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NC WARN Issues Statement: New Nukes at Harris: A Ruinous Approach
“Customers should hold on to their wallets – and emergency kits…”
February 19, 2008
Progress Energy is stuck in a time warp. By submitting a license application today to build and operate two nuclear reactors at its Shearon Harris plant, the company seems blind to the sky-rocketing financial and social costs of conventional power plants, and the surging national effort to slow global warming by ramping up efficient, clean energy. The industry claims that nuclear power has become safer, is greenhouse gas free, is economical, and that the waste can be recycled. None of that is true. Furthermore, gambling on a never-been-built reactor design would likely result in additional cost escalation and safety problems. THE PRICE TAG IS WHAT’S MOST “ADVANCED” ABOUT NEW REACTORS: It’s not surprising that Progress declines to disclose the cost of building new reactors. Industry estimates have tripled in the past two years, with new reactors estimated at 6 to 9 billion dollars apiece—excluding financing costs. There is a very real risk that any plant under construction will fail in midstream—as happened widely in the 1980s. That’s why both Progress and Duke Energy demanded last summer that the North Carolina legislature pass along much of the financial risk to ratepayers. Also, watch for their attempts to coax federal, state and local taxpayer subsidies from their cronies in government. LOSING CLIMATE STRATEGY: The primary reason NC WARN and others will vigorously oppose new reactors is the accelerating climate crisis. Although nuclear power generates less greenhouse gas than coal plants, trying to build new ones is squandering billions of dollars and precious years that we should be devoting to genuine climate solutions. CORNER-CUTTING AT HARRIS: Progress Energy has not earned the public’s trust to expand: a.. Three weeks ago, the NRC’s Inspector General confirmed that corporate management has chosen to operate Harris for over a decade in violation of regulations involving fire—a leading risk factor for nuclear meltdown. b.. In 2007 special investigators confirmed serious, long-running security failures exposed by guards. c.. Shearon Harris already has the nation’s largest nuclear waste pools, which are poorly protected against attacks and will remain in place for decades, if not forever. Building more reactors and waste pools increases the risk of a regional catastrophe. NOT NEEDED: As a 2007 state-commissioned study showed, if Progress would aggressively move into efficiency, co-generation and clean energy—instead of dancing around the edges—it could more than offset growing energy demand while creating thousands of good jobs. Other states are proving this too. It’s prudent that Progress is keeping clean-energy options alive; there is no assurance they can ever complete new reactors—or keep their existing coal and nuclear plants running in a warmer, dryer climate. The need for millions of gallons of cooling water each day is the Achilles heel of the nuclear revival. Pursuing new power plants is squandering our chances to cut greenhouse gases.
NC WARN North Carolina Waste Awareness & Reduction Network Ph: 919-416-5077 Fax: 919-286-3985 PO Box 61051, Durham, NC 27715-1051 Email: Jim@ncwarn.org Web: www.ncwarn.org
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