Friday, February 10, 2012
Enviro Feds give Plant Vogtle's new nukes the green light
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Fri, Feb 10, 2012 at 9:55 AM
- Christina Wedge/Georgia Power
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission signed off Thursday on Atlanta-based Southern Co.’s request to build two 1,100-megawatt reactors at its Plant Vogtle site in Burke County.Commissioners voted 4-1 to approve the project. NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko, who has supported the project throughout the process, dissented, saying he was concerned that the reactors would not meet certain safety requirements put in place since Japan's Fukushima Daiichi accident.
"Significant safety enhancements have already been recommended as a result of learning the lessons from Fukushima, and there is still more work ahead of us. Knowing this, I cannot support issuing these licenses as if Fukushima never happened," Jaczko said.
On that same note, a coalition of environmental advocates, including Georgia WAND, plans to challenge the application in federal court on the grounds that the NRC did not take the recent Fukushima disaster into account and consider modifying the new reactors' plans.
As we mentioned above, the reactors were eased along by the state and federal government. In addition to the pay-in-advance financing program state lawmakers approved (with the gentle arm-twisting of an army of Georgia Power lobbyists), the reactors enjoy a $8.3 billion federal loan guarantee. The reactors — the country's first in more than 30 years — are expected to switch on in 2016 and 2017.
Comments (12)
Showing 1-12 of 12
Thanks for the risk society, stupid!
It is sad that we just sit back helplessly lining the pockets of these people that put our future at risk. Ridiculous bull shit. Safe nuclear is as much as an oxymoron as clean coal or clean natural gas.
like
dislike
You could burn cow dung. A lot of energy is derived from that source among people who are more in tune with the natural world.
I'm for using all natural resources, including uranium. Still, The Southern Co. and Georgia Power are flaming pigs who need to be slapped down and rerugulated so that they are a true quasi-public utility instead of a wanna be private enterprise.
I'm hesitantly willing to give nuclear another try -- heaven knows that all of our "better" alternatives have turned out disappointing, what with solar panels being made by enslaved 7-year-olds in China, and windmills making nearby cows suicidal (both only slight exaggerations on the truth).
I still keep coming back to the same criticism of nuclear, though -- a comment that I may have read for the first time here: There has GOT to be a better way to boil water.
But the funding for this thing -- that's absolutely unforgivable. The filthy jerks that run Southern Company better be really careful about how they accomplish their misdeeds: I, for one, delight in the idea of seeing them railroaded on any offense that's convenient, just to punish them for their decades of contempt for the environment and the people of the state that they're supposed to serve.
"It is sad that we just sit back helplessly lining the pockets of these people that put our future at risk. Ridiculous bull shit. Safe nuclear is as much as an oxymoron as clean coal or clean natural gas."
the incessant thirst for electrical generation is what puts our future at risk. the specific mechanism of generation doesn't matter so much
how many large electrical devices do you own?
"On that same note, a coalition of environmental advocates, including Georgia WAND, plans to challenge the application in federal court on the grounds that the NRC did not take the recent Fukushima disaster into account and consider modifying the new reactors' plans. "
haha
tsunamis: a risk factor in augusta?????
"I'm for using all natural resources, including uranium. Still, The Southern Co. and Georgia Power are flaming pigs who need to be slapped down and rerugulated so that they are a true quasi-public utility instead of a wanna be private enterprise."
hey dave, i support your opinion here but i wanna ask: federal loan guarantees for state infrastructure. allowed under the tenth amendment?
I just want a decent solar feed-in tariff. I don't care where we get our baseload, thought I'd prefer a fancy-ass generation IV thorium reactor, but our peak, day-time summer air conditioning power cries out for solar.
Equip people with the knowledge of what their power consumption looks like, and the knowledge of how they can save on their power bill, and you'll eliminate the need for new dangerous or polluting power projects. Solar or other renewables would just be the icing on the cake.
Got to admit, I don't know what the answer is, so I'll sit this one out other than it is obvious from the way this plant is being funded that we don't have an adequate consumer advocate at the PSC or State Legislature.
Here's one question I do have. My Natural Gas bill has been very low with the decrease in Natural Gas over the past 2 years. So how come electric rates haven't dropped. Does GA not have any or many Natural Gas electric plants? Thought that was the current preferred status quo vs. Coal Plants. Coal just seems nasty fuel wise and mining wise when they strip the mountain tops. Though now there's this whole Fraking issue.
"Does GA not have any or many Natural Gas electric plants?"
it's mainly coal
http://www.georgiapower.com/about/facts.as…
We're up to our eyeballs in coal. It's stupid not to use it.
Scrubbers baby!
Nuclear, solar, natural gas, biomass, all of it. Drill the damn gulf, too, before the Chinese get it with the Cubans.
Not sure why people think Ga Power has high rate:
comparison:
I own 2 homes, 1 in the Atlanta area, flat rate of $85.80 per month with GA Power (3500 sq ft home)
1 home in the New Orleans area, avg bill at around $175 per month (3000 sq ft home) with Entergy
point being GA Power has some pretty cheap rates compared to other parts of the country and we should be grateful they are providing cheap electricity.... btw I spend more time in Atlanta than in New Orleans yet my electricty bill is far cheaper in Atlanta....
i've heard that this is the first nuclear plant that has been built in almost 30 years, anywhere in the US.
there will be people that will give you the statistics, and show you that nuclear power is safer than airplane flights, walking down peachtree, flying a kite, etc., but when you compare the risks of nuclear power to pretty much any other energy source, there is no comparison in what the risks are for the residents that live around the plant. yeah, there's ONLY a 1 in 1,000,000 chance that the whole thing will blow up and kill everyone, but why not use energy sources that are more reliable and environmentally friendly, and cut that risk down to zero?
@ kiteless
Please tell us which sources are more reliable and environmentally friendly for producing baseload electricity than nuclear, and have zero risk to the adjacent population.
Interesting link Eric, thanks. yea hardly any gas generation. Would be interesting to see how these figures from 2010 have changed.
Nuclear 0.66
Coal 4.53
Gas and Oil 5.75
Average 3.82
@watchatalkingaboutwillis
Comparing bottom line numbers on a electric bills isn't all that helpful. I mean does one house have all electric heat, hot water and oven and the other have gas heat, gas water and gas stove/oven? Also does what are the municipal and state taxes and such on each bill? But I wouldn't be surprised if GA Power is cheaper seeing how GA EPD is pretty lax on them in terms of how much they have to spend on scrubbers and stuff.
Latest in Fresh Loaf
-
Time and Place: Read between the lines
To me this photo is about doing your own thing and following your own path in life.
-
Vernon Jones wants to return to the Gold Dome and other interesting qualification tidbits 1
Qualifying period ends, dust settles, campaigns begin
-
Suspects in Pittsburgh gay bashing slated to go to trial Tuesday
The men accused of beating Brandon White in Southwest Atlanta already headed to court
- More »
More by Author
-
Frontline episode on global financial crisis highlights Atlanta 5
Look, ma, we're famous!
-
Obama campaign setting up office on Auburn Avenue 9
Prez leases space in Renaissance Walk
- More »
