existing environmental and citizen’s advocacy groups that range from anti-nuclear advocacy to consumer advocacy. Their press release, and a full listing of the groups behind the Carbon-Free Nuclear-Free Wisconsin Coalition is available here.
More on the recent resistance to repeal or modify the existing moratorium in the context of Task Force on Global Warming recommendations:
http://www.wrn.com/2009/12/nuclear-power-gets-attention-at-the-capitol/
http://www.wiscub.org/documents/CFNF%20Press%20Release
http://badgerherald.com/news/2009/12/02/groups_rally_to_safe.phphttp://www.wisbusiness.com/index.Iml?Article=178688
http://dailyreporter.com/blog/2009/12/02/anti-nuclear-statements-prompt-strong-legislative-response/
Charley Higley, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Citizen’s Utility Board, a part the Carbon-Free Nuclear-Free Wisconsin Coalition, supports a modification of the existing moratorium (which is also the recommendation of the Task Force) and explains what the modified nuclear rules should be:
“Realizing that many task force members supported the outright repeal of the nuclear moratorium, CUB supported a compromise: the moratorium’s requirement that ‘a federally licensed facility… will be available… for disposal of the waste’ would be replaced by a requirement that ‘the [Public Service Commission of Wisconsin] must find that the nuclear waste plan for the plant is economic, reasonable, stringent, and in the public interest, given the safety and other risks presented by such waste.
“In addition, the task force recommended that any new nuclear plant ‘must be built to meet Wisconsin electricity needs at a cost that is reasonable and advantageous to customers in comparison with available alternatives….’ and that this requirement would apply to nuclear plants proposed by utilities and non-utilities alike. This recommendation retains the nuclear moratorium’s current requirement that a new nuclear power plant must be ‘economically advantageous to ratepayers’ before the Public Service Commission can authorize construction.
Energy Hub members are encouraged to participate in the discussion on nuclear power in Wisconsin, and on the broader opportunities and challenges that result from the recommendations of the Governor’s Task Force on Global Warming. Join us for weekly discussions during the Spring 2010 semester, join our email list, or submit your own editorial to the Daily Cardinal (or your favorite news outlet) with your opinion!
